The best high streets in Britain revealed – London snubbed while this Welsh city nabs top spot

A high street in Cardiff has been lauded as the most appealing high street in the UK, while no street in London has even made it into the top 10, new research has found.

Online shopping retailers have made it extremely easy to buy over the internet, purchasing items as quickly as you can say “click to add to shopping cart.”

Access to online stores has seen the decline of taking to your local shopping parade over the years and it now takes a lot for a street to get people to want to traverse down their row of stores.

However, according to research by American Express, Queen Street in Wales’ capital has done just that, taking the top spot on the list of high streets with the best formula for attracting shoppers.

The study, carried out with retail experts Global Data, surveyed 2,000 shoppers across Britain to unveil what they think makes the best high street experience and combined this this with in-depth analysis to find the best high street in the country.

Queen Street came out on top after it offered a good variety of retailers along its stretch, and it is only a stone’s throw away from historical landmarks and indoor shopping centers.

Situated right next to Cardiff Castle and some of the city’s top museums, the street also boasts independent stores, like the gift retailer Cardiff Creative Shop inside Queen’s Arcade, and the array of big chains attracting people to the area.

It was also touted as the best due to its accessibility and travel links, with it being only minutes away from two train stations: Queen Street, which is at the end of the shopping parade, and Cardiff Central.

Nex on the list is the central shopping streets – Northgate, Southgate, Eastgate, and Westgate – of Gloucester, which proudly boasts a thriving independent restaurant scene and also took the top spot in the survey for its plethora of leisure options.

Taking third spot was Eastgate Street in Chester, which is deemed appealing to patrons for its aesthetic charm, known for its distinctive historical architecture, and the famous  Eastgate Clock.

The remaining top seven spots were given to High Street in Winchester High Street in Exeter, Princes Street in Edinburgh, High Street in Worcester, Church Street in Liverpool, Buchanan Street in Glasgow, and finally, Market Street in Manchester.

While some of Britain’s biggest cities in were given mentions in the list, glaringly absent was any high street in London.

While the densely populated capital of England has an array of shopping spots throughout its boroughs, England’s capital has not beaten other metropolitan areas in the game of the humble high street.

To make a high street appealing, the survey showed that the shoppers desired a good mix of retailers, followed by suitable parking while they hit the stores.

Over half of the shoppers surveyed, around 52 per cent, said that what makes a great high street is a collection of pubs and restaurants to choose from if all the high street perusing starts to make them peckish.

Also highly valued by Britain’s high street patrons is a good range of entertainment and leisure activities, such as cinemas and theatres, if mooching around retailers has been exhausted for the day. Over a third, 36 per cent, of people surveyed said leisure was important, while factors such as being close to a train station or being near a green space, was lower down on the list.

American Express’ research also revealed that almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of shoppers believe that their local high street will remain important to their everyday lives, even in a decade’s time.

“Consumers continue to value our high streets and believe they will remain important well into the future,” Dan Edelman, the general manager of UK merchant services at American Express, said.

“While there is no one solution to guarantee ongoing success, it’s encouraging to see there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration to help deliver this winning formula.”

Matt Piner, head of retail consulting at GlobalData, which carried out the survey, said high streets must “continuously adapt” to stay ahead of the game.

“Our analysis shows millions of pounds of additional consumer spending could be unlocked for a typical high street that delivers on the factors shoppers care most about.”

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