The arts are a proven tool to help businesses meet their strategic objectives.  In the UK, more than 80% of Town Centre initiatives have used the arts to improve the retail experience of their customers¹:

• Increasing Footfall: 40% of those UK Town Centres that have used the arts reported a positive impact on visitor/customer satisfaction, with 36% of them experiencing an increase in sales and footfall.  31% reported an improvement in their profile, publicity and public relations.

• Marketing, promotion and differentiation: BIDs in Belgium and Austria have conducted evaluations that show that their investment in the arts resulted in favourable radio, TV and press coverage, more footfall and increased sales.

• Making retail environments safer and more attractive to consumers:  Investing in the arts offers a wide range of opportunities that can improve the retail environment and surrounding town areas both physically and socially, including: -

• Enhancement of the built environment through installation of art in public places;
  
  
• Involvement of artists to encourage community involvement in regeneration or enhancement of public spaces in order to manifest local distinctiveness and create a sense of place;
  
  
• The involvement of an artist in town and neighbourhood planning to work alongside architects and developers to introduce creative design solutions and spaces which relate meaningfully to their heritage and surrounding environments;
  
  
• Increase access and encourage volunteering to build audiences and encourage participation in artistic activities.

Successful Investments in the Arts

     & Sam Taylor Wood                                    
         
Selfridges currently has four stores in the UK. The original store in Oxford Street, London, two stores in Manchester - in the Trafford Centre and in Exchange Square and a fourth store in Birmingham. Always pushing the boundaries of retail innovation, Selfridges works with modern designers and architects to create exciting state-of-the-art retail spaces, to reflect the style and ambience of its ever-changing brand portfolio. Selfridges has a strong association with the arts and design and has collaborated with many distinguished galleries, museums, artists and designers. It is also the first ever store to wrap its exterior with the world's largest photographic artwork, 'XV Seconds' by acclaimed contemporary artist Sam Taylor Wood in 2000.

                 & Salisbury Playhouse

This project was extremely well-conceived, promoted and carried out through a strategic partnership between an arts event and a sponsor: a carpet factory paired with a Christmas production of Aladdin. The end result proved immensely popular and generated significant press and radio coverage, getting approximately 14 minutes of otherwise expensive airtime during the day, in sections approximately 3 minutes long on the local radio station. The Salisbury Journal published a colour picture of the event on its coveted Page 3 the following week, raising brand awareness and profile of Wilton Carpets.