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Case Studies

CASE STUDY - INCUBATOR

The Bridge,

Southend-On-Sea

A collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiative was formed in 2024, bringing together landlords, asset managers, branding experts, business support providers, and local authorities to launch The Bridge – a popup incubator for local brands.

The Challenge
Southend-on-Sea City Centre faced long-standing retail voids and a lack of accessible, supportive opportunities for emerging high street entrepreneurs. Six units in the Victoria Centre had remained vacant for over a decade, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to urban regeneration and business incubation.
The Approach
The six long-vacant retail units were refurbished and whiteboxed, preparing them for new tenants. A widely promoted competition attracted 250 business applicants in just four weeks. After health checks, video pitches, and interviews, six winners were selected. Each received AI-powered support via HelloThriver.com, hands-on mentoring, and an initial six-month rent-free period, followed by new lease terms.
The Outcome
Six once-vacant units were transformed into vibrant incubators for local startups. All participating businesses transitioned to longer-term leases after the initial incubation, supporting local economic growth, strengthening community ties, and showcasing a replicable model for other high streets.
Dennis Baldry - The Victoria Centre
"This initiative is very exciting, bringing in projects that will support and mentor local businesses. Having seen the difficulties businesses can face, I know how important it is to have this kind of support and collaboration.The Bridge is a great opportunity for Southend-on- Sea, and I’m pleased to be part of something that will make a real difference to our city."
Jonathan Mather - Southend City Council
"The Bridge project perfectly illustrates why the Council purchased the Victoria Centre – to re-invigorate the City Centre. We are very excited by the project which will attract new and existing customers to The Bridge,TheVictoria Centre and the High Street, whilst providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and thrive locally."
Natalie Solomons - Kiwi Productions
"This initiative is all about leading the next generation and fostering innovation within our community. It's refreshing to see a project that not only focuses on business growth but also emphasises the importance of collaboration and mentorship. I'm proud to be a part of this initiative and look forward to contributing to its success. It's projects like these that make me optimistic about the future of Southend."
Alison Cotteridge - Competition Winner
"We're absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to be part of The Bridge initiative. This opportunity allows us to bring something truly special to Southend high street. We're excited to help regenerate our high street and showcase to the rest of the UK just how amazing the city of Southend truly is.
Eleanor Warner-Larthe - Competition Winner
"I am incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to bring a little magic to Southend high street. This is a natural progression for us after successfully running events for nearly eight years. I hope to offer an experience that nobody else can locally.'
The Challenge
Retail vacancy was a pressing issue at White Lion Walk shopping centre in Guildford. Redevco sought innovative ways to increase footfall, support local entrepreneurship, and repurpose under-used retail units. Hundreds of spaces lay idle, weakening the high street’s vibrancy.
The Approach
The project focused on transforming empty retail units into launchpads for emerging local talent. By combining rent-free access with structured business development through Thriver, the initiative offered more than just space—it provided a pathway to sustainability. Carefully curated promotion attracted a large pool of applicants, and a collaborative judging panel selected the winners based on potential, originality, and readiness to trade.
The Outcome
This drove a noticeable increase in footfall and public engagement within the centre, enhancing its overall vibrancy and appeal. Importantly, all three businesses transitioned from short-term pop-ups to long-term lease discussions—demonstrating how a structured incubation approach can de-risk occupancy, attract quality tenants, and catalyse sustainable retail growth.
Claire Yeadon - Redevco
“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Save the High Street, aligning perfectly with Redevco’s mission to help towns and cities be more sustainable and liveable. This collaborative effort allows us to provide local businesses with a unique opportunity … ensuring their new ventures thrive.”

CASE STUDY - INCUBATOR

White Lion Walk,

Guildford

In March 2024, we launched a competition with Redevco to revitalise White Lion Walk in Guildford. Three local brands won eight weeks’ rent-free retail space and expert support through Thriver. The initiative boosted footfall, supported entrepreneurship, and created a model for sustainable high street regeneration.

CASE STUDY - ACCELERATOR

High Streets & Market,

Ashfield

Delivered in partnership with Ashfield District Council and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the Accelerator programme was a place-based initiative built on a proven support model.

