Lumsden Design
How culture could reinvent our town centres ?
By Callum Lumsden , Founder & Creative Director , Lumsden Design
Town Centres are having a hard time . And although Covid has not helped one little bit , it was , let ’ s face it , an accident waiting to happen anyway . Crazy rents and rates marching onwards and upwards meant eventually something had to give . For years our high streets were kept teetering on the edge , terrified of change and too poor to try anything new . Switching off the global economy in 2020 resolved all that overnight . It is inevitable that flexible leasing will finally allow brands to show off and have a bit of fun without signing up for ten years at a time . So our toen centres will become venues for product launches , branded experiences and pop-up exhibitions
The fact is the experience of shopping has changed radically and has been for a long time way before the pandemic . Consumers want to be engaged , entertained and educated .
And this simply hasn ’ t computed with the vast majority of current town centre models .
But lockdown has also taught us what we secretly knew all along : that shopping was never just about buying stuff , it was about getting out and having fun .
The world has changed too . There ’ s no doubt that 2021 is the year retail sheds its skin .
There is , however , an opportunity for forward-thinking planners , local authorities and property developers to learn from other sectors . While traditional retail may be struggling , museums and visitor attractions were incredibly busy pre-covid , with people drawn in by blockbuster exhibitions accompanied by the promise of a well-designed store , curated product displays and the opportunity to learn something new .
Chocolate Frog Café at Warner Bros . Studio Tour , London
16 Lumsden Design