dutchman
Well-Known Member
They spent it all on television commericals!
Death of the high street (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Grendel
- Start date
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Hmmm that sort of drop y o y is more a sign of a downturn. Wages are lagging behind inflation. Fuel has risen considerably. Small increases in interest rates all contributing to less disposable money knocking about
Otis
Well-Known Member
That was just the odd few million surely.
There so many factors working against them all .
High rents and rates , already been covered on here , but minimum wage /living wage increases .
Although I'd expect to be on the right side of that anyway. Online undercuts them all in so many ways
What used to be nice jobs for folk evaporating to be replaced by package pickers in huge gloomy warehouses
To be replaced by robotic automation .
Ugh!!
Astute
Well-Known Member
Where the drug dealers live?
Otis
Well-Known Member
Soon to be renamed Spice Avenue.
skybluetom
New Member
The pub scene is just as depressing nowadays, so many decent boozers either shut or taken over by the same crappy chains who all have the same menus, same beer ect ect. Very few indepent 'drinking' pubs left. I love going to Cornwall; I guess because of the tourism the pub scene has survived down there.
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
Idiot Corbyn thinks he can revitalise the High St, by stopping out of town development.
Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to revitalise Crawley High Street
Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to revitalise Crawley High Street
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
You must have linked to the wrong article because the one you've linked says nothing like what you've posted.
Westendlad
Well-Known Member
Heard today that Lloyds bank and chemist are closing in Earlsdon high st. Surprised, the bank always looked well used.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Think the banks just work on the basis a lot of people are too lazy to change banks so they can shut down branches and push people to online banking. Less to do with how much a branch is used, more to do with how much money they can save.
Westendlad
Well-Known Member
I agree, feel sorry for the oldies tho who don't know what the internet is never mind online banking.
Otis
Well-Known Member
My parents actually believe there is a Mr. Internet.
I know this for a fact, because when their new fridge didn't arrive they wanted me to ring him.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
haven't heard about either. Surprised about both if true. Both always busy. I'm not in the Lloyds but my missus has her business account with them and sometimes I have to put money in for her. always a big queue on a Friday.
Covstu
Well-Known Member
pretty much were I am! Opened my bank account with Midland on Ball Hill as a kid and had it since (although clearly evolved!). So frustrating even trying to speak to someone let alone trying to pay in cash ect...
I have a „safe bag“ card with which I can pay in 100000 euro a week at a cashpoint. Or I can pay in 15000 a day with a normal card. I need a lot of change on events and a security firm delivers 30 or 40000 a time. I only need to speak to a person about my overdraft on the phone. I draw cash from a machine once every 6 weeks or so. I can see why branches are closing.
dutchman
Well-Known Member
The chemist closing doesn't surprise me, it's a lot easier to pick up my prescription with the shopping at the supermarket.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
So Wilkos death is pretty much confirmed. Wilko always reminded me a bit of Woolworths in the 21st century.
I was rather fond of it in a funny sort of way. It was not the Poundland option but also not (clearly) the top end John Lewis either.
It always seemed a popular shop when I visited in Kenilworth and I will be sad to see the brand go. The takeover of the very few stores it has left will be something I will not be visiting that is for sure.
I was rather fond of it in a funny sort of way. It was not the Poundland option but also not (clearly) the top end John Lewis either.
It always seemed a popular shop when I visited in Kenilworth and I will be sad to see the brand go. The takeover of the very few stores it has left will be something I will not be visiting that is for sure.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I was thinking, with some big box stores staying away from town centres, like say B&Q, doesn’t it open back up an opportunity for small independent stores again? Or is there just not enough business left over?
Shopping experience I want is what I remember from the 90s: into KSoft to talk about what games are new, what I thought of the last one I got, and what’s coming soon. Into Maplin to get help on an electronics project for college. Into Rolfs in Earlsdon to find the exact screw I need or whatever.
All that’s gone. I wouldn’t ask someone in B&Q and if I did I wouldn’t trust them. Now I get all that from the internet I guess but reading a Reddit thread then buying from Amazon just isn’t the same. Would love to see expertise cultivated and supported to be in town centres somehow. So it’s somewhere to go to find practical help or info as well.
