At Retail Destination Live 2025, our Growth and Performance Manager Ben Hammond led a thought-provoking panel discussion alongside industry leaders from Flourish, Save The High Street and Vfour.
Together, they explored how strategic partnerships are redefining the future of retail destinations – creating a bridge between emerging brands and high street sustainability. Their mission? To develop a thriving ecosystem that goes beyond traditional business models, unlocking new opportunities for independent retailers.
With rising vacancy rates across high streets, empty storefronts are often seen as signs of decline. However, a new wave of collaboration is reshaping these spaces into hubs of innovation, community engagement, and sustainable growth.
Ben and the panel delved into key strategies and insights, including:
Why Independent Brands Matter
Kicking off the conversation, Alex Schlagman from Save The High Street emphasised the vital role independent brands play in shaping the future of retail. Small businesses bring diversity, authenticity, and a unique shopping experience to the high street. However, growing a business in a competitive environment is no easy feat. Many entrepreneurs struggle with scaling due to financial constraints, lack of industry knowledge, and limited access to strategic guidance.
Through initiatives such as SaveTheHighStreet.org and HelloThriver.com independent brands are receiving the tools and support they need to scale up successfully. By working with industry experts, start-ups gain insights into marketing, merchandising, e-commerce, HR, and financial management—elements crucial for long-term success.
Building Stronger Relationships Between Independents & Landlords
Paul Clifford from Flourish brought his extensive experience to the discussion, highlighting the importance of strengthening relationships between independent businesses and landlords. Rather than relying solely on traditional leasing models, he emphasised the need for more flexible, supportive approaches, including:
- Turnover rents: Allowing businesses to pay rent based on their revenue rather than fixed costs.
- Incubator spaces: Providing reduced-rent spaces for emerging brands to test their concepts.
- Strategic placement: Ensuring independent brands are positioned in locations where they can thrive.
This shift in mindset transforms landlords from mere property managers to active stakeholders in the success of their tenants.
The Accelerator Partnership: A Blueprint for Success
The partnership between Flourish, Save The Highstreet, Toolbox Marketing, and Vfour serves as a compelling example of how collaboration can drive change. By offering expert guidance at every stage of business development, these organisations are supporting Vfour, an urban streetwear brand, to move beyond infrequent pop-up shops and into a thriving retail presence.
Vfour’s founder, Romiluyi ‘Romy Romes’ Abiodun, highlighted how essential this support has been in navigating the complexities of growing a brand. With strategic input across multiple business functions, Vfour is evolving into a platform that not only sells apparel but also engages urban youth audiences in a meaningful way.
More Than Just Retail: The Role of Activation & Community Engagement
Vfour’s expansion strategy includes partnering with venue spaces to create immersive retail experiences. By blending commerce with community, artistry, and inclusion, these activations do more than just fill empty spaces – they bring high streets to life. Success leaves clues, with both Hoodrich and Cortiez starting from similar origins to Vfour, and using successful collaborations and unique marketing tactics to carve out a space of their own in the competitive retail landscape, to become the well-renowned urban fashion brands they are today.
A 4-Step Guide to Innovative Partnerships
Together the partnership has developed a 4-step guide for landlords, investors, and retail professionals looking to replicate their successful model and secure the future of our high streets:
- Stay familiar with the high street landscape – Understanding local demographics and business opportunities can unlock new collaboration prospects.
- Celebrate the potential of start-ups – Supporting emerging businesses can create long-term value for retail spaces.
- Be open to partnerships – Making retail spaces accessible to start-ups adds a unique edge to commercial destinations.
- Develop an internal marketing strategy for pop-up activations – A structured approach to promoting and supporting independent businesses can drive sustained success.
A Call to Action: The Future of Retail Lies in Collaboration
The panellists emphasised that securing the future of our high streets is a shared responsibility. Industry leaders, landlords, and marketing experts must come together to create a sustainable ecosystem where start-ups can flourish.
As the discussion wrapped up, the message was clear: with the right partnerships, strategic support, and innovative thinking, vacant spaces can become thriving hubs of commerce and community engagement andpPop-up activations can become footfall-driving machines.
They closed the panel on a positive note “The future of retail is in our hands – let’s build it together.”
Those inspired by this approach, they can reach out to any of the panel members:
- Ben Hammond Toolbox Marketing
- Paul Clifford Flourish
- Romiluyi ‘Romy Romes’ Abiodun Vfour
- Alex Schlagman Save The High Street
Want to read more valuable insights from Retail Destination Live? Check out our key takeaways from the day