AIBU to think that high streets and small towns will be thing of the past?

[Lonelybunny]

Well now due to Jessops going broke and clintons and woolworths our town has hardly any shops left. It's so depressing down there, do you think the only shops left will be super stores, like asda and tesco? Maybe due to them selling everything and of course online shopping. I feel so bad for all the retail staff loosing jobs yet again.

[Astley]

TSC, the in laws live there or Hale as they prefer and every time we visit it gets worse and worse, it's just a massive Tesco and poundshops The priblem is the proximity to Cheadle, the Traffford Centre, central Manc and numerous big retail parks.

[louisianablue2000]

I live in Co Durham and our town centre is doing OK, there are weekly markets plus more specialist markets throughout the year (farmers market, french market, christmas market) plus a covered market with several butchers, and grocers. There are three bakers in town making top notch bread (this is new in the last few years), and several independents selling top end groceries (nicel local cheese etc). There are lots of independent clothes shops and a lovely art shop and toy shop. The council has still made some mistakes though, when Waterstones and Borders merged they sold one of the shops and the council let the pound shop take over the old waterstones which was in a prime location. Tesco offered to build a new council building and turn the current building into a Tesco, thankfully there were so many objections that didn't happen, people were really worried it would destroy the covered market. But on the other hand the old Woolies has become an enormous Next which is popular. Oh, and there are lots of nice cafes, I'd never use a chain because there's a good choice of local options that are much better than Costa et al.

I think it helps that we are in an old market town with a stable population that likes to support local businesses and products (my PILs were here over Christmas and everything we had for breakfast: bread, butter, milk, honey, was made within 10 miles).

[fiftyval]

The council has still made some mistakes though, when Waterstones and Borders merged they sold one of the shops and the council let the pound shop take over the old waterstones which was in a prime location.
Just wanted to sound a note of reality regarding what is and what is not in the control of councils. Unless the council happens to be the landlord of a commercial property they have NO say as to who rents it unless a 'change of use' is involved. Poundland taking over a shop from Waterstones does not constitute a 'change of use' as they are both retailers. However , if it were Starbucks wanting to take over they would need to apply for change of use from A1 retail to A2 which would be a planning decision for the Local Authority. Only then, does a council get a say - and that is only in respect of what type of business and not which specific business.
Also, a number of people have mentioned business rates; central government sets the rates, councils collect the rates on behalf of central government. Your local council does not get to keep the rates.
Parking however - a whole different matter. The daft thing is that so many small towns have no control over parking - their Town Council probably doesn't own the car parks and will be at the mercy of the District Council who decides on parking and won't always 'know the town'.

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

TheSecondComing is Fred's Deli still in Didsbury Village? I worked there many moons ago.

We use our local high street - but only the baker, the greengrocer and occasionally the chemist. It's in a rapidly gentrifying part of London and, tbh, the prices (and new shops) are ridiculous. It's all overpriced vintage tat in the 'new' shops. We've had an 'antique' shop and a 'vintage' clothes shop the last two openers and I find it all very irritating. Where's the decent caf, priced for everyone's budget? Or a good butcher that isn't the sodding Ginger Pig? Our high st is up and coming but only for those with money; it's a kind of pastiche of a high street.

There are at least 3 places you can get a cracking coffee though and that's never a bad thing.

[Bonsoir]

faux vintage high street shops

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

Betsey, it's the same irritation I get in some wanked up gastro pub charging £18 for a fillet of this nestling on a bed of that drizzled in a something or other jus.

Just serve me toad in the hole, dammit

Anyway.....

[SparkyDudess]

Timperley now has a sainsburys express thing - and as expected, it's killing the little independent shops. Green grocer has already gone, it's only a matter of time before the others close

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

And the worst thing about it is the owners are all sort of smug about it. And surprised when people take a pop at them on their fb pages. Like 'look here, look how I'm regenerating your high street you ungrateful locals!'

There has to be a middle ground between fried chicken shops and bookies and ironically trendy 80s mohair jumpers with shoulder pads for £50 a piece.

Sorry. Rant over. Better go and do some work so I can afford to live here!

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

And tell them to stick their £18 quid up their locally foraged backsides. It's a pub ffs! Deep fried bar snacks in a basket NOW!

[Anifrangapani]

Prehaps councils could rebate the parking in local shopping areas when you make more than a certain number of purchases. Like a loyalty card you get stamped. It could be offset against council tax prehaps.

[MurderOfGoths]

HMV is going under as well now. The high street looks very different nowadays :(

[notsofrownieface]

It does indeed look as though HMV are going under. It is sad, they had a gamer base in our to that was shut about two years ago, although it was never quiet and I as did many of my gamer friends spent a lot of time and spent a lot of money.

But they were too late in the online market. I suppose Richard Branson got out at the right time by selling Virgin Megastores.