Shopping experience I want is what I remember from the 90s: into KSoft to talk about what games are new, what I thought of the last one I got, and what’s coming soon. Into Maplin to get help on an electronics project for college. Into Rolfs in Earlsdon to find the exact screw I need or whatever.
All that’s gone. I wouldn’t ask someone in B&Q and if I did I wouldn’t trust them. Now I get all that from the internet I guess but reading a Reddit thread then buying from Amazon just isn’t the same. Would love to see expertise cultivated and supported to be in town centres somehow. So it’s somewhere to go to find practical help or info as well.
NorthernWisdom
Well-Known Member
If rents were cheap enough, I'd always fancied doing a niche business that basically ran and sold online, but had a physical presence for people to visit. Problem is those rents have to be ridiculously cheap for that to work.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Yeah I’ve had this issue with councils for ages. They see city centre commercial rents as the goose that laid the golden egg and just refuse to see it as a public good.
Ill never understand why Fargo is where it is TBH. It’s on the right tracks for a hub of cheap rent stuff, though a little hipster focused rather than expertise. Something almost like the market but a bit better where certain businesses that bring something extra could be approved for lower rents or something would be good.
Maybe expand the definition of charity. IIRC we see a lot of charity shops because they are rates exempt and it’s better to give it over to Oxfam than pay for an empty shop or whatever. Maybe expand that to community benefit. I’ve been thinking for a while that places like pubs, churches, even football, should be treated slightly differently in an age where real life contact is on the decline. Same for town centres and anything that facilitates face to face contact.
Nick
Administrator
Absolutely no chance a small independent could afford to have a shop in town, it's far too expensive.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
No I agree. I looked into it a few years back and was shocked at how high rents are in town. I’m not surprised it’s half empty TBH.
SBAndy
Well-Known Member
Pubs takes me back to an essay I wrote on underage/binge drinking in college. Basic frame of it was tax the tits off supermarket alcohol and serve tax-free in pubs. More control from landlords especially given they’d see a lot more trade and would be less concerned over making a decision between breaking the law/breaking even. Would improve the social aspect immeasurably.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
This links in with my Lord of the Flies theory that we’ve broken down the means for intergenerational discipline and culture sharing due to lack of mass employment.
NorthernWisdom
Well-Known Member
Yeah Fargo's not bad in concept (and rents were indeed doable) but it's completely desolate whenever I've gone there! Not joined up to town at all.
There was a little arcade of shops by the bird cage and Nello's that they let go to rack and ruin - that was prime independent shop territory and, I suppose always was, just became increasingly grimey and sinister feeling.
Otis
Well-Known Member
The Coventry store has been bought out, but just not sure by who yet. The guess is B&M.
My ex wife still works there and they were told yesterday they were okay.
Out of 400 stores, Coventry is always in the top 15 for sales in the group.
Super shop,just so handy for decorating materials or a change of scheme around the house,I guess the b&q type store has done for that or the range, specifically.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Haven't they been trying to get Wilko out of there forever as its supposed to be a restaurant quarter now. Finally get rid of them and it turns into a B&M
Hopefully that means everyone keeps their jobs
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Haven't they been trying to get Wilko out of there forever as its supposed to be a restaurant quarter now. Finally get rid of them and it turns into a B&M
Hopefully that means everyone keeps their jobs
Cathedral Lanes is privately owned isn’t it?
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Yeah, owned by the Shearer Property Group. Wilkinson signed a 10 year lease there in 2014 so, assuming it hasn't been extended in the meantime, it expires next year: Wilko's pledges to stay at new-look Cathedral Lanes
Makes you wonder if it is B&M that has taken it on and not just the landlord or another third party purchasing the lease to allow it to be relet as another leisure unit in keeping with the rest of CL.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
B&M might take it on and move in a year. Is any of CCS due to be ready by then? Or there’s empty units around the precinct that could probably do. I reckon the Flannels spot would probably work for them. Assuming Shearers want them out.
