'A third of shoppers avoid shops with badly maintained storefronts; newsagents among worst performers'

Over a third (35 per cent) of shoppers avoid entering shops with badly maintained storefronts, a recent report has claimed, calling for certain sections of the high street need a significant facelift if they are going to mount a recovery post-Covid.

According to a study conducted by Roland DG across the UK and Europe, 35 per cent of shoppers avoid entering shops with badly maintained storefronts while a third (29 per cent) are less likely to spend money in them.

The overall findings from the study suggest three quarters (75 per cent) of the 1,531 shoppers polled across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain admitted at least one in every five shops on their local high street had a badly maintained store front. A similar percentage (76 per cent) had either seen zero improvement in the problem over the last three years or felt it had worsened.

20 percent of those surveyed feels newsagents do not maintain storefronts while mechanics were singled out as the worst offenders with nearly a third (31 per cent) of shoppers agreeing they typically had the worst signage. Hardware stores (26 per cent) and takeaways (26 per cent) also came in for criticism. Book stores (6 per cent), travel agents (6 per cent) and bakeries (6 per cent) fared better.

The data also suggests that the impact of low-quality storefronts runs deeper than lost sales and reduced footfall. Three quarters (72 per cent) believe that low quality storefronts make an area feel unsafe, and eight in ten (81 per cent) agree it makes an area less desirable to live in.

Stephen Davis, EMEA Marketing Director at Roland DG, comments: “On the one hand, it’s hardly surprising that retailers have had to neglect their storefronts while battling COVID, a cost-of-living crisis and a potential economic downturn. On the other, our study campaign is designed to show retailers that if they do go the extra mile, it will increase their footfall and grow their sales.”

“High street retailers are the lifeblood of our economy. We hope our small contribution to smartening up storefronts and signage will inspire others to follow suit, and help win shoppers back after a punishing two years.”