Shops and showrooms are now open again! With most Covid restrictions now lifted, it’s time to help your local high street post-pandemic and feel the benefits yourself, too.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Now the high street is back in business, we’re all free to take to the aisles once more. Online shopping may have been a lockdown life-saver, but it’s no substitute for the real thing. After all, nothing beats the ability to see and feel products before you buy them, and nowhere is this more essential than when buying big-ticket items for your home.

New virtual shopping technology has provided the next best thing to the full retail experience, with brands like Quooker leading the way by letting you schedule virtual appointments, so you can explore its full offering from your sofa.

The freedom to hit the high street comes the responsibility of exercising common sense and considering the risks. While social distancing measures have been lifted and face masks are no longer a legal requirement, the government is still urging caution, so please remember to shop safe. It is advisable to limit close contact with people you don’t live with, to let fresh air into enclosed spaces, and to wear face coverings in crowded spaces like public transport.

Check out five reasons why you should head back to the high street to invest in homewares as part of the Love Your High Street campaign.

1. Visit showrooms

If you’re considering a new bathroom or kitchen, a visit to your local showroom is an invaluable part of the process. Virtual design appointments have become better than ever during lockdown. But nothing beats being able to handle samples and see examples of work surfaces, tiles, cabinetry and taps in real life can really aid the decision-making process. What’s more, having designers and advisors on hand to speak to face-to-face will ensure you don’t end up with buyer’s remorse when making a significant home investment.

2. New discoveries

When online shopping, do you spend hours browsing or just head to tried-and-trusted websites for your homewares fix? Either way, it can be a frustrating way to shop that can mean missing out on new brands and trends just by looking in the wrong place. A visit to your local town centre could mean discovering a brand new interiors favourite that you’d never have come across online.

3. Support small businesses

Small business owners are some of the most passionate people there are about homes and interiors. However without a healthy social media following or a website expert, it can be a struggle to launch an interiors startup online. A bricks and mortar store offers them a chance to put their homewares in front of you, without you spending hours scouring the internet. You can’t deny the feel-good factor that every purchase is helping to grow their business and encouraging other small businesses to set up on your local high street

4. No parcel stress

Online shopping grew significantly during 2020, resulting in a strain on postal and courier services that has increased waiting times, especially around Christmas. Everyone has a story of missing a vital delivery, finding a parcel left out in the rain or left with a mystery neighbour. Shopping on the high street means you get it then and there, with no long lead times or waiting in for your delivery window!

5. Take a screen break

We’ve all heard of retail therapy, but during lockdown, this has translated into many, many more hours staring at phones or computer screens. But trawling your favourite homewares websites isn’t going to give you a breath of fresh air, nor is it going to add to your step count for the day. So, as long as it’s safe for you to do so, you can count shopping the high street as a good reason to get outdoors  following a year at home.