Bristol has been named as the UK’s second most resilient city in the fight for retail survival now gripping the country’s high streets and town centres.
However, it will only overcome the growing threat from online shopping and rapidly changing spending patterns by ‘repurposing’ much of its retail heart, according to a major new report. 
Bristol climbed seven places to take second slot behind leader Cambridge, which was also first last year in research published this week by property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield.
Some 250 town centres across the country were analysed in the report, which identifies the most resilient retail locations outside London based on 24 economic, demographic and retail property metrics.
While Bristol’s retail offering has strengthened in the face of the threats, in contrast, Bath has fallen three places from third in last year’s table to sixth position this year.
Head of retail in Cushman & Wakefield’s Bristol office, Spencer Wilson, said: “The structural change in UK retailing is happening fast. Bristol being named second in resilience ranking is a real compliment to the strength and diverse economy that has evolved over the last 10 years.
“Broadmead will change beyond recognition over the coming years, with a reduction in retail provision, an increase in the mix of uses and improvements to the urban landscape. The latter is still a serious impediment to Broadmead’s vitality and attraction.
“The recent acquisition of the Mall Galleries Shopping Centre is part of this repurposing process. Bristol City Council has a very important part to play in the vision for this area and the city centre as a whole as both planning authority and property owner and will need external advice to deliver a clear, viable and attractive urban environment.”
Recent additions to the retail landscape in Bristol include Metro Bank and TK Maxx, which have taken the entirety of the former BHS store in Broadmead, and fashion retailers & Other Stories and Bershka taking space in Cabot Circus.
Despite slipping down the rankings, Bath would continue to thrive as a retail centre, said Mr Wilson, as it boasts a unique urban environment and strong economic well-being. However, as with Bristol, its overall number of shop units would fall as some became surplus to requirements and were transformed for alternative uses.
The report looks at how consumers are becoming more mobile and less reliant on physical stores, causing expectations to change, with retail driven increasingly by ‘shopper mission’.
These missions generally fall into one of three categories, the report concludes – large destination, or experience orientated visits, purpose shopping that is focused on specific purchases, and community-based convenience trips. The report reveals that retail locations that do not align with at least one of these key missions will need to repurpose to remain relevant.
Senior research analyst and report author Amy Gibson said: “Our rankings look at a number of different measures and metrics which contribute to the vitality of a town centre. The retail mix is clearly important within that but it is not the only factor. In our view, the first step to understanding whether the UK’s town centres are fit for purpose is to understand what the new purpose is for each location.
“The retail and leisure landscape in the UK’s towns has become increasingly homogenous and in many cases not really kept pace with the changing demands of consumers. As we see a growing proportion of retail shifting online, there is a need to introduce alternative uses in town centres to help differentiate locations and ensure they remain aligned to the local catchment.”
She said shops had to adapt to this as well and provide what people wanted and not just an identical template of other locations.
Head of development and place in Cushman & Wakefield’s UK retail team John Percy said to succeed in the future, town centres needed to take a holistic approach.
“For town centre stakeholders to deliver a viable masterplan, the public and private sector must work together to understand the needs of those living and working in its catchment area,” he said.
“From here, a transparent strategy can be devised, to help encourage local communities to interact more fully with town centres once more. Failure to do this will mean centres struggle as they become less relevant to their local population needs.”
