‘Retailers can play crucial role in stemming tide of social deprivation’

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British retailers’ benefits to the health and wellbeing of society has never been properly valued.

In reality, it’s impossible to quantify that benefit financially or by the number of lives retailers enhance and even save simply through the social interactions they provide.

According to Age UK, “having weak social connections carries a health risk: those with strong social connections were found to have a 50% increased likelihood of survival after an average follow-up time of seven and a half years”.

In England alone, there are at present around 2.3 million people and rising who are classified as shielded, and that is only bound to grow as the winter sets in. A large majority are elderly and, according to the ONS in 2019, 7.5% of all adults have never used the internet.

“For some vulnerable and elderly shielded members of society their daily trip to interact with others – be it at a newsagent, supermarket or local retailer – was an important part of their daily life”

Most store staff have over many years built a rapport with their regular customers. For some vulnerable and elderly shielded members of society their daily trip to interact with others – be it at a newsagent, supermarket or local retailer – was an important part of their daily life.

This has now been taken from them and the potential cost to the NHS for the deterioration in mental health could run into billions.

Making connections

The way to stem this rising tide of social deprivation is for the NHS, retailers and manufacturers of basic tablets to provide and distribute them for free to those most at risk.

That would not only allow these consumers to learn how to use the internet but it could bring back the rapport consumers once had with their local stores. Store staff could pick shopping ordered via apps and at the same time bring back the social interaction that ecommerce can’t deliver when they deliver the order.

Not only would retailers’ sales increase, but it would also save lives. Remember when shoppers would moan that someone was holding up the queue because they were talking to the cashier? That may have been that person’s only daily interaction with the outside world.

“You can’t put a price on a life, but the social and economic benefits to the UK economy are potentially worth billions of pounds”

You can’t put a price on a life, but the social and economic benefits to the UK economy are potentially worth billions of pounds and could benefit retailers as well.

Grand idea, yes. Impossible? No. I had video calls with local independent retailers during lockdown and their sales benefited as they went through their stores and allowed me to pick the items.

It’s an idea that would be great to get off the ground on a bigger scale. Now is surely the chance for retailers to show their invaluable contribution to society.