High street businesses across Oxfordshire are clear about what they need: more customers, more time to develop their business rather than simply run it, and access to expert guidance that understands the realities of today’s challenging retail environment. Enterprise Oxfordshire & ALP Synergy’s Helping High Streets programme has been created around those needs, offering practical support grounded in real High Street experience, strong local insight and hands-on advice.
What Support Do High Street Businesses Need?
From speaking with around 50 Oxfordshire businesses each week, one priority stands out: growing their customer base. Beneath that headline need sit a range of everyday pressures – from finding time for strategic planning to managing staffing, responding to local transport changes and staying organised.
Many High Street owners also highlight gaps in digital marketing, customer experience and financial planning. They want support to help them compete with online retailers whilst making the most of their strengths: face-to-face service, local loyalty and community presence. Trusted, practical guidance on adapting their offer, using data effectively and planning for the future is increasingly essential.
What Makes High Street Business Support Unique?
Every High Street has its own identity. Oxfordshire’s high streets are shaped by world-class universities, strong visitor numbers, vibrant rural towns and diverse local communities. This creates a rich mix of independent retailers, cafés, restaurants, professional services, leisure venues and social enterprises – all dependent on strong, consistent local footfall.
Districts across the county face different challenges, from congestion and rapid growth to weaker visibility or rural isolation. ALP Synergy uses tailored data specifically for High Street businesses to map these varying needs into a clear “Triage Triangle”, helping identify where support is most needed across customers, operations and long-term resilience.
Why ALP Synergy Is Championing the High Street
ALP Synergy is a family-run business led by Ant and Lesley Parsons, who owned and grew a UK High Street convenience store for ten years before selling it successfully in 2024. Their lived experience spans staffing, stock control, supplier management, customer loyalty and navigating the challenges of the pandemic through to succession planning.
Our team adds expertise in digital marketing, hospitality, tourism, retail performance and business finance, supported by 28 specialist advisers who work with SMEs every day. Since 2020, ALP Synergy’s Business Triage service has created one of the UK’s longest-running small-business insight datasets, supporting more than 5,000 Oxfordshire SMEs and contributing to the creation and safeguarding of hundreds of jobs.
What Is the Helping High Streets Programme?
The Helping High Streets programme (Oxfordshire’s High Streets Business Support Programme) provides in-depth support for 40 businesses across selected pilot high streets, with online Spotlight sessions available to at least 50 more businesses countywide. It aligns fully with Enterprise Oxfordshire’s existing SME support, ensuring a smooth journey from initial triage to tailored, place-specific interventions.
Support includes:
- The new High Street Boost diagnostic
- One-to-one expert advice
- Group workshops
- A flagship High Street Summit exploring digital skills, customer experience, branding, sales, finance and business continuity
Using shared data, ongoing feedback and a flexible, place-sensitive approach, the programme helps Oxfordshire’s high streets attract more customers, build resilience and remain vibrant hubs of community life.
How You Can Support High Street Businesses
High streets thrive when customers, communities and local partners work together. For residents, the most effective step is simply choosing the High Street more often: buying essentials locally, recommending favourite independents, and leaving positive online reviews to help shops stand out in search results. Small gestures such as sharing a local business’s social media post or attending an in-store event can significantly boost visibility and confidence.
Community groups and business networks can contribute by coordinating joint promotions and events that encourage people to visit and stay longer. Local employers can motivate staff to “spend local” at lunchtime or when buying gifts. Meanwhile, landlords and councils can support by promoting fair leases, enabling flexible uses for empty units and providing clear communication about changes that affect trade.