The Death Of Our High Street

[TIGHTCHOKE]

2 minutes ago, kenholland said:

the specials got that right , this place is coming like a ghost town they must have seen what was coming.

Except that was written about unemployment and not the massive takeover by the internet!

[kenholland]

I know you are right t c it just came to mind.

[AVB]

Some towns seem to have got it right. I live between Bishop’s Stortford in Herts and Saffron Walden in Essex. Both ancient market towns. Stortford is a shadow of it’s former self - all coffee and charity shops. The market has about three stalls. 

Saffron Walden is very different. A very wide variety of shops (including two great butchers and a fishmongers). The market is buzzing - fruit and veg, cheeses, deli, coffees, flowers plus more. 

Both towns are relatively affluent so I don’t know how one can get it to work and one can’t. 

[old man]

11 hours ago, AVB said:

Some towns seem to have got it right. I live between Bishop’s Stortford in Herts and Saffron Walden in Essex. Both ancient market towns. Stortford is a shadow of it’s former self - all coffee and charity shops. The market has about three stalls. 

Saffron Walden is very different. A very wide variety of shops (including two great butchers and a fishmongers). The market is buzzing - fruit and veg, cheeses, deli, coffees, flowers plus more. 

Both towns are relatively affluent so I don’t know how one can get it to work and one can’t. 

Probably about business rates?

 

[Lord Geordie]

On 15/03/2020 at 09:38, The Heron said:

As I was once told by the owner a large company it is all about the price nothing else people vote with there money. 

It’s also about quality products, or out of the ordinary items, quirky items etc! When BHS, Debenhams et al all stocked the same boring items and slightly different prices then it was only a matter of time until folk tired of the same old. 
 

sadly this is where the little independent retailers used to come up trumps! The Christmas shopping was great in the 70s and 80s so many new and unusual gifts ideas. Now every shop stocks the same cheap plastic Far Eastern rubbish and top dollar. 

[AVB]

5 hours ago, old man said:

Probably about business rates?

 

That was my original thought but I am not sure how much of a difference there is. One big difference is that Stortford has had a significant amount of housebuilding on the periphery of the town. I suspect that these ‘more recent’ residents feel no attachment to the town and are happy to jump in the car to an out of town retail park.  

[Vince Green]

On 15/03/2020 at 11:03, old'un said:

 

 

I think the car, parking and out of town shopping as also been a big factor in the demise of the small high street shops.

If the wife drags me on a shopping trip (not groceries) we head for Merry hill, Kidderminster or at a push Worcester, where there’s plenty of free parking or all-day for a few quid.

I agree, parking is a big part of it for me

[Dave at kelton]

On 16/03/2020 at 14:51, AVB said:

That was my original thought but I am not sure how much of a difference there is. One big difference is that Stortford has had a significant amount of housebuilding on the periphery of the town. I suspect that these ‘more recent’ residents feel no attachment to the town and are happy to jump in the car to an out of town retail park.  

I don’t know either town it’s more likely about out of town retail, ease of access and affinity rather than battling into an old town centre. Business rates is a constant in a geographic area as the rate poundage is set by central government so no real relevance although constantly blamed.