Multiple retailers and independents should not be enemies. Both are essential for healthy high streets says Clare Rayner, founder of Independent Retailer Month UK.

As the founder of Independent Retailer Month in the UK I am often challenged about the motives for the campaign.

Many campaigns of this sort are very anti-multiple, anti-out-of-town and anti-supermarket. They beg consumers to visit retailers who may not even be deserving of their custom and practically go as far as to blame shoppers for the decline in some of the UK high streets. I don’t know any customers who enjoy shopping on a guilt-trip.

What I’m creating with Independent Retailer Month isn’t about guilt, desperation or charity. Mine is a holistic, total retail sector view. I believe that when it comes to the high streets specifically there needs to be a vibrant mix of indies and multiples, and each town needs to evolve it’s unique personality, presenting a relevant, appropriate and engaging offer for the local community if they ever want to see shoppers coming back.

It’s not just about retail either – it’s about social, leisure and entertainment too. These messages were also echoed in conversations at both the Independent Retailer Month launch conference on Sunday and at the ATCM summer school yesterday.

What is sad is that there are far too many retailers - and often the smaller businesses - who make no effort to adapt and respond to the modern consumer.

In the midst of some passionate, vibrant and innovative businesses are a group that drags all indies down – dubbed “the moaners” at yesterday’s summer school.

This group has concluded that there is nothing that can be done and just reject all offers of help and support. The sad fact is that they will go the way of the dinosaurs, possibly sooner rather than later in such testing trading conditions.

Retailers of any size who have a lack of agility and customer responsiveness will only have themselves to blame if they fail.

Also coming out loud and clear at both of the recent events has been the debate on the significant shift in consumer behaviour that is forcing the whole retail environment to change accordingly.

Shopping decisions are either based purely on logic - lowest costs, most convenient -  or on more emotional criteria  such as service experience, knowing and trusting the staff and buying from a store because of its environmental or ethical stand point.

Our town centres are not set up to serve the lower cost customer – the overheads of retail space  such as rent and  rates make it non-viable. What they can do, and particularly when large and small work together, is create a very strong service-led shopping experience, engaging consumers with their product knowledge and  expertise.

So, Independent Retailer Month, and in particular today, Independent’s Day, are there to celebrate the vibrancy our indies bring to our towns. As someone said to me in a tweet this week: “Multiple retailers are the major organs and indies the life blood”.

The fact is a town is simply inadequate and dull without both types of retailer present and without all working harder than ever before to engage consumers.

  • Clare Rayner is founder of Independent Retailer Month UK and author of The retail champion: 10 steps to retail success.