Town centres.

[Chippy_Tea]

Mothercare are the latest to go to the wall blaming online shopping it makes you wonder what out town centres will look like in 10 years time.



Tastes are changing
Although the first half of this year (2019) saw a net decline of 1,234 chain stores on British High Streets, there were some bright spots.
Takeaways, gyms and specialist vaping shops were some categories that saw the largest increases in store openings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50300372

Bridget Lock is from Buckinghamshire and in her late 20s. She has worked at Mothercare for almost two years but doesn't know what is going to happen to her job.

"We're hoping for the best," she says. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Ms Lock says she "loves" her job. "I joined as a Christmas temp. I think lots of people do that, then end up staying."

She says: "We've had a loyal customer base. Recently we've seen less customers but we've been really fortunate with our loyal customers.

"We've had a lot of people give us positive feedback [but] we all know that our future is not guaranteed."

 

[DavidDetroit]

I try to do as little online shopping as possible. I'd rather not make one small group super rich.
We have companies getting drowned all the time by the online tidal wave. People aren't seeing the big picture. Yes, you can always say something is good about _____ but is it the best solution/situation in the long run for everyone?
Interestingly, we're supposed to have no monopolies here but it's a pipe dream and a complete joke.

 

[Clint]

I think online is only part of the situation...true some retailers have failed to move with the times through various reasons...cost,reluctance..??
For huge business like Mothercare not to keep up is like walking across the road with your eyes shut...I bet they'll shut their stores but reopen as an online venture only..

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Car parking charges don't help but the decline is accelerating. The two shops I miss the most are HBS and second hand record shops. I am forced to use online retailers for both now but I'll never buy clothes online.

 

[Dexter101]

Mothercare are one of the retailers that should have been able to survive as a lot of kids stuff you need to go and look at it, try it out in your car etc. However I think its common for people to go in, try it out and then buy it online whether that's with mothercare or a competitor.

I know with our car seat, we went in, tried some out. they didn't have any in stock so we went home and ordered it from them online. the store pays the wages, helps the customers but doesn't get the sale. Its not fair but its reality.

I may have said it before, but stores need to be become more than simply a place to buy stuff. Online will always win if that is the case. They need to become a hub/meeting place/platform for groups which can then allow people in store to buy.

Rents and Business rates also are not helping as the landlords aren't updating these based on less footfall etc.

It's always sad when people lose their jobs, however I am pretty sure the future will provide fewer and fewer job opportunities so having a world based on employment isn't going to be sustainable.

 

[Graz]

Car parking charges don't help but the decline is accelerating. The two shops I miss the most are HBS and second hand record shops. I am forced to use online retailers for both now but I'll never buy clothes online.

This and the fact that the city I live in is heavily congested and a PITA to get into or out of most of the time. We have (had) a Mothercare, no point going there to try out a car seat though, it's in the middle of a shopping centre and the car park is a fair way away (and one of the more expensive ones).

I've said it before the High Street must diversify to survive, turning them into leisure type destinations along with a lot of specialised / unique and preferably independent shops makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately a lot of smaller retailers are priced out of having a High Street presence. Out of town shops with free car parking makes a lot of sense for most other stuff especially clothes.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

A lot of retailers are carrying low or no stock so you can order online and n store . Wilko have done this but they want £2 for it which is bollocks. Fully understand JIT replenishment but this is rediculous.

 

[GotOneBrewin]

I'll walk the mile or so into Maidstone to dine at one of it's many fine Wetherspoons if the weather is ok, but there's no free parking so if the weather grim I'll drive 30 mins to the next town instead out of principal.

 

[johncrobinson]

The village i live in most of the shops closed down 10 or more years ago,Leaving empty deserted shops and streets,
Its actually quite eery to see nobody about.!!!
Reminicent of a science fiction movie.

Of course the road traffic through the village is almost non stop.Reminds me of the M25 round London some days.

Most families are muli,multicar PLUS company vans ect. and drive everywhere.Never do i see my neighbours on foot.
Its all front door to one of the cars,Then from one of the cars to the front door.
In one family over the road from me even the dog had its own car and was driven for walks (honest)

As a result we NEVER speak or socialise.Never have i heard music from a party.not even new year or christmass

Recently a community centre has opened and the local comunity council does try.Things have got a little better in recent years and there has been one new business.
But i fear its an uphill battle.
All the local shops that have closed down will never return.

I have heard some of the new housing estates down south are similar.Houses upon Houses built in the middle of nowhere with a 30mile drive to the nearest shops and facillities.Totally relient on the motorcar.

I dont think this is good for society and we as a nation will come to regret it.

 

[Dexter101]

The village i live in most of the shops closed down 10 or more years ago,Leaving empty deserted shops and streets,
Its actually quite eery to see nobody about.!!!
Reminicent of a science fiction movie.

Of course the road traffic through the village is almost non stop.Reminds me of the M25 round London some days.

Most families are muli,multicar PLUS company vans ect. and drive everywhere.Never do i see my neighbours on foot.
Its all front door to one of the cars,Then from one of the cars to the front door.
In one family over the road from me even the dog had its own car and was driven for walks (honest)

As a result we NEVER speak or socialise.Never have i heard music from a party.not even new year or christmass

Recently a community centre has opened and the local comunity council does try.Things have got a little better in recent years and there has been one new business.
But i fear its an uphill battle.
All the local shops that have closed down will never return.

