The 2026 Community Barometer report, launched today by the Association of Convenience Stores is the first major report into the health of the high street that focuses on putting place first, highlighting the use of the 'Makerfield Test' as a means to deliver good growth on high streets.
There is a stark contrast in the report between the high streets that people feel are getting better and those that are getting worse. Across the UK, only Greater London emerged as a net positive when it comes to high streets, with every other part of the country feeling as though high streets are getting worse than before. The worst affected areas are Scotland, the East of England, and the South West, though outside of London all parts of the country clearly need more targeted support to create high streets that people can be proud of.
The Community Barometer report seeks to identify the reasons why these places feel left behind. The top five reasons why people believe their high street is getting worse are:
- Too many empty shop units
- Poor range of shops and services
- Fewer shoppers due to the cost of living
- Stronger competition from online shopping
- Prevalence of dodgy shops
When asked about the services that they want more and less of, the report finds a clear need for a diverse range of services like specialist shops, bank branches, pubs, bars, restaurants and sports facilities. However, the businesses that people don't like appearing on their local high street are: vape shops, pawnbrokers and barber shops that seem to pop up when a high street is losing its vitality.
This sentiment is reflected in the ranking of local services and their impact on the community. Pharmacies, Post Offices and convenience stores were ranked as the top three services that have both the most positive impact on an area and that are viewed as the most essential, with convenience stores ranking as the number one service for supporting local growth.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Ed Woodall said: "Access to local services that make people feel good about where they live should not be a nice-to-have. The Community Barometer sets out a blueprint for the changes that are needed to give the whole of the UK reason to be proud of their high streets.
"Thriving local shops, diverse places to eat and drink, and core services like Post Offices and pharmacies are all part of the makeup of a successful high street, but too often these businesses are failed by rising costs, slow planning decisions, and lawlessness that goes unpunished. If the next Prime Minister is serious about effecting change and delivering good growth, high streets need to feel safer, business rates need be reduced and planning decisions sped up."
The Community Barometer sets out three priority areas for the Government to consider as it forms its new High Streets Strategy. These three priority areas are consistent with the recommendations of 15 reports on high streets delivered over the last decade that successive Westminster governments have failed to implement. They are:
- Making safety on the high street a priority by making better and faster use of closure orders and criminal behaviour orders to address the problems of retail crime and the presence of dodgy shops locally.
- Reducing the cost of operating by leveraging business rate reliefs, making it more appealing to take on empty properties and address the number one reason why people feel their high streets are in decline.
- A town centre first planning system that moves at the pace of the businesses it serves, directing new retail sites onto high streets, concentrating footfall and investment activity where it's most needed.
ACS has written to Andy Burnham ahead of his appointment as Prime Minister, setting out the change needed on high streets.
The full Community Barometer report is available to download here.
