Great British High Street Awards 2019 Shortlist Announced

High Streets Minister Jake Berry with proud partner Visa, today (10 August) confirms 40 high streets have been shortlisted across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in this year’s Great British High Street Awards, putting them in the running to win up to £15,000.

The announcement comes as new research commissioned by Visa* has found that seven out of ten consumers (73%) say that shopping locally makes them feel happy, with over a third (42%) citing supporting local shops and knowing where their money is going as the main reason.

Spending time with friends and family (22%) and offering a sense of community (21%) were other reasons cited for why high streets make people happier. The research also reveals that half of consumers (50%) feel that their high street gives them a sense of pride in their local community.

High Streets Minister Jake Berry MP said:

“Congratulations to the shortlisted nominees for this year’s Great British High Street Awards – the quality of the entries this year has been fantastic.

“High streets make people happier, and people want to see their hard-earned cash supporting the local economy. That is why we are celebrating those that go above and beyond to keep their high streets thriving for generations to come.

“Inspiring high streets like these will play a key role in the Government’s vision to boost local growth and level up our regions.”

Sundeep Kaur, Head of UK & Ireland Merchant Services at Visa, added:

“We’ve seen some fantastic entries for this year’s Great British High Street Awards across both the Champion High Street and Rising Star categories. In particular, the desire to innovate stands out amongst this year’s entries, with high streets adapting to the challenges presented by a rapidly changing retail environment to find ways to thrive at a local level."

"As our research shows, high streets play a vital role at the heart of communities, so this is a great opportunity for those communities with shortlisted high streets to show their support by placing their votes on the Great British High Street website.”

After a rigorous selection process led by a panel of independent judges, 12 high streets from the South East of England to the Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland have been shortlisted in the Champion High Street category, which recognises the nation’s best high streets.

Additionally, 28 high streets have been shortlisted in the Rising Star category, identifying high streets which are taking the lead to adapt and diversify.

People can vote for their favourite finalist at www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk, with the public vote accounting for 20 percent of the final scoring. They will then have the chance to impress an expert judging panel as they seek to be crowned the UK’s Champion or Rising Star. The winners will be crowned at an awards ceremony in November. 

ENDS

Notes to editors

- The Great British High Street Awards 2019, which are being run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, in proud partnership with Visa and backed by other partners, is recognising and celebrating local achievements on our high streets and supporting the communities in which we live and work.

- For more information about the Great British High Street Awards 2019 terms and conditions and details on how to vote, visit: http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk.

Research:

*New research commissioned by Visa and conducted by 3GEM between 11th – 18th April 2019, following original research commissioned by Visa and conducted by 3GEM in April 2018. Both surveyed 2,000 consumers and 750 small high street businesses (independent businesses located on a high street, with less than 50 employees) across the UK.

All figures supplied are obtained from this research, unless stated otherwise.

Contacts:

For more press information about the Great British High Street Awards 2019 or last year’s winners, to request high res images and video footage, or to arrange an interview with a small high street business case study, please contact Grayling: visahighstreet@grayling.com.

About Visa Inc.

Visa is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit our website (www.visa.co.uk), blog (https://www.visa.co.uk/visa-everywhere/blog.html), and@VisaUK