Selling the retail experience is vital if high street stores are to thrive in the future, retail guru Mary Portas told the Institute of Travel and Tourism conference.
Addressing 400 senior travel delegates at the Malta event, Portas said it was also vital that firms understand women, as they account for 85% of all buying decisions.
“Even with all the sophisticated systems that most businesses have at their finger tips, they do not understand customers and their needs,” Portas said.
She singled out the major supermarket chains and the Co-operative group for particular criticism, saying the former had been in a “race to the bottom” by focusing on discounting.
The latter had wasted its reputation as a caring, community enterprise and a sustainable company, said Portas, by indulging in “low rent behaviour” in its convenience stores.
She heaped praise on the likes of Apple, Pret a Manger and Virgin for their attention to detail and offering service with a smile.
“If you employ happy people you can teach them how to make a coffee. Happy people are at the heart of it.
“It’s understanding the small stuff in an experience. If you really understand what’s inspiring to people I genuinely think you can redefine and make any business relevant today.”
Portas, who has been employed by the government as an advisor on the future of high street, gave an upbeat assessment on the future prospects of bricks and mortar retail.
But she said firms must understand women better and what they are looking for in a retail experience.
“Saying everything is going online is a cop out. So many shops are closing down because people do not re-imagine what people want, do not know how to connect with people.”
Portas suggested firms should have a ‘director of detail’ who is a woman to focus on the touches that really make a difference.
The high street of the future will not just be about retail, Portas said but will feature other services like crèches doctor’s surgeries and even a revival of libraries.
“We have 400 town teams fighting for their town centres. Why? Because it’s a part of the way we live, it’s a vital social infrastructure.
Portas said in travel it was all about human relationships. “Most importantly it’s the knowledge that the travel agent has which I can’t get online.
“I think I get that when I go into an Apple store; that knowledge I get, that experience I get which I don’t if I’m buying online.
“That’s the experience that will separate [retailers] in the future; a real emotional connection with their clients.”