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Is the high street hotting up?

Who said the high street was dead? With soaring temperatures in the UK, the public is shunning their computers and phones and heading to the Great British high street to part with their hard-earned cash.

According to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey, 32% of retailers said that sales volumes were up in July than compared to a year ago and 13% said they had to place more orders with suppliers as a result. A combination of the unusually nice weather (does this weather even belong in the UK?) and World Cup fever have been thanked for the boost in high street sales this July, which also saw 45% of motor traders report that sales volumes were up compared to this time last year (convertible anyone?).

These figures should be seen as a huge positive for the high street, especially following the results from the survey campaign #WDYT (What do you think?) which found consumers want more and better shops available to them. The survey, which was completed by 300,000 people, found that 78% of respondents worry about the high street and 70% are concerned about shops closing – proving that the public still back “popping into town” to do their shopping.

All the positives do come with negatives though – in the same CBI Survey, retailers reported that they expect sales to slow again in August and orders to flatten out. With subdued real wage growth, households are still feeling the financial pinch and retailers are still battling with the reduced costs online retailers are able to offer.

Along with the Government’s inquiry into high streets and town centres 2030 to examine how local areas are planning for the future of their high streets, this month’s results should be seen as a step in the right direction to securing the future of the British high street.

Wickes: Leicester Relocation

Bluestones One’s Merchandising team supported Wickes in their latest relocation project in Leicester, supporting with the closure of their central Leicester store and the opening of their new store a few miles down the road in Wigston.

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Meet the team: Ashley Jewitt

Meet Ashley Jewitt: Commercial Director

How did your journey at Bluestones One begin and what has it been like since?I joined Bluestones One in March 2018 after meeting with all the key stakeholders within the Group. It felt right and we were very much aligned in terms of how we wanted to approach building the business. Having the support network available, whilst having full rein to run our business, has been the reason why we have achieved what we have today and a testament to all involved. What do you enjoy about working in this industry?I like to be busy and working in our industry it is certainly that! There are always new challenges to overcome which is a big strength of ours and very rewarding when we deliver for our customers. We are always pushing ourselves with ideas and initiatives to maximise our service offering and lead the business to the next stage of the journey, which is very exciting to be a part of. What is your proudest professional moment?I have had some very proud moments throughout my career, but the proudest moment for me would be winning the most profitable business within the Group within a 3-year period of setting the business

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