To be annoyed that everywhere except London gets forgotten about?

[BarbaraofSeville]

Prompted by another thread about the riveting subject of changing coins.

AIBU to be annoyed that many big businesses appear to forget that anywhere outside the south east even exists?

I live in a large city in northern England, and while we have plenty of facilities (shops, restaurants, parks, theatres, museums etc etc) there are a few businesses that have totally ignored us while opening dozens of Branches in or near London.

Eg Metro Bank, over a dozen branches within the M25, but nothing further away from London than Cambridge!

Uniqlo - Only one of their 10 UK branches is outside London (in Kent).

There are probably others, but that's all that I can think of right now.

AIBU to think that before they open multiple branches that are virtually on the same street in London, they should be opening up in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Bristol, Belfast, Nottingham etc instead?

If they did this most people would be within a reasonable distance of a branch, instead of them all being crammed in one tiny area of the country.

We have money, we would use these businesses. In fact, many of us probably have a lot more disposable income than people in the south east because we don't have to spend stupid money on housing!

I get hacked off that every magazine, TV or newapaper article about clothes always refers to those wardrobe staples or perfect outfit that comes from shops that I have never seen as they are all southern based

I've just had a look at Uniqlo and I can't say the North is missing anything.

fredfred Uniqlo is a Japanese brand- the sizing comes very small. I doubt your average Northern woman is their target market grin. Plus they do lots of warm weather outerwear /thermals

We are too fat? Yet needing warm clothes?

WTF?

Well as they have failed to make a go of it up North and as I said a fake tan was considered Winter wear
Pretty obvs why it wasn't a goer

When retailers open new stores they take the spending habits of potential consumers into account (very important) but they also like to ensure their network of outlets is at optimal density. Logistics are a massive issue in retail success.

Shops haven't forgotten you. You just live further from the logistics Centre and head office than other equally attractive customers. Be patient!

I'm so glad people have confirmed there used to be a Uniqlo in Coventry. I saw a massive sign for it once, but never actually found the shop. I concluded it must have been a random advert. I sooo would have shopped there!

And Leeds is a big city!

i love uniqlo, and do stock up when in London. Irks me that there are none in the north, when there are 2 on Oxford Street and one on Regent street. I fail to believe that a branch at the Trafford Centre couldn't turn over many multiples of what they do in Wandsworth bloody Arndale.

I would also like Comptoir des Cottoniers, Cos and &Other Stories.

What's ironic is that when I'm in London the women don't look very well dressed.

London style can be deceptive lightbulbon. It's not the done thing in London to look like you've tried too hard.

Oh sorry Laurie .

It's a sort of breakfast / lunch time cafe selling what they call healthy fast food for office workers. So meatballs with brown rice and slaw or humous or superfood salad with all sorts of nonsense in it. It used to be great. I often used to buy the meatballs to take home for dinner instead of a ready meal. The slaw was great too - fresh and light, no mayo. But the last thing I had from there was but a shadow of its former self - cheap replacements that just weren't as good.

I just searched on the Pret website store locator to find my nearest one.

It is miles away and is 'airside' at Luton Airport. Well that's convenient (not).

Yeah, like me. Wrinkled tights, slightly bobbly jumper, Marks and Sparks skirt. It's the London look, man. I honestly have not tried hard at all and yet I still look awesome in a London way

Works for me too Backing. Ive been wearing the same baggy grey jumper for days.

At the risk of derailing this thread I must stand up for my Leon favourites which include all breakfast pots (but particularly the truffle/ham hock one), fish finger wrap, better brownie, the new Choc chip cookies and the toast with date and cinnamon butter I had the other day which was unbelievably delicious. All of these a cut above any other fast food place imo.

Ta backing Oh that sounds tasty - what a shame it's gone downhill

I think the real problem is the lack of infrastructure. The idea that HS2 to Birmingham will make a real difference to the northern 'powerhouse' is ludicrous. The M1 is frequently hopelessly overcrowded even on the bit near where I live which has four lanes.
I do not want to get to London more quickly although I would like to get there more cheaply without having to book ages ahead. I would also like to travel to the continent more straightforwardly.
My nearest cathedral city has no venue for visiting theatre companies or music shows of any kind. The whole place seems to be just taxis and takeaways. Very depressing.

