Helping strengthen the city’s high streets

Staff and students from the University’s student‑led retail and consultancy enterprise, Re:So, are supporting Retail Remedies, a new High Street business improvement programme led by the city’s Business Improvement District (BID).

The 12-week programme will support up to 12 local retailers, starting with an initial cohort of five businesses. Each participant will receive tailored, expert guidance focused on improving visibility, enhancing customer experience and strengthening overall commercial performance.

Each retailer taking part will receive 10 hours of specialist support through a structured Rapid Retail Review, including an in-store diagnostic assessment, a bespoke Retail Improvement Pack -outlining prioritised, practical actions - and a follow-up advisory session to support implementation.

Senior Lecturer Re:So, Lesley Taylor, says: “The programme combines academic expertise, industry insight and student creativity, offering retailers practical, low-cost improvements they can implement quickly to remain competitive on the high street.

“For our students, this is a real-world project that will give them the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced by independent business owners first hand. The students can make a genuine difference by sharing knowledge from their roles at Re:So and proposing ideas that businesses can adopt and test in practice.”

As part of the project launch, Solent University students Kitty Gray (BA (Hons) Accountancy and Finance) and Louna Creouw-Potez BA (Hons) Illustration visited Gallery Grounds and the Kadampa Meditation Centre to begin their consultancy work. The students are now developing bespoke elements of each business’s Retail Improvement Pack as part of their Consultancy Assistant roles.

Stephen Manion, Executive Director at GO! Southampton says, “GO! Southampton are delighted to work with such talented students on a project which will bring real benefits to our businesses. This is part of our long-standing and ongoing relationship with Southampton Solent university.”

Retail Remedies forms part of wider city-centre regeneration ambitions, aligning with GO! Southampton’s placemaking and business support objectives. By bringing together the University’s retail specialists, student talent and local business knowledge, the project demonstrates the University’s commitment to impact-driven engagement, community collaboration and economic regeneration.

Alongside the funded BID-supported programme, the Retail Remedies package is also available as a standalone consultancy service, enabling additional businesses to access the same tailored support and expert guidance through the Innovation Voucher Scheme.

Local businesses can find out more about Retail Remedies and how to get involved through on the University’s Retail Remedies web page.