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NEW ‘VOICES OF RETAIL’ DATA REVEALS COMMUNITY IS RETAIL’S MOST UNDERUSED GROWTH STRATEGY
NEW ‘VOICES OF RETAIL’ DATA REVEALS COMMUNITY IS RETAIL’S MOST UNDERUSED GROWTH STRATEGY
- Spring & Autumn Fair and Faire reveal why community is becoming independent retail’s biggest growth advantage -
- New Voices of Retail insight shows retailers building community-led experiences are driving stronger loyalty, footfall and customer spend -
Spring & Autumn Fair, in partnership with Faire, has revealed new insight showing that community-building is emerging as one of the most powerful and underused growth drivers for independent retailers.
The findings, taken from the recently launched Voices of Retail 2026 report, show that 46% of consumers actively choose retailers that create a sense of community, while 89% of retailers who collaborate with other businesses report positive commercial impact, including increased footfall, stronger brand awareness and new customer acquisition. Despite the proven benefits, just 23% of retailers are actively collaborating today.
The report, produced by Spring & Autumn Fair and Faire, surveyed 650 independent retailers and more than 2,000 UK consumers to better understand what is driving growth on Britain’s high streets. According to the findings, shoppers are increasingly seeking experiences, connection and personality from retail, rather than simply convenience or low prices. More than a third (36%) of consumers say they would visit their local high street more often if there were more events and experiences, while over half want community-led experiences such as markets and food tastings.
Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Spring & Autumn Fair said; “Community is becoming one of the biggest competitive advantages independent retailers have. Consumers don’t just want transactions anymore, they want connection, identity and experiences that feel human. The retailers succeeding right now are creating reasons for people to spend time with them, not just money. Whether that’s events, collaborations or simply building genuine relationships with regular customers, it creates loyalty that is far more resilient than competing on price.”
The findings suggest many retailers are already sitting on the foundations of a community without necessarily recognising it. The report also highlights that some of the strongest-performing independent businesses are focusing on simple, repeatable ways to engage their local audience, from informal customer events and loyalty initiatives to partnerships with neighbouring businesses and involvement in wider community activity.
Charlotte Broadbent, UK General Manager at Faire said; “What’s really interesting in the data is that community-building doesn’t need to mean large budgets or complicated campaigns. The retailers seeing success are often doing very simple things consistently well. It might be remembering customers by name, hosting a small monthly event, collaborating with another local business, or creating experiences that bring people together. Those moments create emotional connection, and emotional connection drives loyalty, advocacy and repeat visits.”
The report also found that independent retailers who collaborate with neighbouring businesses are seeing particularly strong results, despite collaboration remaining one of the least utilised commercial growth levers on the high street. Examples highlighted within the report include joint events, cross-promotions, shopping trails and informal retailer networks that help businesses share audiences and drive footfall collectively rather than competing individually.
Katie Hughes, Marketing and eCommerce Executive at Wongs Jewellers (Liverpool & Manchester stores) said, “We regularly collaborate with local businesses and partners across a range of sectors to help increase brand awareness and drive footfall. By staying closely connected with the local community and creating seamless brand experiences, we’ve seen firsthand how effective collaboration can be in telling stories that resonate with shared audiences.”
Jackson Szabo added; “The high street doesn’t have a demand problem; it has an experience gap. Consumers are clearly telling us they want more independent retail, more personality and more reasons to visit their local high streets. Community is increasingly becoming the thing that brings all of that together.”
As part of the insight, Spring & Autumn Fair and Faire have outlined five practical ways retailers can begin building stronger communities around their businesses:
Recognise and engage regular customers
Create small but repeatable in-store experiences
Collaborate with neighbouring businesses
Build rituals and experiences customers want to belong to
Get involved in wider local initiatives and community activity
The findings form part of the wider Voices of Retail 2026 report, which explores the strategies, behaviours and trends separating growing retailers from those under pressure across the UK retail landscape.
The Voices of Retail 2026 report is available to download now at: Spring & Autumn Fair – Voices of Retail Report
About Spring & Autumn Fair
Spring & Autumn Fair are the UK’s leading wholesale trade shows for the home, gift, fashion and garden sectors, bringing together the brands, buyers and ideas that shape the retail seasons ahead. Held at the Birmingham NEC, the events reflect the evolving nature of modern retail, where creativity meets commerce and categories blend seamlessly.
Autumn Fair 2026 takes place 6-9 September at the NEC Birmingham.
Spring Fair 2027 takes place 7-10 February 2027 at the NEC Birmingham.
About Faire
Faire is an online wholesale platform used by independent retailers to discover, source, and sell unique products from around the corner and around the world. Faire’s data-driven approach levels the playing field for independent retailers by offering net 60 payment terms and free returns on opening orders, eliminating inventory risk and providing access to capital—key offerings previously only available to the largest retail chains. For brands, the platform provides powerful sales, marketing, and analytics tools, so sellers can simplify their wholesale business and focus on making great products. To date, Faire has facilitated over 12M new connections between tens of thousands of brands and retailers on the platform in the UK. For more information, visit www.faire.com