Stafford shops opening - Turning into a boom town?

c0tt0nt0p

Well-Known Forumite
Maybe if the landlords had worked with, and supported the three independent traders who have shut in their development then they would not have had to run their competition. #toolittletoolate

I can't completely agree with that. The ice cream/cocktail place was very poorly executed and the owner only had themselves to blame for it not performing....
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
Was it down to a lack of support though? The ice cream place never really took off, Acapella disappeared without explanation. Maybe SOS was a landlord issue?

I don’t even remember what was there before Riverside now.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Maybe if the landlords had worked with, and supported the three independent traders who have shut in their development then they would not have had to run their competition. #toolittletoolate

I can't completely agree with that. The ice cream/cocktail place was very poorly executed and the owner only had themselves to blame for it not performing....

Utter nonsense. Speaking to the chap who owned Acepello, he struggled badly to start with with as he had no custom almost to the point he almost gave up after 3 months, but he saw a bit of recovery, but clearly not enough.

With both the gelato place and sos, I never ever saw anyone in them and I walked past everyday (though I did support/ purchase from all 3).

So I think it is safe to say it is the typical Stafford thing, we like the idea of independents so long as someone else buys there because I won't support it kind of attitude.

It is also odd none lasted no more than a year ( sos did a bit) which is about the time the government set business rates kick in if the tenant had got the first years grace.

If I remember correctly didn't the owner of the gelato place blame the council on facebook for letting the Little Dessert shop open and blamed that for their closure, even though the gelato place had the better footfall....erm sounds like a poor business/ plan not worked to me.

that said, the businesses didn't help themselves as the signage was shocking or non existent (like sweet), you couldn't tell if the places was open and the gelato place had blacked out windows and confused interior, though SoS did try but their offer of mixing trainers with a hair cut was confusing. Such mixed use plans rarely work out.

I will say the configuration that side is not great, if you did not know the town and you coming from the waterfront car park into town, you would walk past that row of shops without knowing they were there.

One might see them on the way back if one was paying attention, but even so the signage standings are set a bit high, if the business used it.

It is unfair to blame rivderside, in fact they are going down the avenue of many shopping centres in the UK of offering free space to independents, most recently in Burton and Northampton in the last week or so.

So in fact with the issues of landlords charging high rents being part of the issue across the country, riverside can be commended and is something the independent and local owners of Stafford`s other town centre premises should take note of (as well as those national companies I.e. Aviva).
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Looks like Thomas Cook will be re-opening now all the shops have been bought by one of their competitors:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49985369
Whilst that's obviously very good news (potentially) for staff, the customer base for a high street as opposed to an internet based travel agents must surely be small and getting smaller every day.
Can't see it lasting, I'm afraid.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Whilst that's obviously very good news (potentially) for staff, the customer base for a high street as opposed to an internet based travel agents must surely be small and getting smaller every day.
Can't see it lasting, I'm afraid.

I did think that too, but hopefully they've made some serious changes to the business , and have cut back their overheads, so history doesn't repeat.

They must have got a very good deal from the liquidators to take on all those properties, seeing as they're a relatively small firm.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Someone was also having a good nose round the m&s today , and the old cc shop, has reopened selling seasonal cards, which I find a bit weird, as I thought the old Halloween shop was more profitable, maybe Halloween guff cost too much , probably cheaper to buy Xmas tat and flog it a bit higher.
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
I
I did think that too, but hopefully they've made some serious changes to the business , and have cut back their overheads, so history doesn't repeat.

They must have got a very good deal from the liquidators to take on all those properties, seeing as they're a relatively small firm.

I was wondering about this when I read the news earlier, but I wonder if there will be a turn against booking online or doing things seperatly when it becomes apparent there's less of a safety net involved should something go wrong. I increasingly find the options for booking online bewildering and confusing if I'm looking at a full holiday (flights fine, hotels fine but anything combing them and adding in transfers and I quickly give up) - There is a simplicity in going in, talking to someone who knows what they are doing and having everything sorted for you.
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Butlers Bell will NOT be closing as wetherspoons have decided.

Source e&s
Nothing to do with the fact a buyer wasn't found then ? Tbh , the whole thing was probably a publicity stunt , didn't the owner of wetherspoons even sign the petition to keep it open ? Laughable really.

In any case, that area is on the up with various things happening, and there's also been an increase in customers down that end.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Clearly a buyer not sought, but it wasn't for sale very long to be fair.

They could also have closed butlers bell as a venue and just waited for sale of the building, which would have happened at some point.

Wetherspoons are happy that either butlers bell is making enough money or have one eye on some of things that could happen at that end. Good news anyway
 
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