When bemoaning the lack of Pret or Uniqlo on your High Street remember this may come with the bonus of having actual useful shops.

London does have all these shiny chains but often at the expense of Butchers, fishmongers, bakers etc etc. My local London high street has only a Greggs pastie shop that doesn't sell bread (two of them in fact), Two Tesco expresses selling random items more suited to tourists, five bookies, some loan shops, Western union/wigs/hair extensions/mobile phone accessories all in one handy shop too... you get the picture. My previous high street lost all the useful shops mentioned above to American Apparel, Gap, Offspring, Office shoes.

Any of the supermarket branches in zone 1 London are branded 'express', 'local' or some other bollocks. Everything's 10-20% more than regular supermarket prices.

I'm envious of the proper shops I see when visiting provincial towns. Wish I could get a nice crusty loaf from my local bakery and a nice chop from a proper butcher.

Careful what you wish for.

Back on page 1 someone mentioned Sheffield and the fact there is no Gap. There did used to be a Gap in Sheffield but it closed down about 3 or 4 years ago. There is still a Gap in Meadowhall as far as I know. (Tbh this is the problem with Sheffield high street shopping - Meadowhall sucked the life out of the city centre.) Stores will only open (or stay open) where there is sufficient demand and they can make a profit.

London in contrast has not only lots of people but people with disposable income. And lots of relatively young people who want to spend that money on fashion.

Liverpool has a pretty good range of shops (no Uniqlo granted) for the same reason I think - lots of demand.

I agree prole - when I lived in London a branch of M&S Food was my corner shop and I thought I'd miss it when we left. I didn't miss it at all - I got much nicer stuff from the local butcher, greengrocer, farmers' market etc. Moved again since and it's those shops I miss most.

"There is still a Gap in Meadowhall as far as I know"

Twas me, and no there isn't. It closed last year. The next nearest ones are at either of the outlets in Doncaster or Castleford.

I agree that shopping malls like Meadowhall kill off the high streets, but it is a lot easier for me to get to (3 junctions down the M1) and there is plenty of (free) parking.

Do people actually shop in Uniglo?

There in no John Lewis in the whole of Essex

Arf at "real" shops. I live in a market town and the only bakery is Gregs. We don't have a butchers these days (there is one out on a housing estate, though), but a trailer thing does turn up on market days selling meat. We have lots of charity shops and three pound/89p shops but no green grocers. I don't think we've ever had a fish mongers, although we must have once upon a time.

We do have a few independent shops, but nothing to get excited about. I'm not sure how long they'll last as town centre parking isn't cheep, but is free out if town.

Oddly we have 2 Costas and a Monsoon.

Just to add to the derailing Leon debate - like backing I had a big disappointment at the Strand branch where the quality dipped and they stopped doing proper cakes in favour of (yawn) prepackaged brownies. But then I gave (one if) the Tott Ct Rd branch(es) a chance and it was much better and had the full pecan pie, which was a relief, but still they're not what they were. The Old Compton St branch marked the Apotheosis Of Leon and now it's gone and all is spiralling.

prole - independent shops are thriving where I live in London, we have indie bakeries, butchers veg shops. It's not slap bang in the centre though, about six miles from the west end so that possibly makes a difference.

I read somewhere that residents of Newcastle spend the highest proportion of their disposable income on clothes in the whole country so that might be why they have excellent shops up there.

Gap in Nottingham also closed down last year, but we do have a couple of waitrose stores now.

OP don't move to the west country then you would be horrified at the lack of big shops that they DON't have.
Mind you Truro is getting a waitrose soon - what joy . Uniglo , Gap , Zara , H&m not down West need to go up country where they have proper shops.

Those who are saying they 'get no support from businesses' - they aren't charities. They are in business, y'know, to make a profit. And before you leap on my filthy capitalist principles, who do you think pays the largest percentage of tax revenues in the UK? Hint: it's not you.

If the profit was there to be made, your town would get a Gap, a Pret, a whatever else. Businesses will not open there in order to regenerate/improve the area unless it's Mary Portas and her ridiculous knickers. Businesses are not obliged to act in what you might consider a "moral" manner, they are obliged to make profits, pay shareholders dividends, and pay taxes.

You can move to a town/city with shops that suit you better, you know. Or stop being so naive about how capitalist systems work.