Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

Really?

Well-Known Forumite
Not necessarily. I think that the situation lends itself to the problem. That end of town is getting a lot less footfall because of the number of empty shop units. If you are dependant on that flow of traffic just to entice someone through the door to purchase, it is going to have a massive detrimental effect. Apparently, since Greggs closed its shop at the top end of town, it has effected takings for the shops that remain. Whatever, you think of its fast food offer, it drew people towards that end of town. We can only hope that independents can take their place and provide a market differential with what you can buy in the usual chains.

There is no way an independent with any sense would try a shop up that end of town - the Business Rates are crippling. Independents trade on the outskirts of the main drag - and they have to try and drag people away from the High Street whilst the Council try and drag people back to the High Street so the chains can pay their rent and rates. The Council need to encourage meandering and exploring of the town, we really do have plenty of gems within a two minute walk of the High Street.
 

Tumble weed

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I-motion gym saved from closure .

"A company which operates fitness gyms in Rotherham and Stafford has been sold out of administration, saving 19 jobs. Yorkshire-based insolvency specialists, Wilson Field, have been appointed as administrators of a I-Motion Fitness. It provided premium facilities and state of the art equipment at their two gyms and offered more than 200 fitness classes per week. The business of the company has been transferred to two new companies – I-Motion (Rotherham) Limited and I-Motion (Stafford) Limited"
 

bunique

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Is anyone “in the know” about what happened at Sweet? It obviously got quite far into the refurb and then ground to a halt.

Also, any update on who is taking over Staffordshire place? I assume council staff are all still wedged into the one building awaiting the mysterious new tenant.
 

Sir BoD

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I heard they'd already moved into Staffordshire Place, but no idea who they are.
The alleged tenants were meant to move in circa Jun 2019. However, that never materialised and as of July 2019, the Council are still looking out for somebody to fill the remainder of the floors in SP2 - NHS staff already occupy the one floor.
 

Gareth

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The `refurb` which is currently mid way through ripping the old stuff out has nothing to do with Sweet.

Sweet`s notice of a second refurb in 2 months was the the normal ruse we see when a business has actually closed.

The new tenants ( I don't know what it will be) halted work due to an alleged rent owed dispute between council and sweet.

In the last 3-4 weeks I have only seen guys ripping stuff out and taking it away just the once when walking past.

With regards to the offices, the council had not got one company to move in ( it would have to be a big company to fill it) but are looking at a multitude of companies.

NHS which includes CCGs have taken up parts of floors 1 and 2 and moved in throughout April and May.
 

bunique

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Thanks for info. Last I heard from an employee a few months ago was the remaining floors had been leased to a single company but they weren’t being told who as the employees of that company hadn’t yet been told they were being relocated. Who knows.

S.O.S is empty at Riverside. I can’t remember whether they were moving elsewhere and haven’t walked that way for a few weeks so that may be old news.
 

c0tt0nt0p

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Strange isn't it, I walk past the old Sweet and think that they were well ahead gutting it...
 
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Tumble weed

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The old Timpson , opposite the old co-op department store closed on Friday 5th. Guess having three within a small radius was pointless.
 

gilesjuk

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The contrast with Burton where I work is shocking. They have very few empty shops and three shopping centres, but then they have up to 4 hours free parking reasonably close to the centre.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
I hear Vodafone are planning to leave Stafford town centre pretty soon.
Wouldn't surprise me, had an interview there a few years ago and they said this was one of their lowest priority stores. Barely does any new contracts , and just supports existing customers and their issues.
 

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
Wouldn't surprise me, had an interview there a few years ago and they said this was one of their lowest priority stores. Barely does any new contracts , and just supports existing customers and their issues.
So they really sold the organisation and the prospects then lol
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
So they really sold the organisation and the prospects then lol
Definitely, they even told me hardly anyone comes in, and this was a good few years ago, when people were still upgrading every few years, I'm guessing now it verges on pointless seeing as people hold onto their mobiles for longer.
 
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