Photographic Journalism Project Scott Anderson 33364805
The Leeds Dead and
High Street: Buried? T he rise of online shopping has no doubt caused a drastic shift in nationwide shopping trends in the UK in recent years. Many well established companies have collapsed due to the struggle the high street has endured in a battle against online shopping. No one can argue that the online craze has hit the high street hard, but is all as bad as it seems? Within the heart of Leeds lie many unique, fascinating independent shops with owners that have refused to back down to the power of the internet, proving that the high street is all but lost. By taking the time to go beyond the attractive face of the city high street, the chances are you will find much more than you expect. If you switch off your laptop and venture into the “deadâ€? high street, you will be pleasantly surprised that it has much more to offer than a website URL‌
In an age of online domination, Leeds has actually seen a rise in shoppers on the high street. In recent years, the media have sculpted the image that the high street has simply had its day, and although it can't be argued that the rise of online retail has harmed the high street, from what you see on an average day in Leeds, this appears to be far from the truth. The huge success of the £350 million Trinity shopping centre and award-winning Trinity kitchen has boosted popularity of Leeds city centre, with 23 million people visiting the complex in its first year. Leeds’s stunning array of shopping attractions will also soon be boosted by the addition of the £130 million Victoria Gate development, which will include Leeds’s first ever flagship John Lewis store. But beyond the giants of Leeds's retail industry lie a unique range of hidden gems. The Trinity centre has been a retail game changer for Leeds, but what about the hard working industries outside of the city’s star attraction? Competing with the Trinity is a David v Goliath battle for independent shop owners in Leeds, and with the added battle against the online giants, a retail drug for shoppers in the UK, it’s a miracle these wonders still exist. But as they have shown in the past, they have fought on as underdogs… and won. Leeds witnessed a “festive boom” last December, with over 4.5 million shoppers visit key spots in the city in three weeks alone. Specialist cameras in the city tracked
Casualty: High street has been hit by online craze
Could the high street soon be left in the dark?
A bright future: Leeds will soon welcome £130m Victoria Gate
David v Goliath: Competing with Trinity is no easy task for independent stores
footfall, recording highest figures in the run up to Christmas in three years. Across the whole of 2014, the camera tracked a staggering 55 million visitors, a 5% rise year-on-year. Fast forward to today, where on a bright, beautiful day in Leeds, the high street looks as alive as ever. Briggate is the spine of the Leeds city centre, with fine establishments such as the Thornton Arcade, Trinity shopping centre and Queen’s Arcade spanning off the long street, like powerful organs from a bodies core. As you walk down the packed out, cobbled street, you find yourself swamped by shoppers. On today’s occasion, people appear to be more inclined to conduct physical shopping over virtual, possibly due to the Spain-like 20C heat that beams across West Yorkshire. If the high street is “dead”, as it is commonly labelled by the media, then this is a funny looking funeral. Wherever you Leeds City Market: Packed with years of tradition
“Briggate is a retail spine of the Leeds city centre”
High street: A vital community asset? look, people are socialising and enjoying the array of attractions that the city of Leeds has to offer. The social aspect that comes with physical shopping is impossible to feel when you opt for the World Wide Web as your go-to retail source. By scrolling with your
mouse, clicking your desired items and then sitting patiently in your front room for your order to arrive, you are depriving yourself of a social outing that is far more enjoyable. The sheer beauty of Leeds’s Queen’s Arcade provides you with a sense of luxury that can’t be felt from the comfort of your own sofa. The grade two listed building has successfully established itself as a lead luxury retail destination in the very heart of the city centre. Just across the road, a billboard for the
Where it all began: Marks and Spencers first store
Sense of luxury: Queen’s Arcade
Thornton’s Arcade attracts many high street shoppers
“A world of creative and innovative independent retailers can be discovered” Victoria Gate development can be seen, offering a positive glimpse of what the future holds for Leeds’s retail industry. The beauty spans throughout the city centre, and neighbouring the unborn Victoria Gate is the Leeds City Market, otherwise known as Kirkgate market, the largest covered market in Europe. Within the market lies an official Marks and Spencer store, a tribute to the very first store that opened in the market, under the original
