Clone town is a global term for a town where the high street or other major shopping areas are significantly dominated by chain stores.
The term was coined by the
new Economic Foundation (which was the British Think Tank) in their 2004 report
on clone town Britain. This report entered the public arena at exactly
the same time as the FWD launched its 2004 campaign for My Shop is Your Shop
and I remember a number of industry profile executives being interviewed on
radio and television.
I was certainly one of those being
interviewed on ITV specifically about the issues surrounding the influence of
high street multiples and chain store domination changing our towns and cities
into the same thing and wiping out individuality and entrepreneurialism within our
towns and cities. In fact, the Think Tank report argued that the spread
of clone towns is highly damaging to society because of the removal of
diversity and their survey in 2005 estimated that 41% of towns in the UK and
48% of London villages could be considered clone towns with the trend rising.
So seven years ago even the government recognised the damaging effect that
allowing high street multiples and chain store retailers was having on our
society, but our government continued to hide behind the principle of
competitiveness and that our retail structure provided the competitive consumer
offer in our marketplace.
Bringing ourselves up to date, we now have the irrepressible Mary Portas
who has been labelled our Retail Tsar of proven experience and excellent
television viewing and who is now going to save our retail high street.
I have to say that our retail high street should have been saved at the
start of the new century through stronger regulation regarding planning
controls and the better determination of a true market share in a particular
category.
I do get the feeling that the government appointing such a distinguished
celebrity advisor is a means of transferring blame and responsibility when
ultimately the march of the multiples and the march of the department store
conglomerates have taken full control over our consumer spending and we have
lost the individuality that existed in the past through independents. I am
confident that at some point in the future the UK will become the first clone country(closely
followed by the USA).
Therefore, our ultimate graduation from clone towns and cities to clone
country is something that Governments - past
and present - will reflect on, hold their heads high about and clearly state
that they created through inaction.
I hope that I am completely wrong but I have a sneaking suspicion that this
reality will become apparent to us all in the very near future
