Voices of Retail 2026: A High Street that Refuses to Stand Still

The Data Is In, And Independent Retail Is Refusing to Roll Over 

What 650 retailers and 2,000 consumers told us about the real state of the British high street 

Here's something you won't necessarily read in most retail news: the high street isn't dying. It's adapting, and the businesses leading that charge are doing it quietly, strategically, and often without much fanfare. 

That's the headline finding from the brand-new Voices of Retail 2026 report, a joint research project between Faire and Spring & Autumn Fair. In early 2026, 650 independent retailers from England, Scotland, and Wales shared exactly what's working, what's not, and what they need to keep going. More than 2,000 consumers were surveyed too, and what they said might surprise you. 

The picture that emerges isn't a crisis. It's a sector in motion. 

 

Read full report

"Struggling" and "growing" are not mutually exclusive 

71% of the retailers surveyed describe their business as either growing or stable. Let that land for a moment. These are independent operators, many of them micro-businesses of three or fewer people, often flying solo, navigating rising National Insurance contributions, unpredictable supply chains, and the persistent drumbeat of "the high street is finished." And yet, 38% are growing year-on-year. 

Manchester leads the pack, with 61% of retailers reporting growth. Yorkshire isn't far behind at 51%. The regions with strong local networks and events cultures are outperforming the national average, which tells its own story about what's actually driving resilience right now. 

Sector-wise, food and drink tops the growth table (61% growing), followed by beauty and wellbeing at 47%. Gift retail is above average at 40%.  

Fashion is the most challenged with only 33% growing, and 36% declining, with online competition and footfall taking the biggest toll.  

The trap most struggling retailers fall into 

Here's a finding that should genuinely give retailers pause. Of the businesses in decline, 45% are responding by pivoting to cheaper products. It feels logical, customers are price-conscious, so go affordable. But the data shows this is almost certainly the wrong move. 

Growing retailers, by contrast, are nearly twice as likely to be investing in brand storytelling. Thirty-nine per cent of growers lean into this versus just 20% of those in decline, a 19 percentage point gap. 

 And this isn't just a theory.  

The consumer data backs it up hard: 61% of shoppers choose independents specifically because of their personality. Not price. Not range. Personality. Branding, it turns out, isn't a luxury, it's literally what your customers are already paying for. 

What your customers are actually telling you 

The consumer findings are, frankly, extraordinary. 96% of shoppers surveyed say they want to see more independent shops on their high street. 95% say they'd spend more if there were more independent options available. 85% would actively prefer to spend with a local business over a corporate chain. 

And then there's this: nine out of ten consumers say that AI has made them more likely to want to see products in real life and talk to a real expert.  

This is the counterintuitive finding of 2026. The rise of technology and ecommerce, far from making physical retail redundant, is actively driving people towards human connection. Your recommendation as a retailer carries ten times more weight than an algorithm's. 

 That's not sentiment. That's the data. 

The average consumer surveyed is willing to spend £145 per month with local retailers, and £67 per high street visit. Fifty-one per cent visit their local high street at least weekly. The footfall is there. The appetite is there. The wallets are open. 

The BID problem nobody wants to talk about 

Here's a number that deserves more scrutiny than it gets: just 10% of actively involved retailers say their local Business Improvement District delivers good value for their business. Ten per cent. 

62% of consumers agree, they say their local council isn't doing enough to support high street retailers. This isn't a fringe complaint. 84% of consumers want councils to do more. Retailers and shoppers are frustrated by the same institutions, and both groups are ready for something to change. 

What retailers most want from local bodies? Help telling their local story (47%), more events and footfall activity beyond the single Christmas market (40%), and better council responsiveness with less bureaucracy (39%). Free parking, incidentally, ranks as the single most wanted local intervention, above business rate relief. 

This is just the surface 

The full Voices of Retail 2026 report, produced in partnership by Faire and Spring & Autumn Fair, goes significantly deeper.  

It breaks down growth strategies by region, by sector, and by years of trading. It identifies the specific point in a business's lifecycle where support is most urgently needed. It gives you the consumer data you need to make the case internally for investment in experience, storytelling, and community. 

And it's free to download. 

Download the full Voices of Retail 2026 report here

Because if the high street is going to be reinvented, and the data says it is, it's going to be by people exactly like the 650 retailers who took the time to tell us what's really going on.