I dare say “Terms and conditions apply and this offer can not be used in conjunction with any other offer” but have not phoned the number to find out.
I dare say “Terms and conditions apply and this offer can not be used in conjunction with any other offer” but have not phoned the number to find out.
desperate measures for desperate times
I saw a piece on the news last night about the number of shops closing in Henley. Even the presence of the Regatta this week doesn’t bring extra trade into the town.
Last week I was in Tottenham Court Road – plenty of people in the coffee shops with their laptops – but the shops were deserted.
It seems its the same everywhere
It is the sign of the times. Blame the E U and austerity measures. Lots of people are being made redundant and so money is tight. What with the hike in utility bills etc people are cutting back on what they spend. It effects trade and the HS2 project and building thousands of houses will not make any difference. The E U has been a disaster and all the countries in it (apart from Germany that is) are suffering.
The unit needs a lot of work. Cracked windows, even with 6 months free, I think it is an offer they can ignore.
The other empty units/shops further along, and The Grapes on the market, (Is it still for Sale? – not simply change of managers).
Col.
Janet what planet are you on blaming the EU for the recession on the high street in the UK? The recession was caused by a housing bubble which started in the US and exposed how vulnerable banks were to toxic debt globally as they are interconnected.
Millihelen I work in Henley and the high-street has not been affected, its like the recession never happened here., although, if you go to other market towns, particularly in the north and the midlands they have actually been hit worse. Bizarrely though Witney seems to be a bustling place. That street where the unit is for let is becoming a real eye sore.
Rekw200. You are of course right. However, the Euro has led to countries having no control on their currency leading to high unemployment. Also we pay millions to be a member of the E U and that money has to be found somewhere. The E U is an extravagant beaurocracy. Mass immigration has led to U K unemployment and pressure on our health services and housing.
I think your analysis assumes a number of causal links which are far from clear.
I’m no lover of the Euro, and you’re correct that it removes one of the levers (revaluation) that countries can use to address their economic woes, but i would argue it isn’t usually the inderlying cause. Unconstrained consumer credit, bloated public sector spending, restrictive labour practices, low rates of tax collection, unattractive tax regimes, in conjunction with the global economic downturn probably have a much more significant impact.
On the wider impact of eu membership you also have to balance the argument with the positive impacts of operating in a free trade area which generally brings money into the system, creates jobs and and through taxation pays into the welfare state.
I’m sure you’re right that there is some economic influence in the factors you describe but it is far from clear how big these impacts are and whether they outweigh benefits accrued from being in the EU.
Iv just been into Henley this lunchtime and yes you are right – 5 empty shops in the heart of the town!
Its not just Abingdon.
Economics is about one thing…..confidence.
No consumer confidence = no spending of money.
No spending of money = empty shops,
Empty shops = job losses,
Job losses = no confiendence and so it goes on…..
Janet do you vote UKIP by any chance?
Surely one of the reasons for empty shop, particularly those in the shopping centre is the change in peoples ways of shopping. With the advent of on line shopping and out of town shopping centre’s no amount of rent reductions and special offers will entice traders into the towns. Before long we will end up with streets like Stert Street that are filled with excellant specialist stores and others full of tea rooms and coffee shops as the economics of being in a town centre no longer makes sence. Even Tescos are going into partnership with other shops ( Sports direct i believe) to make use of under used areas in their stores.
There is little way that local shops can compete on price, the internet is cheaper than virtually any shop, including the big out of town supermarkets. To work, local shops have to offer something tangible that you cannot get online, great service, unusual products, sell stuff that is hard to buy online, like clothes, food (not the weekly shop). If you are chained to your car, you will drive somewhere with free parking. Best way to encourage people back to the town centre is promote walking and cycling more, cars are choking our town. I am optomistic that unusual shops have a bright future. Long leases are part of the problem we need shorter leases to allow start ups, or even pop up shops.
blame the internet and blame the car – the days when people had to buy everything within a mile of their home are long gone and not coming back.
you can’t have your nails done over the internet – so nail bars exist in towns.
that’s the future – if we need a town centre shopping experience in the future – maybe we don’t?
I bet Abingdon used to have a few blacksmiths in the past, a few carthorse food shops – even a youngster like me can remember the coal merchants on ock street.
nostalgia is nice but it’s not the stuff a working town centre can be built on.
Nail on the head rudi. Its as simple as that. Something slightly off topic that grinds on me is when i hear that a pub had to close because it didn’t make enough money. How the hell you cant make money in a pub I’ll never know. When i was self employed the majority of my work came through contacts made in the pub. Years ago all landlords had other trades and opened up the pub in the evening whilst their wives would do the lunchtime. Only recently has the trade expected to make a living from just selling beer. Most pub courtyards were hives of industry. I know the times are a changin but its hardly the first time. Maybe people just tried a little harder back then instead of letting it all hit the fan and standing back to say well i told you so, you should have done something to help us.
No doubt the terms and conditions require being tied into a lengthy lease. It’s an effective means, I know of at least one local business who has started recently on a similar agreement in another premises.
In the case of this premises though, any tenant would end up leaving it in a better state than they entered it, and that is only ever going to be of benefit to the landlord.
I know it has been suggested before, but surely using empty premises in the town as space for pop up shops to operate whilst they wait for tenants, is a much better way of attracting more customers to the town (and maybe bigger retailers to fill the *white elephant* units in the precinct.)
There are already so many fantastic independents in town, it would be even better to see more of them.
Added Ingredient, Throwing Buns, Abingdon Sport, Outdoor Traders, Fine Guitars, 2 independent book shops, the gift centre….. to name just a few to me shows there is plenty to enjoy and spend with in Abingdon. I personally think Abingdon is nicer to shop in now than it was when everyone did have money.
Abingdon must be attracting people back into the town as we have people saying are you new to us . I think the events in the market square help the town a lot.. We hope the QS shop opens as it is a large unit to be closed and being on the high street it reflects the whole town .
rudi – I am not blaming the internet, or the car. Unless you bulldoze the whole town centre and tarmac it over, it will never be suited to the car. Car orientated malls, and out of town shopping centres, are nivana for some, but deadly dull for others. Whatever you think of them, independents cannot compete in terms of price. What they can do is offer great service, and sell products that are not easy to buy over the internet. James is right, would your first guitar on the internet? Its not nostalgia, it is reality. For people cannot be bothered to walk more than 6 feet from their car, the town centre is of little appeal.
A customer came into our shop on Saturday thinking it was still The Busy Bee Newsagents!!!He was amazed it is now a Florist and to see that we sell Olive Trees,Bay Trees and Bird of Paradise Plants.He said he had an hour to spare and thought he would walk around the side streets and discovered shops he did not know exsisted.So come on the people of Abingdon start walking,you to may be suprised what you find!!!
native – the reason so many pubs close is because the fixed costs have got steadily higher and higher, particularly rent and rates and the other costs associated with running a bussiness.
The Pubcos have also made it harder and harder for tenants. Many believe that they are happy to see pubs go to the wall because there is more money for them if they can sell buildings off for housing.