The Social Supply Chain and the Future High Street

Purpose: The paper offers a perspective on the operations of retail businesses in the high street as they adapt to the rising influence of the digital economy. We reveal some of the new challenges being posed by the changing growth and consumption patterns in cities that are coupled with shifting macro-supply chain trends. Design: The study is conducted through the analytical lens of what we describe as the social supply chain. To achieve this a case study approach is employed to explore the rapid advance and influence of digital technologies on businesses operating on the primary business street of suburban centre, towns or cities (described in the UK collectively as the ‘high street’). Originality: We take a supply chain management perspective to consider the original purpose and rationale for the development of the UK high street and then undertake a systematic review of the various recent efforts undertaken by local governments, communities and traders groups to revitalise the high street. For the purpose of this paper we use three distinct case studies to analyse this perspective. Findings: By utilising the concept of the social supply chain it is possible to identify and assess the success or failure of each of these different case studies within this single unifying concept. Identification of previous case studies of high street revitalisation that have failed, or at least not achieved their stated goals, are also identifications of the failures of the contemporary social supply chain.