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Buying into retail
An as yet little-known space in the centre of Gloucester is about to become the cradle of the high street of the future. A floor above the city centre’s Eastgate Shopping Centre is a space where retailers, and other businesses, will be encouraged to come together, not least to help the sector embrace the digital economy. In particular it will be home to those planning the future of retail from all over the UK, who will be able to use the offices, conference suite and shared space to develop plans aimed at making our town centres lively, commercially successful communities. Many are already moving their businesses in new directions, as the internet and shopping habits change, inspiring others to launch new ventures and existing companies to adapt.
Cheltenham Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). As Punchline was heading to press, a kitchen was going in to the glass-fronted shared workspace at the top of the escalator. It will seat an estimated 25, have free wi-fi, and open as part of the soft launch in March. Membership will be necessary to use the facilities, but one day a week – probablyWednesday – it will be open house for people to test out. UK: DRIC resembles some of GFirst LEP’s best work, not least because the LEP awarded £400,000 to the project and it is to the local enterprise partnership that the retail innovation centre will answer. Initial funding is for three years.
The UK Digital Retail Innovation Centre (UK: DRIC) is where it is hoped many of those new ideas will be born, tested, tweaked, discussed and see daylight for the first time. “The high street is not dying – it is changing and we have a great opportunity here to make sure those businesses which want to be part of these ever-evolving communities get the encouragement and support they need,” said Emily Knight, a director of UK: DRIC and the person who will lead the project. Those familiar with the Gloucestershire LEP-funded Growth Hub network, especially the Oxstalls powerhouse within the University of Gloucestershire’s Business School, will see similarities.
Eastgate Shopping Centre
Diane Savory, chairwoman of GFirst LEP, said: “We are delighted to be able to award this funding to Marketing Gloucester and confident that it will lead to further inward investment from the private and public sectors.” Partners include: University of Gloucestershire, MaybeTech, KSharp, EE, BT, Institute of Place Management (IPM) and the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) DRIC is even in contact with the likes of the Etsy community – an online-led group of craft retailers – to
A conference room space fit for 60 people lies behind four new bookable spaces, perhaps as offices or pop-up shops, where entrepreneurs can test their ideas out on the high street with real customers. “Footfall is actually pretty good up here. Everyone who uses the car park to come into the city centre walks right past,” said Mrs Knight, who has worked with the Marketing Gloucester team and is already building working relationships with both Gloucester and
40 | February 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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