Altrincham to host Perfect Day pilot

Altrincham town centre will be the first to pilot the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’ on May 17, an initiative designed to improve the UK’s high streets by bringing together retailers, communities and local leaders.

The Greater Manchester town was chosen to host the first ‘National High Street Perfect Day’ after it was awarded the ‘Best High Street’ in England last year in the 2018 Great British High Streets awards, and will mark the one day in the year when the high street “looks and feels the best it possibly can”.

The pilot follows the Government’s ‘High Street Report’ chaired by Sir John Timpson, released in December, which recommended that local leaders must be at the forefront of the rejuvenation of town centres and improving the housekeeping of their high streets.

Sir John Timpson, Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel on High Streets, and Chairman of retail services company Timpson, said in a statement: “Altrincham is where I served my first customer, and that’s one of the reasons I proposed it as the Pilot town for the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’. It’s a town where the partnerships are working really hard in a challenging national high street environment to buck the trend.

“The ‘Perfect Day’ concept is one which we use in my shops throughout the country and it has worked for us for years. On one day each year, in every part of the business, the whole team get involved to make sure they shine on the day! Scaling it up to a whole town centre is an exciting proposition and I look forward to seeing the results in Altrincham.”

Altrincham is billing the day as the town’s first ‘High Street Festival’ and will open with a performance from the Altrincham Boys Grammar School Swing Band, followed by fashion shows from some of its independent retailers and high street brands including Daniel Christian Menswear, Laundry B, Violet Loves Vintage, Pure Boutique and Marks and Spencer. In addition, there will be a celebrity guest, street performers and discounts at retailers and restaurants.

Ahead of the event the BID has coordinating a programme of jet washing and worked with Trafford Council's contractors to focus on the appearance of the town centre, and has offered local businesses free checklists for customer service, independent mystery shop storecheckers, and social media workshops.

High Streets Minister Jake Berry added: “The upcoming National High Street Perfect Day is a fantastic opportunity for communities to get together in partnership with local businesses and ensure our high streets are places we have even greater pride in.”