CONTENTS PAGE

ANTHOLOGY

TOPIC ONE

TOPIC TWO

TOPIC THREE

LEWISHAM COUNCIL

DEPTFORD AREA

S.W.O.T

THE COMMUNITY

DEPTFORD DESIGN

LEVEL ONE

LEVEL TWO

LEVEL THREE

THE LAUNCH

PROMOTION

DEMOGRAPHIC

CONCLUSION

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ANTHOLOGYCommunications consultancy

Anthology is a communications consultancy that offers a different perspective on the future of the high street. We do this by acknowledging current and evolving social attitudes whilst addressing the key issues that are resulting in the demise of the high street. It is evident that in today’s society, high streets and local communities are left feeling vacant as many businesses are forced to close, leaving behind empty spaces that collect dust for months and in some cases years. There are wide ranges of influencing factors that have stimulated and affected change on the high street, with influences varying from positive to negative effects. These factors can apply individually and in isolation, but more often

present alongside others. This complexity is a challenge to understanding how such factors affect individual high streets and although some correlations are often evident, causal relationships are harder to establish. Through analytical studies Anthology aims to identify these issues and determine how best to address and resolve them. We work alongside councils and communities to transform vacant spaces that surround high streets and town centres with the objective of creating spaces that take community well being and long term sustainability into consideration. We aim to inspire connection between local people and their hometown, and instil pride and a sense of belonging to a unique and distinctive place.

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Empty shops reflect badly on a community as a whole and vacant spaces that have appeared on the high street and surrounding areas has reached a new high. Since the year 2000 to the present day, the overall town center vacancy rates have risen by nearly 15 %. This stems from the issue that landlords are moving over seas, leaving their properties and shops vacant for years upon end to gain more capital. The landlords should be long-term investors in the community and not just extractors of value.

Regarding the high street

TOPIC ONE

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Communities are reporting a sense of detachment from their high streets, as many independently owned business’s are being squeezed out of their shops by larger well-known chains. Communities are voicing their opinion that they want their high street to offer something different, they want their high street to be distinctive and not another clone copy. Communities have expressed their worries that without offering a solution for the smaller business’s to be re-located, the larger chains will take over.

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Regarding the high street

TOPIC TWO

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Regarding the high street

The phenomenal growth of online retailing, the rise of mobile retailing, the speed and sophistication of the major national and international retailers, the epic and immersive experiences offered by today’s new breed of shopping mall, combined with a crippling recession, have all conspired to change today’s retail landscape and as a result many smaller retail business’s are forced to close due to a lack of sales and revenue. The crash of business’s has in turn has led to an increase and high levels of unemployment.

TOPIC THREE

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Anthology has been working in partnership with Lewisham council to address the issue regarding a vacant property that stands just off of the Deptford high street. The council itself is committed to helping local businesses and town centers out of the recession, however the recent downturn in the national economy has had big impact on the retail sector, leading to increased numbers of empty commercial properties. Lewisham council approached Anthology to depict social attitudes and concerns that were developing within the Deptford area, in order to fill the vacant space appropriately.

LEWISHAMCouncil

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Deptford is a vibrant area and one that is full of potential, however similar to the rest of the UK it has been hit hard by the recession and as a result, some parts of the high street are suffering. After carrying out an in-depth study, Anthology has observed certain topics of concern that are developing within Deptford and would like to work alongside Lewisham council to resolve them in the best way possible. In order to achieve the best possible results and to address these issues, it is vital for Anthology to create a mutual platform on which the council and community of Deptford can discuss their concerns.

DEPTFORDArea

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- An existing market.

- Home to alot of creative people.

- High unemployment.

- Increase in vacant spaces.

- An existing market.

- Home to alot of creative people.

Analysis of Deptford

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S.W.O.T

Strengths Weakness’s

- Vacant spaces reflect badly on Deptford.

- Independent retailers are squeezed out.

- Make use of vacant spaces.

