16 February 2027 – Cathy Parker

The future of the high street

End of an era or start of something new?

The UK is the third-largest e-commerce market in the world, trailing only China and the United States. Over 86% of the UK population does some of their shopping online, and internet sales currently account for over 27% of all retail spending, double what it was ten years ago.

In the same period, in-person sales have shifted from local high streets to out-of-town retail parks. Ten years ago, £4 in every £10 of retail spend was in the local high street, and £2.50 was in retail parks. In the latest figures, those numbers are swapped around — £2.50 in every £10 of retail spend is in the local high street, and £4.00 is in retail parks.

The pressure on high streets from on-line and out-of-town outlets is continuous and increasing. Can the high street survive? What changes are needed in order to do so? Could the local high street ever return to being the thriving heart of our local communities?

Professor Parker will give examples of where we might find models to emulate, and suggest what is required of the community itself.

Cathy Parker

Cathy Parker is Professor of Retail and Marketing Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University and Chair of the Institute of Place Management, the professional institute for all those involved in making better places. Cathy is regarded as an international expert and leader in place management and is the research lead for the Government's High Streets Task Force. She is frequently asked to commentate on place and retail related topics and has appeared on BBC Newsnight, BBC Breakfast, BBC Sunday Politics (NW), BBC Radio 5 live and ITV Tonight.

Cathy was the Principal Researcher and Director for two £3.5m+ EU part-funded projects. AGORA, which aimed to bring the principles of social enterprise to town and other place management partnerships and REN, which aimed to promote and protect diversity in the independent retail sector.

Cathy is the recipient of two research prizes and is an ad-hoc reviewer for the European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Journal of Applied Management Studies, Academy of Marketing, American Marketing Association and Sage Publications Limited. Cathy has been an academic advisor and contributor to the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Town Centre Management.