I saw some interesting research from Newcastle University recently about what happens to high streets when so called anchor businesses disappear, and it got me thinking about what we actually mean when we talk about an "anchor".

Across the retail industry we normally think of anchors as the big names. The department store, the major fashion brand, a new leisure operator or perhaps a restaurant that everyone suddenly wants to visit.

But I wonder if some of the most important anchors on our high streets are actually the really boring ones…….

The supermarket, the bank, the pharmacy, the post office.

Nobody is getting in the car and driving 45 minutes because they've heard there's a amazing new branch of a bank they need to experience, or the Pharmacy that has the most amazing new range of plasters. But they might go there every Thursday because they need to pay something in or pick up a prescription. And while they're there, they might grab a coffee, pop into another shop, have some lunch or simply spend another half an hour in the town. Granted, it isn't particularly exciting, but as we all know that regular footfall is hugely important.

We've quite rightly spent a lot of time over recent years talking about how we give people more reasons to visit our towns and cities. Better food and drink, leisure, events, entertainment, culture, experiences and a better mix of uses all have a part to play. But perhaps we've become so focused on giving people a big reason to visit that we've forgotten the importance of giving them lots of little ones.

You might only visit a great attraction three or four times a year. You might go to an event once. You might visit a particular restaurant every now and then for special occasions. But you probably go to the supermarket twice a week. And every one of those visits puts you back into that place.

I think that's particularly interesting when you consider how many of these everyday reasons to visit are gradually disappearing. Banking has moved online, post offices are closing, supermarkets are moving to retail parks and plenty of services that once required a trip into town can now be done from the sofa. Individually, none of those changes necessarily feel like a disaster. But add enough of them together and suddenly you've removed hundreds of little reasons for people to visit every week.

I think it’s pretty simple, the best destinations need both. The big reasons that persuade someone to travel 45 minutes to come and see you, and all the boring little reasons that keep the people who live ten minutes away coming back every week.

Because you can spend an awful lot of money and effort trying to create footfall. Maybe, sometimes it's worth paying a little more attention to the businesses that have quietly been creating it for years. 

Here’s to the boring ones!

Matt Baker, CEO