Support delivered to 440 high street businesses by through a high street business support programme in Surrey was described as ‘lifechanging’ by one independent retailer, while 97% of participating businesses said they would recommend the programme to others.
The Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Support Programme was a fully-funded initiative launched in spring 2026, which delivered targeted support to high street and town centre businesses across each of the county’s 11 districts.
The programme included workshops and one-to-one sessions delivered by Smarter Society and The Retail Group, designed to improve how businesses present and communicate their offer in their communities, their shop windows and online.
Case study: Rita Botanicals
Rita was inspired by her Italian grandmother’s lifelong love of plants to open her own independent plant boutique in Guildford, selling plants, pots and gifts, as well as running terrarium workshops. But despite having a clear vision, Rita felt overwhelmed about where to start when it came to attracting customers and growing her offer.
“I knew exactly what I wanted Rita Botanicals to be, but I felt overwhelmed when it came to actually attracting customers and growing the business in a structured way. The one-to-one mentoring visit was just what I needed to cut through that uncertainty and give me a clear path forward.
“Mike visited the shop and we worked through a range of practical improvements together. We focused on how to increase footfall and make the shop more visible and inviting to people passing by improving the visual impact from outside, strengthening signage and messaging, and making it much clearer to customers exactly what we offer. We also looked at how to better promote the workshops and highlight their value and worked on product displays and pricing visibility to make the in-store experience more intuitive.
“I can only describe the experience as life changing. That might sound dramatic, but the changes I’ve made since the visit have already had a positive impact, and I feel completely different about the business as a result. I came away feeling more focused, more prepared, and genuinely excited about the direction things are heading.”
What types of business can be found on Surrey’s high streets?
Of the businesses supported by the programme, more than half were retail (52%) followed by food and drink (22%) and personal services (11%). This reflects the composition of Surrey’s high streets, which are predominantly led by independent retailers and hospitality operators. Almost all (97%) of businesses supported employed fewer than five people, highlighting the micro-business nature of high street trade in Surrey.
The programme also looked at key challenges for businesses, with 40% being concerned by low or declining footfall and 39% worried about poor visibility or shopfront impact. In response, the one-to-one visits included support on enhancing shopfronts and window displays, developing a clear ‘menu of services’, strengthening digital presence, and guidance on local marketing, partnerships and community engagement.
Positive impact
Overall, feedback was positive from businesses, with 90% saying they found support useful or very useful. Three-quarters (75%) said they felt more confident running their business as a result of the programme, while two-thirds (64%) said they had made or were planning to make improvements to their digital presence.
Ruth, manager of The Leatherhead Theatre in Epsom & Ewell, took part in a workshop and one-to-one session to explore new opportunities for growth, and said: “The support helped me think practically about how we promote the theatre and make better use of what we already have. We looked at ways to improve signage and messaging, promote our strengths more consistently, explore pop-up and multi-use opportunities within the space, and lean more into our identity as an independent.
“I found the experience genuinely great. The one-to-one mentoring session was especially helpful because it provided tailored, practical advice that I can realistically implement. It helped prioritise actions and turn ideas into clear next steps.”
Free resources for high street business
The High Street Programme resources have been collated into one free toolkit to support Surrey businesses’ growth and resilience. With a mix of expert guidance and flexible, self-led learning, you can apply what you learn directly to your business from day one. Access it here.
The High Street toolkit is only one of our range of toolkits developed to help Surrey businesses thrive and grow. View all of our free toolkits here.
