Abstract

The British high street is in a state of demise. Data analysis from The Guardian has revealed that almost every town centre in England and Wales has declined since 2013, with some towns losing over a fifth of their stores. Factors influencing this demise range from Brexit uncertainty, increased rents and business rates, rising operating costs and an increase in online shopping. The aim of this paper is to explore the cult of celebrity, its deployment within social media, and how this has been central to the rise of online retailing, and ultimately, the decline of the British high street. Celebrity culture and the British high street have both been affected by the meteoric rise of the digital age, which has created a shifting retail landscape. The digital age affects how celebrities are discovered, and how they promote themselves to remain relevant. A new celebrity has been born as ordinary individuals find fame by appearing on reality television. These celebrities remain in the public eye, becoming “influencers,” and promoting fashion brands through their social media. There is a lack of academic research on the credibility of celebrities within social networks. Instagram influencers have affected clothing on the physical high street, by encouraging consumers to shop online. “Fast fashion” can be described as “low-cost clothing collections that mimic current luxury fashion trends.” This type of clothing “helps state deeply held desires among young consumers.” Young consumers follow reality celebrities on social media, and this impacts their purchasing choices. Drawing from an archive at Nottingham Trent University, this paper explores connections between fast fashion, celebrity and social media, and addresses the shifting retail landscape. Social media platforms like Instagram encourage consumers to buy clothing at the click of a button. This raises debates surrounding the implications of instant gratification on the fashion retail landscape.

摘要

英国大街正处于消亡状态。卫报的数据分析据透露，自 2013 年以来，英格兰和威尔士的几乎每个城镇中心都出现了下滑，一些城镇失去了超过五分之一的商店。影响这种消亡的因素包括英国退欧的不确定性、租金和商业利率的增加、运营成本的上升以及在线购物的增加。本文的目的是探讨名人崇拜及其在社交媒体中的部署，以及这如何成为在线零售兴起以及最终导致英国商业街衰落的核心。名人文化和英国商业街都受到数字时代迅速崛起的影响，这创造了不断变化的零售格局。数字时代影响了名人的发现方式，以及他们如何宣传自己以保持相关性。一个新的名人诞生了，因为普通人通过出现在真人秀电视上而成名。这些名人仍然在公众视野中，成为“影响者”，并通过他们的社交媒体推广时尚品牌。社交网络中名人的可信度缺乏学术研究。Instagram 影响者通过鼓励消费者在线购物，影响了实体大街上的服装。“快时尚”可以被描述为“模仿当前奢侈时尚潮流的低成本服装系列”。这种服装“有助于表达年轻消费者根深蒂固的愿望”。年轻消费者在社交媒体上关注真人秀名人，这会影响他们的购买选择。本文取材于诺丁汉特伦特大学的档案，探讨了快时尚、名人和社交媒体，并解决不断变化的零售格局。Instagram 等社交媒体平台鼓励消费者点击按钮即可购买服装。这引发了围绕即时满足对时尚零售业的影响的争论。