To think, get rid of the driving restrictions, make parking easier and watch Oxford Street flourish 🤷‍♀️

[mumofoneAlonebutokay]

Just that really

https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/28/oxford-street-suffers-fatal-blow-multiple-retailers-announce-leaving-22447406/

How many shops are closing in Westfield, both branches? Londoners want to drive.

Change isn't always a bad thing, I love the fact our kids generation aren't being dragged around the shops on a weekend rather they are getting experience fun things in that time, as the shopping arrives on the door step.

We mainly shop online for clothes etc but have been into our local city the last two weekends for craft fairs and activities. Yes it has multiple empty shops but a lot of those which were empty a year ago are filling up with things to do e.g. Topshop is now an arcade and Argos is a digital go kart track. On the more adult front the independent computer shop is now an award winning cafe/restaurant mentioned in the Michelin guide.

The shopping centre in our local town was pulled down years ago to be transformed into a restaurant quarter which is busy.

FWIW, I think Oxford Street is actually doing better now than it was a few years ago. I worked just off there near Bond Street for 18 month 2022-2024 and there are now fewer empty shops, fewer cheapo space-filling shops selling market-stall type tat and fewer dodgy candy shops than 3 years ago now. It's busier too.

Regent Street is becoming a better place to shop - Uniqlo, &Stories, Zara, H&M all have big stores on it. It is better laid out than Oxford St and nicer to walk along.

Sorry but this is a shit idea, wheres this park and ride going? People would have to drive there, shop and wait for a bus back to their car? May aswell just get a tube?

Subsidising car parks? Buying land or lots to just fill with cars without charging? Firstly its going to be abused by anyone just wanting to park up in London. It won't necessarily benefit the high street. Secondly it's a massive waste of public money.

Indeed. Also the price of land in Oxford street and surrounds means no one is going to waste it on car park - one of the more inefficient uses of land - so a few suburbanites can drive in. As people have said if your disabilty means you cannot use public transport, there are car parks nearby with blue badge spaces.

That said, the Elizabeth line new and dssigned to be very accessible.

Stratford Westfield is always packed with cars whenever I've gone
I hate it personally and prefer the west London Westfield, but both are packed

You said both were packed. Which I took to mean that you were complaining they were crowded.

Personally I'd love paved areas, seating, being able to just stop for a coffee and watch the world go by. I hate the noise of traffic and sitting in fumes from cars and buses, although obviously with cleaner buses this is less of an issue. And I think most people find beeping horns and revving engines quite stressful.

I was reminiscing last night about shops that are gone from Oxford Street and does anyone remember the little mini shopping centre that was there called the Plaza? It was down towards Tottenham Court Rd end.
It had a food court.
That is something Oxford St is missing - lots of cheap and quick places to buy food.
There several McDonald's etc but they are all tiny. There's never enough room to actually sit and eat.
And it needs public toilets. Lots of them.
Bring back the Plaza - but with just the food court and public toilets 😁

Oh I agree. I prefer Regent Street over Oxford Street. I would only visit Oxford Street for JL & Selfridges

I remember The Plaza, @Needmorelego. Oxford Street could be packed but The Plaza was like a ghost town! I don’t remember the food court, only the one (that is still there) at West 1 (in Bond Street station) and The Place to Eat food court at John Lewis.

The Oxford Street area has pretty much every fast food chain and lots of mid range independent and chain restaurants, they are just on the streets that lead off Oxford Street.

The west end of Oxford Street was always much better than the east end beyond Topshop. The loss of the department stores, the second Primark and the redevelopment around Tottenham Court Road changed it to be the other way round, just as The Plaza closed. I’ve noticed recently that there are a lot of new stores opening on the west side and far less money laundering American sweet shops. If the article OP posted is right, it’s going to be a huge blow to the regeneration. I have high hopes for the long delayed opening of Ikea!

Online shopping has killed the high street. Oxford Street is going to have to reinvent itself as a destination with shops. You don’t go to places like Covent Garden or Coal Drops Yard purely for the shopping, you go for the experience and ambience.

@KnickerFolder I remember the Plaza having a (crappy) WHSmith at the back but I don't remember any other of the shops 😂
The next level up had a McDonald's and a KFC (maybe a baked potato place ??) but there was a shared seating area.
The current Bond Street one has plenty of places to buy food but no where to actually sit and eat it.

@KnickerFolder I found an old picture online.
The Plaza had Maccyds, KFC, Spud-u-like and a Pizza Hut 😍
Yep.....I want that back. That's what will encourage me into shopping at Oxford Street 😂

Good luck getting through central London traffic to reach the utopia of an Oxford street that you can drive along and park on!

Yes! I think it had a Spud-U-Like, @Needmorelego. The only shop I remember is it had a Super Cuts. I have spent more than half my life living and working around Oxford Street and I doubt I ever went into The Plaza more than 10 times, it was so rubbish. I actually worked almost next door for a short time and never went in. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did!

Pedestrianise Oxford Street, watch it thrive

.....as long as there's a Spud-u-like 😂

As much as I agree Oxford Street would thrive if it were pedestrianised, I’m not sure how that would be feasible without causing havoc with traffic. The rerouting of buses would be a nightmare for the surrounding streets. The shops need access for deliveries. You need access for taxis to take/pick up people from Oxford Street or at least the streets nearby. Maybe pedestrianising more of the side streets would work.