BBC Report Shows How the High Street Has Changed Over the Past Two Years

According to a BBC analysis that was posted yesterday, beauty salons and tattoo parlours have prospered on High Streets while the number of banks and department stories have fallen.

Obtained from an analysis of 1.5 million records contained in the Ordinance Survey’s ‘Points of Interest‘ mapping data (a comprehensive quarterly survey of businesses, facilities and services operating in England, Scotland and Wales), the data showed that High Streets and shopping centres have become a popular magnet for hair and beauty services in the past few years. An additional 5,100 premises now operate compared with pre-pandemic, which boasts an increase of 5.9%.

For the purpose of the research, the BBC used one data release in March 2020 and one in March 2022, to give a snapshot of the points of interest across Great Britain that were active at those times. The report shows that, in the G1 and G2 postcodes of central Glasgow, hair and beauty services are now the most prevalent type of shop – overtaking pubs and bars which were the most prevalent in March 2020.

The news report links the increase of these types of services to the act of shopping online. As you can’t receive a beauty or wellbeing treatment or a tattoo through online shopping – like other commodities – it is essential to visit the premise. Since 2020, High Streets and shopping areas appear to be evolving into more service and hospitality-based venues, despite the restrictions of lockdowns and social distancing rules.

Want to find out more? Read the full news report here

Want to see how your High Street is doing post-pandemic? Check your postcode area here