Norfolk’s High Streets Matter

The Heart of Norfolk’s Rural Economy

Market towns are vital centres for business, culture, retail and public services. Supporting them is a key priority in Norfolk’s Local Growth Plan. Norfolk County Council invests in supporting shop owners and high street stakeholders attracting more visitors to market towns.

Building Vibrant High Streets Together

Through Norfolk’s High Streets Matter initiative, businesses and groups have had coaching, new retail knowledge, industry experts’ insights, grants and a massive dose of encouragement and enthusiasm from the team.

2025 Highlights – A Year of Growth and Collaboration

More than 100 retailers and high street stakeholders took part in the Retail Excellence Programme which included strategic planning, financial literacy, marketing and community impact. Everyone has seen improvements in their business and those who made major progress with their action plans are seeing increases in sales and customer engagement.

The programme received 5-star ratings from participants on Google Reviews.

‘I found this programme very beneficial in many ways, taking the time out of my day-to-day to open my mind to where we could improve our business, what things aren’t working in our business and how we can invest in new ways to make our business grow.
‘I’ve been introduced to many great businesses that could help us in areas we struggle in and also hearing other small businesses’ struggles similar to ours and how they have/ plan to overcome this. From this course, we have decided what we need to do next to invest in our business to help it grow and achieve more sales.’

Fay Bunn, Noor Company5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)

‘Completed Love Your High Street training which has been extremely valuable, thank you for such a comprehensive course.’

Little Movers5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)

‘We attended the Retail Excellence Programme and it has been the most valuable and insightful course I’ve ever done. Alex and all of the speakers were incredibly knowledgeable, and generous with their time and advice. We’ve already received more online shop sales since we’ve started to implement what we’ve learnt. We massively recommend it to all businesses in Norfolk!’

The Wayward Adventurers Guild5 stars (Retail Excellence Programme)

You can take part in 2026!

If you are looking to grow your retail business or want to attract more visitors to your high street, we can support you through the next Retail Excellence Programme in 2026. Read more about it on the Programme page and our leaflet.

Retail Excellence Programme Leaflet

Email nhsm@norfolk.gov.uk to find out more and register your interest below. Tick ‘Retail Excellence‘ under ‘Reason for Enquiry‘.

Register Your Interest For 2026

Throughout the year, you can also attend other specialist workshops for Norfolk businesses, and discover our Retail Toolkit—full of top tips to keep your shop vibrant. For funding opportunities and follow on business support, get in touch with the Growth Hub team here.

To keep in touch with High Streets Matter news, events and funding, sign up to the newsletter (choose Norfolk as area).

Christmas High Street Prop competition (now closed)
As we gear up for the festive season of 2025, we are excited to announce a wonderful opportunity for your Norfolk market town to apply for a Christmas Outdoor freestanding selfie board prop. This charming addition will undoubtedly bring festive cheer and promote your High Street, making your town a more vibrant and attractive destination during the holiday season.

The deadline for applications has now closed for 2025.