The Challenge
Low footfall and tough trading conditions were taking their toll on high street businesses and market traders across Ashfield District, including Hucknall, Kirkby in Ashfield, Sutton in Ashfield, and nearby villages. With local businesses under pressure, Ashfield District Council recognised the need for dedicated, high street-specific support that could complement broader economic interventions already underway.
The Approach
The campaign launched with on-the-ground outreach, engaging local businesses and traders through face-to-face street team interactions and discovery research. Eligible businesses were invited to 1-to-1 qualification calls with a Success Manager, followed by in-depth health checks delivered via Thriver. Based on these insights, personalised support plans were developed and implemented through 4- or 8-week funded programmes, featuring weekly coaching calls and real-time access to AI-powered business tools from Thriver.
The Outcome
Running from November 2024 to March 2025, the programme engaged over 300 businesses across the district, with 60 receiving direct support through funded packages. The initiative exceeded council targets and expectations, delivering strong outcomes and measurable impact. Its success led to the commissioning of a third phase in June 2025, reinforcing the value of sustained support for local business communities.
John Bennett - Ashfield District Council
“High Streets across the country are evolving, and Ashfield’s retail areas are no exception. With the growth of online shopping, the challenges of the pandemic, and the ongoing cost of living pressures, our local businesses have faced significant hurdles. However, we recognise just how important our High Streets are to our communities, which is why we are so excited about this new partnership with SaveTheHighStreet.org.”
Erika - Salon Owner
“I’ve found Thriver to be incredibly user-friendly, and it’s made it easy to delegate tasks to the team. Even though I’ve been in business for many years, I still discovered valuable insights in areas I hadn’t fully explored before. The marketing solutions, especially the monthly blog post calendar, were incredibly helpful. I’m actually enjoying blogging now that I’ve been given the right direction.”
David - Cafe Owner
“As part of the support we have identified so many projects and we've had quite a few of them done for us already, at no cost to us. Using Thriver we have identified new projects to work on and quite a few have now been done, at no extra cost to us. Really helpful, especially the social media plan.”
The Challenge
High street businesses across Flintshire’s towns were facing persistent challenges in footfall, customer retention, and post-pandemic recovery. Existing support lacked local tailoring, prompting the need for a more place-specific, hands-on approach—especially for retail, hospitality, and service-based firms at the heart of these communities.
The Approach
A bespoke programme was piloted with 15 businesses and scaled to support 45 in total. Activity included in-person outreach, town-level discovery, and bilingual digital diagnostics via our digital platform. Each business received a tailored Action Plan, weekly 1-to-1 mentoring, access to peer events, a practical improvement budget, and ongoing follow-up support to sustain momentum.
The Outcome
More than 60 businesses engaged across Flintshire, with all 45 programme participants achieving measurable progress against their goals. Businesses reported improved profitability, visibility, and confidence, while the council saw strengthened local collaboration and enhanced capacity for future bilingual and community-led regeneration initiatives.
Cllr David Healey - Cabinet Member
“This is the first time SaveTheHighstreet has worked with a local authority in Wales and we are looking forward to seeing what they can bring to Flintshire. “The pilot will enable us to work with 15 local businesses as a start, but I hope if the project is a success we can look at extending it to help even more. As a council we are committed to investing in our town centres for future generations.”
Tower Crafts - Holywell
“An absolutely amazing experience… one that I think that every business, both big and small, would benefit from in Flintshire. It’s given me that ‘fire in my belly’ feeling again! Thank you!”
Lovelies Delights - Mold
“This support has given me the opportunity to properly work on my business, instead of just in it. It’s helped me to put the foundations in place, focus on marketing and increase footfall. Thank you so much!”

CASE STUDY - ACCELERATOR

Town Centre Support,

Flintshire

Flintshire County Council commissioned SaveTheHighStreet.org to deliver a place-based business support programme across seven town centres. Through targeted outreach, diagnostics, mentoring, and bilingual tools, 45 high street businesses received tailored support—boosting trading performance and strengthening the local business ecosystem.

Our programme models

With SaveTheHighStreet and Thriver, we can deliver scalable programmes that meet your local goals:

Accelerators

For existing traders to strengthen and grow

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Incubators

For testing new traders in vacant spaces

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Anchors

For larger scale place transformations

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Why partner with us

  • Trusted by dozens of councils and landlords nationwide

  • Backed by SaveTheHighStreet.org, a movement supporting 25,000+ local businesses since 2016

  • Powered by Thriver, the UK’s only AI tool built specifically for high street entrepreneurs

  • Delivered via a team who understands high streets, business support, and place strategy

  • Proven to improve tenant mix, NOI, trader confidence, and local economic resilience

Book a Call to start supporting your traders
The response to our Incubator competition at The Victoria Centre has been extraordinary with almost 300 registrations from businesses and champions across Southend-on-Sea in under 1 month.
Rivington Hark
SaveTheHighStreet.org has been incubating high street startups in our vacant units locally and we’ve already had great successes. It’s exciting to see the startups doing so well and transitioning to long term tenancies.
Kate
KateLondon Borough of Hounslow
We’re working together to launch new occupiers with extensive support to help ensure the success of their ventures. This perfectly aligns with our mission to create sustainable towns and cities.
Redevco
It really is like having a team at your fingertips. We've done so much already and my business is flying. I never imagined this would exist, let alone be so affordable. Thanks to the team.
DanBike Shop Owner
It has been a pleasure to witness the remarkable success of the Incubator project here, and I’m excited to see these newly established businesses thrive in Guildford.
Guildford BID
SaveTheHighStreet.org is working with us on a variety of shopping centres to radically improve how we fill vacant space and work with occupiers in this industry.
Paul
PaulFlourish
I’d always dreamt of launching my online business on the high street but didn’t know where to start. You helped at every stage and my business is now thriving both online and offline!
ZeenatClothes Shop Owner
I was stuck on a treadmill, doing the same old thing in my business. I needed direction and practical help. Having got much more done, my sales are going up and I feel much more positive about my business.
KirstyCraft Shop Owner
SaveTheHighStreet.org and the digital assistant they developed gives our local businesses the support they need to ensure a successful and profitable future.
EmmaBarnes Community Association

One movement. One tool. One mission.

As Thriver and SaveTheHighStreet, we’re fighting for the future of the high street. Because we believe every independent business owner deserves access to this kind of support – whether you’re brand new, or 20 years in.

If you want to get more done, whilst saving time to focus on what you’re best at: we’re here for you.

Let’s end vacancy and build better high streets - together

We’re already live in UK town centres—with more launching soon. Whether you’re looking to support your existing traders, attract new ones, or activate empty space—we’d love to talk.

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