A year on from The Northern Echo's Silver Street special reports, experts have revisited and reassessed the street. In our latest installation, High Street expert Graham Galpin discusses changes to retail following the pandemic. 

Last year I suggested that consumer confidence post-covid, inflation and the need for planned re-invention of the High Streets nationally were the prevailing challenges to high street viability. I was right at the time.

Like just about every predictor of the future there were things I did not foresee. I did expect a degree of political turmoil, but the events of the summer and autumn exceeded even my expectations in terms of the impact on consumers and retailers. The mini-budget caused maxi panic.

Another “unknown unknown” was the ambition of Comrade Putin. His “Special Operation” in Ukraine has impacted worldwide with rapid rises in fuel costs and subsequent escalating inflation in the world economy.

The Northern Echo: Popular specialist shop Durham Ginstitute has relocated to Silver Street since our last series of special reports.Popular specialist shop Durham Ginstitute has relocated to Silver Street since our last series of special reports. (Image: Graham Soult)

Read more: Silver Street, Durham: ‘The death of the high street has been exaggerated’

As domestic fuel consumers, we all know how the rise in gas and electricity prices hit us. You should be thankful however that you are not a high street shop, restaurant or pub owner. Their power, heat and light prices have risen by eye-watering amounts; well over 300%.

These headwinds, combined with double-digit inflation make it surprising that anyone should want to be in business on the high street. Thank goodness there are some brave souls who perceive that this really is a blip, a big one I will admit, but we will return to a new, stable and acceptable normal.

Whilst 40% of non-food retail is still bought online, everywhere in the UK is hunting for a revised, viable and vital model for their town or city that they recognise and feel happy to visit. We are well briefed by the media on what the Government are doing or not doing but local towns and cities need local solutions. Mostly these fit with the four priorities identified by colleagues at the Institute of Place Management as repositioning, reinvention, rebranding, and restructuring.

Read more: Ukrainian children light Christmas tree at Durham Cathedral

The Northern Echo: Kokoro is one of the newly opened eateries in Durham. Kokoro is one of the newly opened eateries in Durham. (Image: Graham Soult)

One must remain careful of sources of research, for example, the Ordnance Survey profile of High Streets published this December. It is a bit of a blunt instrument though. This research profiles local areas and the ups and downs of the types of shops and services available.

If one seeks data on Silver Street, it is lost in data for other shopping areas of Durham. Some of these are as different as chalk and cheese making aggregates meaningless. My advice is to use the data as larger-scale trend indicators. There is nothing better than going out and calibrating what is happening on your patch.

Silver Street has a head start with super partnerships and leadership in the City, hence the finger is on the pulse. People know what is happening and are planning for the future.

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Pedestrianisation makes Silver Street safe and secure. Its narrowness lends itself to pedestrian-friendly use. It has its Market Square; most experts agree that markets add to the appeal of a shopping area. It has heritage buildings which provide historical context to the high standard of buildings which gives a “Quality Street” like character to the area.

The active management of the area, combined with its attractiveness has drawn in new players like Tortilla and Kokoro, adding to the food and beverage offer. Breaking up the vacant M&S store for more appropriate uses makes sense, but l like everywhere else be prepared for losses as well wins. That is where the tools already in place become more useful.

Be in no doubt, the present trials will pass, and we will recover, but in a new way. Silver Street will provide more services that you cannot buy on the internet - hairdressing, community facilities, doctors' surgeries or hospital outreach clinics with still enough retail to make it worth the visit. Silver Street will be at the vanguard of recovery, and I wish everyone the best of good fortune.