- Support local independent retailers.

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Opportunities Threats

THE COMMUNITY

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When the members of the Deptford community were asked what they most wanted from the vacant spaces that surrounded the Deptford high street, one point was most commonly raised. The community voiced that they wanted the Deptford town center to be a destination that provided support for their local residents to run their own business’s and for it to be a location that supported the wide range of artistic talent, local to the area . Expressing that they wanted a space that offered an experience, a space that complemented but did not compete with the existing Deptford food market.

Wants

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Sharing expertise and skills

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DEPTFORD DESIGN

Deptford Design is a co-working space that hires graduates and freelancers of a creative nature to provide local residents with specialist skills and services. The team of at Deptford Design will offer support in terms of establishing new or re-branding already existing independently owned retail business’s. From concept development to promotional advice, Deptford Design will offer a unique experience dedicated to creating and re-adapting self-sufficient retail ideas so that they can survive in the competitive nature of today’s high street. This will ultimately tackle the issue that independent retailers are closing down and addressing the issue that new independents are not entering the market.

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LEVEL ONEBusiness establishment and development

The first floor of Deptford Design is devoted to establishing and developing retail business proposals concepts. The first floor of Deptford Design is home to a helpful and friendly team of graduates and free lancers that specialize in skills regarding concept establishment and development. This is where small-scale independent retail business’s can come to determine the catalyst of why their stores had to close down and to confer plans of re-branding and launching a refined & developed business proposal.

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The second floor of Deptford Design is dedicated to providing clients with the specialist interactive skills that they need to put the developed and established business proposal into practice. The second floor is home to a team of talented graduates and free lancers that concentrate on creating and promoting the devised business plan. Aspects such as web developing, photography, marketing and finally graphics design will be available on this floor. This floor is all about sharing and learning skills.

LEVEL TWOImplementation

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The third floor of Deptford Design is used as a promotional tool. This will be a space where artists, designer and independent retail business’s local to Deptford can exhibit, promote and sell their work. Each month two applicants will be selected to transform this space into a unique experience they believe best suits and promotes their work. The exhibition space will be open to the public and as a result will give them the chance to support the work of artists & designers right on their door step.

LEVEL THREEPromotion

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The launch of Deptford Design will take place on the 12th of September 2012. For the event we have selected two local artists to showcase their work. The collections of Johnny Rockett (jewelry designer) and Paula Salischiker (photographer) will be exhibited. Although the work of the two artists we have selected couldn’t be more different, we feel that their work express’s the variety of skills and creativity that is available with in the Deptford area. Deptford Design is located on Copperas Street, which stands just of the Deptford high street, the high street we hope to restore in the future for the better.

THE LAUNCHDeptford Design

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Deptford Design will have a variety of promotional items to advertise the unique experience that will be available. Before the restoration process takes place a promotional flyer will be delivered to local residents and business’s in Deptford area to inform them of the project and how to get involved. Once the building up and running a press pack will be sent out to advertise the Deptford Design launch. In addition to this a comzine will be sent out to members of the community, which will explain the services available at Deptford Design along with artists for them to view within the exhibition space. In addition to this, the services will also be promoted in the Lewisham newsletter and on their website.

PROMOTIONDeptford Design

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EMPLOYEEDemographic

Graduates & Freelancers Aged 20+

Creatives with skills Men & Women

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CLIENTDemographic

Independent Retailers Located in and around the Deptford area

Artists & Designers Men & Women

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To conclude the findings of Anthology’s research into the social attitudes of the Deptford area show that Deptford Design will be beneficial for both the Deptford community and Deptford high street. The results explain that the community wanted support for smaller local retail business’s that were being squeezed out by the larger well known chains. Deptford Design tackles this topic by offering the target audience services to develop and create a re-defined business proposal. This in essence will result in a decrease of empty shops and an increase in employment rates within the Deptford location.

CONCLUSIONOf concept

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