Latest news from Loughborough University

12 Jun 2015

Town centres seminar: The future of the high street

A new seminar on the town centre consumer will look at the impact and implications for the future of the high street.

To be held on June 18, the seminar focuses on the town centre consumer and the need to understand their behaviour, including physical and digital interactions within an evolving high street environment.

Bringing together industry perspectives and showcasing the latest research findings concerning town centre consumers, we will discuss the associated impact and implications for the future high street environment.

The aim is to encourage debate and identify directions and priorities for research to inform high street revitalisation strategies.    

To book your seat, please contact Ruth Cufflin E: r.cufflin@lboro.ac.uk

Seminar programme

10:30 – 11:00             

Arrival and refreshments

11:00 – 11.05               

Welcome address

Professor Angus Laing, Dean, School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University

11.05 – 11.15              

The importance of the town centre consumer

Cathy Hart, Town Centres Research Interest Group

11:15 – 11:30              

The evolving high street: How are town centre consumers and high street stakeholders responding?

Andy Godfrey, Alliance Boots

11:30 – 11:45              

Physical and digital interactions in the retail environment

Andy Stringer, Home Retail Group

11.45 - 12.15               

Developing a town centre consumer tool   

Cathy Hart and Lara Stocchi, Loughborough University

12.15 – 12.30              

Question and answer session

Facilitator: Martin Blackwell, Charity Retail Association

12:30 – 13:15              

LUNCH

13:15 – 13:35              

Driving the revitalisation of the high street through consumers as stakeholders

Michael Weedon, British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA)

13:35 – 13:55             

Consumer data is power

Matthew Hopkinson, Local Data Company

13:55 – 14:15              

Tracking consumer behaviour in town centres

Clive Hall, Indestinate

14.15 - 14.35               

Using digital insights to shape the high street

Guy Douglas, Digital High Street 

14:35 -14:50               

Question and answer session

Facilitator: Martin Blackwell, Charity Retail Association

14.50 -15.00                

Closing remarks: Opportunities and future research directions

Bruce Jackson, ESRC

15:00                            

Close: Refreshments and networking

Notes for editors

Article reference number: June News

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.