“A wonderful market,” says Carol name Penny Bazaar. Carol is an employee at Marks and Spencer, and she thinks that the high street is coming back. “I think it is exaggerated by the media,” says Carol. “The trend now is to shop on the day and cook on the night. In here, we have this wonderful market and they are refurbishing it. I bet when you go on holiday you love to go to a market, because I do. Markets like these are fantastic for shoppers. We offer online shopping for people who may not be able to make it to a store, but we still draw a lot of people in.” As you delve further into the depths of the Leeds retail stratosphere, a world of creative, innovative, independent retailers can be discovered in the form of the
stunning Corn Exchange. The outskirts of the circular, stone building initially appear rather dull, and you wouldn’t be forgiven for bypassing without raising an eyebrow. But within the Corn Exchange you are met with a world of colourful shops that provide a unique, alternative view of the high street. Carol works at Culture Vulture, and she says that independent stores have had to jump onto the online bandwagon alongside the day-to-day running of the store, in order to survive. She says: “For what we do here at culture vulture you have to have that online aspect too so that people are aware of you. We’ve had this shop for seven months now, and there is
definitely a lot more work than there used to be. We were originally in the Corn Exchange seven years ago, but moved with other tenants when it was converted into a food court. At end of our lease we decided to come back, because we have always loved this building. It has got a quirky feel to it, and we feel it fits in with our story really well.” Best Leeds is an independent store that is extremely popular amongst the city’s huge student population. They don’t just sell their own brand of clothes, but they have “taken wonderful clothes with a history and a story to tell, re-tailored, reworked and put them back out there, sometimes as long as 40 years
“A unique, alternative view of the high street”
later, for the fashion innovators of tomorrow to wear and talk about.” Amy is a PE student at Leeds Beckett University, and has worked at Best Leeds for three years. She says it is hard for stores to ignore the massive online market. “We are now online and have been pushing it forward, because the market is so big now,” says Amy. “However, we do a whole range of one off events which I think are unique [popular house DJ Hannah Wants performed a live set in the store in March], and can’t be matched by shopping online.” When you’re present on the A world of Culture
From American sweets to quirky cards
Bag a bargain in the Corn Exchange
“The online market is so big now that it is too hard to ignore” high street, accompanied by shoppers in their hundreds, a scary though comes to mind: What would happen if the high street really was dead? It seems a farfetched thought on first impression, but if you think about how much the online market has grown over the past 15 years, imagine the power it could behold in 2030, in another 15 years time. The crazy that has swept the retail industry has been impossible to ignore for
Simply the Best: A hit with students
Re-tailored, re-worked and put back on the shelves A case of quality and quantity
independent retailers. Due to the sheer volume of online shopping, many have been forced to jump on the bandwagon in order to remain in the black. Setting up an online site to accompany a store is a move that not online increases profits, but ensures that the high street remains in existence. As long as independent stores don’t back down, shut up shop and commit 100% to the online market, there is no reason as to why they can’t use the tool to their advantage. For independent stores to survive, it is understandable that, as in any walk of live, they have to adapt to the times. Retail evolution is now a case of survival of the fittest and with the collapse of established companies such as HVM, Comet, Jessops and Blockbuster to name but a few, it is a clear indicator that absolutely no one is safe. When you take the time to explore the wonderful, vibrant city of Leeds, you can’t help but feel a sense of respect for the high street. By taking a step back and soaking up the warm atmosphere, you can see its sheer importance not only to the retail industry, but the community that keep it alive. Within that one single moment, the realisation hits you that you are essentially just a pawn within their game. Not only that, your active engagement is vital for independent stores in their battle, and the stakes are their entire existence. So the industry defining, multimillion pound question is: Which side are you on?