[BegoniaBampot]

Not surprised HMV is struggling what with all the new technology but still hate to see it happen, love having a good browse round. Tis happened in my little town over 30 yrs ago. Was a poor little town, very WC but had a bustling high street with independent family run shops. Then Asda moved and bought up half the high street. Knocked down all the old sandstone buildings and built a god awful 1970's supermarket and surrounding complex of shops. These shops have generally never been able to make a go of it and are either empty, pound or charity shops. It's fucking depressing.

[RedToothbrush]

The UK is becoming more polarised.

The shops reflect this. And as things move online it makes it our country more dependant on the internet.

Thus if you haven't got access to the internet you have less access in general.

Don't forget online shopping is more able to monitor our buying patterns and habits too. Your information is scarily valuable.

I feel sorry for the stereotypical little old lady who has yet to discover the internet.

[BooksandaCuppa]

I work in a small market town which is about 22 miles from the nearest small city (I live sort of in between)...and it's lovely for independent coffee shops, gift shops, foodie places, antiques, bookshops, music shops and some decent charity shops; cheap parking and a twice-weekly small market...but there is literally nowhere to buy clothes!!! One really expensive boutique and some ok stuff obviously in the charity shops..but nowhere to buy pants or jeans or a t-shirt.

I don't get how it's not possible for there to be a market for an ordinary clothes shop in a town of this sort/size (there used to be a Woolworths but that was the only chain shop ever there). It's over a tenner on the bus and 20 miles to anywhere where you can buy pants or babygros. I suppose it's a reasonably 'horse-y' place so some people will use mail order or the one posh boutique but I'm not sure where the 'normal' people (especially without cars) shop.

[BooksandaCuppa]

X-post with Redtoothbrush - yy: worrying for little old lady with no internet and the poorer family with no car, too.

I tried to do all of my Christmas shopping on the High Street this year; I feel a moral obligation not to just source the cheapest possible price for every item (I appreciate many people can't afford to do this - but some seriously wealthy people do seem to want to have Tescos and Amazon prices and keep the High St open too...you can't have it all).

[BunFagFreddie]

"I feel sorry for the stereotypical little old lady who has yet to discover the internet. "

An old lady kept calling me as she was convinced I was the oil company. I had to look up places online and give the numbers to her over the phone because she didn't have internet access.

[ThePsychicSatsuma]

thesecondcoming -- I miss 'Pumpkin' in Sale now I live in Midlands. Is it still ok?

[gimmecakeandcandy]

Where is this high street elizaregina?

[MoreBeta]

High rents are one of the major causes of the high street being devastated - I am staggered by the number of shops that stay empty for years and yet commercial landlords refuse to drop their rents.

We have 3 shopping centres in our town plus a high street and I estimate its at least 35% empty shops. If the charity shops and Cash for Gold shops closed it would be over 50%.

One of the reasons rents dont fall is the banks will not allow landlords to drop rents otherwise they would not be able to pay the mortgage. Pension funds also own a lot of commercial property now and also insist on upward only rent reviews. It is totally unrealistic how high commercial rents for shops on the high street are - no wonder they cant compete with internet retail.

[RedToothbrush]

I disagree about high rents.

The number one and two reasons I'd go to an out of town mall over other more local shopping centres.

Parking and Late Opening.

That killed the high street more than any thing else. Then the better shops moved out as they realised that (and they pay far higher rents in out of town malls than the high street - though admittedly they have much bigger catchment areas). Thus leaving these places that have nothing to draw in people and no one wanted to pay for the privilege of visiting a bunch of crap shops. Not to mention once the local councils finally woke up to the problem of parking the damage had already been done.

[mam29]

Agree very sad. Im city suberb now nearby small towns near me

yate-dire ugly and taken over by monstor tesco. sincxe woolies went its nows poundland, has large morrisions,lidls and iceland. few other shops but not much lots closed.

Nearby chipping sodbury is nice few independents but bugger to park not been there in ages.

Thornbury doesnt seen to be much there.
keynsham used to work was nothing there but not as bad as warminster used to be was so dead there apart from large morrsions and iceland.

My nearest high street is 15mins walk but its large co-op pricey here the oaps shop,x5 banks, building soceities, takeaways , estate agents x5, small pokey post office where staff are rude, small sainsburys local just opened but everyone moans its pricey, 2 charity shops, 1 independant deli, 1bike shop, 2hairdresseres, dry cleaner, 1travel agents, 1 carpet shop/bed. fabric shops bit odd one. The clothes boutique closes no small motaman. Its really boring place.

My mams home town abergavenny used to be pretty market town but mostly closed shops, charity shops, cheapey shops. tesco seems to dominate town centre , aldis just opened. large out town waitrose which mam moans is pricey, marleys not aht used to be but not as bad as brymawr/ebbw vale . crickhowells only independants lovley but small.

sad about hmw but not unexpected.

whats happening with mary portas trial towns it was announce but wonder what shes done with them?


I do try and support independants like corner shops here I can.