Nick O’Leary, head of commercial agency at Arnolds Keys, explores what the postal strike means for bricks-and-mortar retail in Norwich.

It’s an ill wind which blows nobody any good – and while the current Royal Mail strike might be hitting online businesses and Christmas card posters alike, it is giving an unexpected fillip to the high street. Ongoing issues with delivery reliability also could lead to a longer-term benefit for bricks-and-mortar retailers.

According to retail monitoring group Springboard, traditional high streets – with their mix of eating, drinking and shopping establishments – are faring particularly well as festive shoppers return in person, many having given up on receiving online orders before Christmas.

Eastern Daily Press: Nick O'Leary, head of commercial agency at Arnolds KeysNick O'Leary, head of commercial agency at Arnolds Keys (Image: Arnolds Keys)

The postal chaos comes at a time when post-Covid confidence in mixing in person has hit a high level, and the result has been a better than expected December footfall for retailers.

Buying stuff online has always been held up as the more convenient option, but delivery problems, as well as a renewed desire to interact with people face to face, appear to be driving people out of their armchairs and onto the high street once again.

As Richard Shorney, founder of the Shop Local campaign, said this week: “Go and have a face-to-face experience with a human; so much nicer to meet someone rather than clicking a button.”

Of course, the Royal Mail dispute will eventually be settled and home deliveries will revert to normal. But that doesn’t necessarily mean online shopping is better.

Consumer group Which? reported this week that during last year’s festive season, two in five people had experienced at least one issue with a delivery, with parcels chucked over fences, thrown into ponds, hidden in bins and left out in the pouring rain all being given as examples of online shopping having gone wrong.

Bricks-and-mortar retail has a golden opportunity right now to win back those customers who spent the pandemic buying everything via their laptops. The strike means they are venturing out again, and now it is incumbent on retailers to ensure customers receive the very best experience so that they come back again once the dispute is over.

Although the unreliability of the postal service might be the catalyst for shoppers returning to in-person purchasing, the innate desire for human contact is what will keep them coming.

And that will only be satisfied if retailers offer the kind of experience which online shopping can never replicate – at the same time, of course, emphasising the value, service and convenience that walking away with your goods at the point of paying for them which online shopping cannot offer even when delivery services are running normally.

I have been saying for some time that the death of the high street has been exaggerated and that bricks-and-mortar retail will retain a role in the consumer environment. The current chaos in our postal service reminds us why our town and city centres are likely to play their part in retail for many years yet.

For more information, please visit www.arnoldskeys.com