Roman Road market. Image: Flickr user Dunc(an
This evening Mary Portas returned to our screens with the first episode of her new series Mary Queen of the High Street on channel 4, where she visited Roman Road in the East End of London.
Mary Portas blames the overall decline of the high street on parking charges, out of town retail parks and the internet.
“If you take away the heartbeat, the high street, you take away more than shops. You take away an infrastructure, a web, a community, a support function,” Mary Portas says in her programme.
She believes that a new identity for the high street must be established to drive business.
The market
As part of her Portas Review, she wrote about the potential in regenerating markets to bring in a new footfall boosting all the local shops in the area.
With the Roman Road, she suggests a revitalised market could act as an ‘anchor’ to drive more business through the high street.
The market has been around since the 1860s and for most of its history it has catered for working class people, but Mary aims to change this to make it more like Broadway Market.
Fantastic to see someone beating the drum for stall markets. Vital in the current economy #MaryQueenoftheHighStreet uk.zeebox.com/tv/episode/725…
— Paul Miller (@Ashbournevoice) May 7, 2013
Brave effort @maryportas, tackling Roman Road Market. But is copying Broadway Market, gentrifying, the only answer? #maryhighstreet
— Giles Barrie (@GilesBarrie) May 7, 2013
New demographic
A new breed of Londoner has moved into Roman Road, attracted by the area’s new trendy image.
Mary argues that the market and local shops need to address these new residents. She suggests that by understanding the needs of your ever-changing demographic is crucial to the survival of the high street.
Making small changes to cater for both the old locals and the new ‘trendier’ residents should help increase business.
#maryqueenofthehighstreet This will end with #romanroad going too trendy and driving the locals out
— Richard Shorney (@retailmentoring) May 7, 2013
She wants to get rid of cheap stalls. where do locals shop who can’t afford new prices?#MaryQueenoftheHighStreet uk.zeebox.com/tv/episode/725…
— Slice of London Life (@slicelondonlife) May 7, 2013
Tensions surrounding the changes
Local food shops in the Roman Road were concerned that new food stalls on the market would take away business from thieir shops.
Portas responded to these worries saying, “I have two options to do. I’ve got an option that says keep it as it is and I think it will slowly wither on the vine. Or I make it relevant to a new audience that keep the mix with the old and the new.”
Not sure what we witnessed there, without ongoing coverage its difficult to assess the impact tbh #maryqueenofthehighstreet
— #RetailChat (@RetailChat) May 7, 2013
Interest in and the profile of our high streets have probably never been higher #MaryQueenoftheHighStreet
— Shop Local Bristol (@ShopLocalBris) May 7, 2013
The reaction to Portas’ ideas over Twitter was very mixed. As the programme did not conclude with a very happy ending, many viewers felt there was a bit of an anti-climax.
But progress towards recreating the traditional high street will take a long time. It cannot simply happen in a heartbeat.
What did you think about the show? Do you think markets are the answer to bringing in more business to local traders?
Comment below and let us know your thoughts.