I have heard some of the new housing estates down south are similar.Houses upon Houses built in the middle of nowhere with a 30mile drive to the nearest shops and facillities.Totally relient on the motorcar.

I dont think this is good for society and we as a nation will come to regret it.

Planning departments need to be more forceful with developments as so often things are promised (community centres, play grounds etc) but when it comes to it they find a way round delivering them. A development near me was split into 3 parts. one of the stipulations of the development was a link road was build on completion of the first part. What did the builders do? they stopped building part 1 just before completion and started on part 2. It took at least 15 years before they went back, finished and built the road. Not quite the same but shows how cunning these developers are.

All the new developments I have seen don't have any community hub. Years ago, this might have been the local pub, or even local church. Now, you are lucky to get a patch of grass with some swings.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The village i live in most of the shops closed down 10 or more years ago,Leaving empty deserted shops and streets,
Its actually quite eery to see nobody about.!!!
Reminicent of a science fiction movie.

Our village centre, the main street is thriving and always thronged with lots of people. There are always one or two shops empty, but not for long, as they find a change use. There are two lively pubs on the street, one a 'spoons, four charity shops, couple of wine bars, three take-aways, two estate agents, two coffee shops, two cafes, two fruit and veg., two dentists and a third one to come, a large Coop and a Sainsburies local, nail bars, five hairdressers. There are lots of others, like a cobblers, bike shop, laser / print cartridge shop, bakeries, bed and carpet shop.

A few pubs further out from the centre, but not many street end shops, apart from those in the centre. I live about 1/2 of a mile out from centre, so its a walk. By the time I get the car out of my garage and out of my drive gates, I could have walked there, then there is the parking when I get there. I have a bus pass and there is a bus stop 100 yards from my front door, with a bus every 10 minutes to the main street, or further afield to the city or a local town. I have space in my drive to squeeze mayby 9 cars in, but my car mostly stays in my garage unused.

There's a large Tesco 1/2 mile away built 20 years ago, last year they added to that with a massive new Lidl, a massive Home Bargains, a Sue Rider and a new carvery pub.

I moved here in 1979, a one time farming/ mining village - known as a desirable place to live, since when it has quadrupled in size/population. There are always lots of people walking and cycling, lots of friendly faces, never any crime.

 

[Alex.mc]

So much value is tied up in property these days, and it allows commercial landlords to charge some truly insane rents. A business cannot sustain an extended period of not making any profit.
An extreme example perhaps, and I'm not a fan of the loudmouth but his food is good, is Gordon Ramsey and his "Pub" off Whitehall. He went to court recently because he didn't like the lease he'd signed up to(bit stupid in the first place but there you go) and wanted to reduce it. It was a 10 year lease at £2.5 million a year! £25 million total! So the rent, before staff wages, rates amenities, supplies, insurance etc... is nearly £7k a day.
Scale that down to a small guy wanting to open a small business locally, and it's just as unaffordable for him as well. Some years back another guy I knew opened a garage premises on an industrial estate. He told me he'd be ther 3-4 years and then have to move, as he got the first 6 months rent free, the next at half rent and the second year onwards at full rent. He then said that the estate owners would raise his rent every year until it became unaffordable for him and he would move, having established a customer base and good reputation. And.... that's what happened!
There is little incentive in the UK for a landlord to rent out a premises cheaply, rather than leave it empty.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There is little incentive in the UK for a landlord to rent out a premises cheaply, rather than leave it empty.

Because the property values rise much more than can be had for the rents. Home properties in the south too, are truly ridiculous. Around here, property prices are much more sensible, so we get lots of people living here and commuting a distance to get to where ever they work. I found I was better with a slightly lower paid job, but paid from home and paid to stay in hotels mid week for the more distant jobs. Commuting times and costs can take a big chunk out of the value of any job.

 

[johncrobinson]

Thanks guys,I did think i had gone a bit OTT with my rant.

I think what i was trying to say is with a good comunity spirit we look out for each other.Living totally isolated lonely lives can cause serious issues in later life.

Over relliance on the car is what has caused the issue in my village (3500 pop) people are used to and calmly accept a 20 to 40 mile round trip to get to the nearest supermarkets for a decent price on a tin of peas.

All this occured in my village long before the rise of the internet,My concern is this loss of interaction and local commuity spirit could now be duplicated,up and down the country as folks go exclusivly on line,Leading to high streets up and down the country being hollowed out and becoming ghost towns.

Planners do have a lot to answer for,I know I keep using the word "community" but the fact is a good tight knit community where we interact with and know each other is priceless for the positive effect on crime rates alone.

Rant over.

 

[johncrobinson]

Yes seen it all personally in London.,Whilst the rest of the country goes to rack and ruin.

 

[nige]

Farmers will move in and grow crops for free,, subsidised of course.

 

[nige]

How many Turkish barbers, salons car washes and pizza/kebab shops can they fit in because that's pretty much what's left,

 

[Clint]

...yeah and cheap shoes,mobile phones and cards....

 

[Cheshire Cat]

And charity shops

 

[johncrobinson]

Am I the only one who thinks there is now a striking resemblence between GB today and 4th cent Rome ???