It is about 5 years since the Fairacres Retail Park had a £4.7m major re-modelling and refurbishment.

Post Christmas Sales are on all around the park, and Homebase had 20% off everything TODAY. In smaller print it said “if you spend £50 or more.”

Homebase, Pets at Home and Contact Electrical are much the same as five years ago, although Contact Electrical and Comfortmaker next door are now run by Beales – a company with 32 stores, whose original store opened in 1881 and is still at the same location in Bournemouth.

There are Closing Down notices in the window of Beales electrical shop. The smaller print says “TV & Audio Department”.

Argos is still there, alongside Subway, but the shop next door closed about a year ago, and is awaiting a new tenant.

Then there is Carpet Right who now sell beds.

Dreams, who sell hundreds of beds, might get their own back by also selling a few carpets …

and finally Vineys, an Abingdon original, now owned by Lee Longlands.

The look of the retail park and the names of most of the stores (apart from Vineys) are well known throughout the UK.

But the retail park is run by The Abingdon Mays who used to have their own chain of carpet shops, and they still do what they can to promote Abingdon Town Centre – where they started out.

Press on Changes in 2012 for a bigger pdf version. Not a brilliant map and not to scale but it serves this yearly purpose.

Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of ownership.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.

Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1

Goodbye to: Thai Orchid Restaurant and Supermarket, The Florist and Bistro in Bath Street, The Snack Kiosk, the Toy Shop nearby, and Lemon Plaice in the shopping centre. YMCA also moved out but their building was knocked down so did not count – nor did the Calendar Shop.

Welcome to Buns in the Basement, Galaxy Techno, The New Nags Head, OX14 Deli, Qutis, and YbuYnu..

The man running Abindon Bowls retired, and so Outdoor Traders moved back in there creating a second outlet. A-Plan also moved to a larger premises, and are looking to Let their previous premises.

So really not such a bad year for Abingdon given the disruption caused by the redevelopment of the Abbey Shopping Centre. Let me know if I forgot anything important.

The new deli has been open for about three weeks now. They do fresh baked breads and pies, other meats, and a variety of interesting products from Bulgaria in the back room. They look to be doing well and are a welcome addition to the High Street and another shop unique to Abingdon.

One of Abingdon’s well known traditional shops, Hathaways, closed about five years ago. The building underwent a rebuild last year.

It is finally about to re-open as the OX14… Deli. There were people in there tonight getting the shop ready.