A new consumer survey from Positively Putney has offered fresh insights into life on Putney High Street—revealing a community that continues to show up, even as familiar concerns linger. With just over 500 people responding, the 2025 survey highlights a mix of loyalty, modest optimism, and ongoing frustration.
Nearly 90% of those surveyed live in SW15, and three quarters walk into town. Grocery shopping remains the top reason for visiting, with smaller numbers drawn by leisure, errands, or exercise. Independent businesses like Dugard & Daughters, the recently opened delicatessen and butcher, are winning fans—proof there’s demand for something different. Yet despite this, concerns about traffic and the visual impact of empty shops continue to dominate.
There are bright spots. Waitrose, Waterstones, and Boots continue to perform well and are regularly listed among shoppers’ favourite destinations, suggesting that anchor tenants still draw reliable footfall. In previous years, other independent names like Blåbär and Physical Culture Gym also topped respondents’ lists—highlighting Putney’s potential to nurture a diverse mix of established brands and unique local offerings.
The 2025 survey also noted positive mentions of new additions to the high street, alongside a steady stream of requests for more variety—especially in food, clothing, and independent retail.
The downside
However, this loyalty isn’t unconditional. Shoppers continue to lament the number of empty units, with many calling for action to reduce retail vacancies and bring more vibrancy to the town centre. The split between in-person and online spending—now almost 50/50—further underscores the need for the high street to evolve. Locals may still come, but they’re clearly supplementing with digital purchases. The call from many residents for more independent, experiential or “destination” retail reflects a broader shift in consumer expectations.
These findings echo almost exactly those from similar surveys in 2024 and 2022. Putney’s core strengths—walkability, accessibility, local loyalty—remain. But so do the weaknesses. There’s a sense of stagnation: a high street with potential, but no breakthrough.
The recent news that Marks & Spencer is going to return to the building it abandoned seven years ago has raised some hopes, and ongoing efforts by organisations like Positively Putney – which next month will relaunch a monthly Antique, Vintage and Art Street Market that used to take place by the river but will now be held on the High Street – is all helping.
Bigger picture
When we widen the lens, the picture shifts. Data from the GLA tells a fuller story—and one that’s more encouraging. Compared to smaller neighbouring centres like East Sheen and Twickenham, Putney is significantly stronger across key metrics.
The data is drawn from location, with one “square” representing roughly 350 square feet (the distance between Werter and Disraeli Roads). It records in-person spend levels of £80–£100 per square—three times higher than East Sheen, and more than double Twickenham’s. Putney also enjoys far greater footfall and a more diverse retail offering.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Putney is a much larger town centre, serving a bigger population and offering far superior transport connections, including trains, buses, and river services. When compared with smaller, quieter districts, its economic heft is clear.
Unfortunately, that size and Putney’s proud history as a hub of commerce and entrepreneurial spirit (Superdrug, Mountain Warehouse and many others) continues to weigh down businesses with disproportionately high rents and business rates.
To truly understand how Putney is performing—and where it needs to go next—the right comparison isn’t East Sheen or Twickenham. It’s Wimbledon, Richmond, or Kingston: major southwest London hubs with similar footfall, commercial scale, and regional pull. Future analyses will focus on these larger peers to assess whether Putney is merely keeping pace or falling behind.
What’s clear for now is that Putney still matters. It has the people, the spending, and the infrastructure to be a vibrant, thriving centre. But to secure its future, it needs to confront the persistent issues—and plan boldly, not just locally, but at the scale of the major centres it deserves to be measured against.
