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Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?
- Thread starter Goldstyle Limousines
- Start date
staffordjas
Well-Known Forumite
When I've been shopping in the new Riverside development recently, I've come out empty handed each time because " We only have a limited stock (with a size 8 being displayed to make it look more attractive), but you can order the size you want , from the samples we have ,for instore delivery in 24/48 hrs time".
If I'm going shopping I like to see what I like , try it on, and if it fits and looks good walk out with it there and then that same day! Would have thought they'd have had a stock of the regular sizes , so many sales lost that they could have made from me.
If I'm going shopping I like to see what I like , try it on, and if it fits and looks good walk out with it there and then that same day! Would have thought they'd have had a stock of the regular sizes , so many sales lost that they could have made from me.
Carole
Well-Known Forumite
Really? Are you aware of how totally ridiculous that statement is?
You're saying that the only people who shopped in Grannies attic were Marks and Spencer customers?
The old Marks and Spencer was at the bottom of the town, a few minutes walk away from the market and the new Marks is at the other end of town maybe an extra five minutes walk.
Gosh, imagine if those customers shopped in Birmingham and had to walk all the way from the train station to Marks and Spencer or all the way from Debenhams to House of Fraser.
Its a wonder how other larger centres survive if people aren't prepared to walk more than two minutes to get to where they want to go.
With the Riverside development at the South and the new Aldi and B and M at the North, Boots, WHS, The Swan, Market Vaults, Pandora, etc in the middle, I personally don't see a North/South divide at all anymore.
I just see a High St where there is something for nearly everyone.
Yes, there is an optician.
What I meant though is that if your regular optician/hairdresser/ etc is at the North end for example, Mincher Lockett or Boots or Specsavers and you have an appointment then that's where you are going to park, then probably shop and eat.
I personally feel that both ends of town (and the middle) have something to offer.
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I think if you talk to any of the older shops etc in Town that are struggling they'll all blame it on Riverside or some other reason " beyond their control". Of course it's got nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that they aren't competitive. Stop f***ing moaning & get out & do something about it. It's your business, your fate is in your own hands.
And before anyone makes any smart replies, yes I have had my own business since 1984 & I'm doing quite nicely thank you very much.
And before anyone makes any smart replies, yes I have had my own business since 1984 & I'm doing quite nicely thank you very much.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Depends. Some things have killed businesses, you can't deny that many businesses close to kingsmead car park went bump when it closed for a rather long time for example. For others its just the state of the world, people plead poverty and scrimp for food yet get tattoos and their nails done frequently. A lot of people nowadays don't like spending anything unless its on themselves, it seems the best business to be in lately is one that makes your customer look slightly better on instagram/facebook.
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
If I might add to the discussion on the market.
I pretty much only ever went in there to get the odd fresh thing from the fruit and veg stalls. The rest of it just looked like tat shops, vaping stuff, clothing for people not my age (nor my partner’s), etc. Plus services I don’t use like a hairdresser, etc.
It’s all us millennials wanting new fancy things really, sorry.
I pretty much only ever went in there to get the odd fresh thing from the fruit and veg stalls. The rest of it just looked like tat shops, vaping stuff, clothing for people not my age (nor my partner’s), etc. Plus services I don’t use like a hairdresser, etc.
It’s all us millennials wanting new fancy things really, sorry.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Curious, how much do you use amazon or similar? I'm not a millenial, not entirely sure what I am as was born in the 70s but a geek, but I hate shopping for anything but food and amazon has saved me from even attempting to. I spend more with them than any other retailer, by far. Probably by a factor of 4 or 5!
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
I'm even less millenial, and suspect that basil is even less so than me, but even i and he can see that most people left in the Market are there simply because
Did people of yore go to the Market because -
or was it more likely that they were there because facebook had yet to be invented?
- this surely is one of the main drivers in all this.
Did people of yore go to the Market because -
or
or was it more likely that they were there because facebook had yet to be invented?
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Needed, we went as kids every week because thats where we could afford our veg etc. Now needs are fluid, some see food and others see full back tattoos.
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
I still think the point that our Right Honourable Member for the 1950's made is a good one.
The very fact that such necessity collided with sociability is actually what cements the whole best-of-all-possible-worlds-gor-blimey-weren't-it-all-so-much-better-in-the-past balls with which we find ourselves lumbered with now.
Everybody knows it's gone.
Everybody knows it has been replaced.
It has been replaced by something that is arguably better, but equally arguably worse.
Take a snap poll * right now * and you might find a 52/48 split on which...
The very fact that such necessity collided with sociability is actually what cements the whole best-of-all-possible-worlds-gor-blimey-weren't-it-all-so-much-better-in-the-past balls with which we find ourselves lumbered with now.
Everybody knows it's gone.
Everybody knows it has been replaced.
It has been replaced by something that is arguably better, but equally arguably worse.
Take a snap poll * right now * and you might find a 52/48 split on which...
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
Probably average about 100 or so items a year over 60-70 orders. We max out the 15% discount every month on subscribe and save
Goldilox
How do I edit this?
I'm pretty sure that would make you Generation X. Although the silliness of these labels was rather brought home to me the other day, when something I read defined me as Gen X & @Wormella, who is two years younger, as a millennial. Given these badges are meant to reflect shared cultural experiences, we clearly have a lot more in common with each other than I do with someone ten years older, or she does with someone ten years younger. But I suppose you have to draw the lines somewhere.
It is if you don’t drive and want to take kids to see a film and the new cinema doesn’t open for another 7 months...
I have read and heard some dumb remarks in my time, this is up there with the best of them.
Market has been in decline for years because of the lack of much that is worthwhile. It is very tatty
I'm sure you'll survive.
If you're that desperate, always the bus earlier in the day,
Would you want your kids to freeze to death in that cinema while watching a film?
Been there today with 4 kids in tow - perfectly warm! Don’t get me wrong I’m very much looking forward to the new one opening, it’s just a shame we have nothing to fill the gap between now and then.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
We also don't drive, we do use the cinema, we just won't for a while I guess.
We need to look at what shops have gone bump since the closure of kingsmead?
Kirklands was ok but may been on its way out, Halpin was already on its way out as was the god awful fashion factory.
Fuji film has gone but has been replaced by a very decent ladies clothes shop. In market street another ladies shop and the cake shop opened in already empty premises.
The town has lost 2 charity shops in the area replaced by a better millets and soon to he slaters ales all being well. Even the old bagnalls has been filled.
Around Princess Street what has been lost really ??? The area has actually been on the up since Riverside has opened or was close too.
Redrum has occupied a long empty unit, oatcakes and milkshakes replaced a solicitors, up and coming trend of vaping replaced an injury claims business, peacocks has opened on another long empty unit and the mad hatters tea room replaced a long empty opticians. Even the shop next to oxfam has been taken but not sure what for.
So it very questionable whether the area around kingsmead is any worse off than 18 months ago especially with B&M and Aldi opening with a car park that won't be inaccessible for half the year.
One has to ask what has been lost ( while always disappointing) has been any great loss at all, when most that is new is of more benefit that what has been replaced in many units.