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Stafford to get a Toys R Us but be quick !
- Thread starter Tumble weed
- Start date
age'd parent
50,000th poster!
It was Bagnalls toy shop in the 60's?, it seems to have been a toy shop all my life.
Tumble weed
Well-Known Forumite
I don't think that was bagnalls was it, I thought it was near the old 'courts' place ?
Thehooperman
Well-Known Forumite
It was also a clothes shop before Salters Street Toys opened.
John Marwood
I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Bagnall toys ( as opposed to engines ) was a little further up towards the Gatehouse ( Borough Hall ) I think it maybe an estate agents now . Bagnalls engines was round the corner from the Unicorn . The Unicorn was opposite Resales . Just in case you were wondering......
( Ring Road )
Although it's not
Because it doesn't
Who'd be a shop owner these days eh...
Blimey
HopesDad
Don't feed the troll
Bagnall’s toy shop was on Eastgate Street, a couple of doors up from what is now the Theatre Bar, and is now an estate agent.
There was also Boult’s toy shop on Mill Street, somewhere opposite the bike shop.
The Salter Street shop has appeared since the demise of Bagnall’s and Boults. It is an independent family concern. The shop was formerly an upmarket ladies’ dress shop, selling ball gowns etc.
There was also Boult’s toy shop on Mill Street, somewhere opposite the bike shop.
The Salter Street shop has appeared since the demise of Bagnall’s and Boults. It is an independent family concern. The shop was formerly an upmarket ladies’ dress shop, selling ball gowns etc.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Something about Angels in the name?
Wormella
Well-Known Forumite
The Angel House - it was good for scarves, cards and gifts for mums / grans / aunts and family friends who already had everything but don't appreciate a voucher because it looks like you didn't give the thought part of the gift enough effort.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
They sometimes put their A-board out the wrong way round, with the arrow pointing at the Co-op.
Feed The Goat
Well-Known Forumite
Feed The Goat
Well-Known Forumite
The front of Bagnalls toy shop is now DB Roberts Estate Agents and the back is now Marked One Tattoo
Bob
Well-Known Forumite
I'm all for the independents and I do make an effort sometimes to go out of my way to use them, especially where you get a certain quality or expertise of a product, butchers, fishmonger, craft shops for example. And as much as I love seeing an independent toy shop in Stafford and I do on occasions use it - Slater Street toys cannot offer me what I need for the price I want to pay.
With so much competition out there I shop for convenience and price. I go online where I can browse everything, I can pay 20% less at The Entertainer, it's delivered to my door and I get cash back thrown in for good measure.
Due to the current obstacles in the way for town centre traders (congested roads, congested car parks, loss of retail units pulling people in and mass relocation from the main shopping street) combined with a massive increase in competition it is unfortunate that Salter Street Toys now looks unlikely to survive the Christmas period.
The best thing they can do now is find something to make them stand out, look at their sales and pair back a bit on the things less likely to make big revenue for the Christmas run up and find something that will bring people in.
For me looking at that business, I'd focus primarily on the toys that sell and move the models into storage, catalogue everything as still available for purchase and offer home delivery so they're freeing up space but not loosing the sales entirely. I would clear out either the back room or the area to the right as you go in to create a Santa's grotto, it doesn't haver to be huge or cost and arm and a leg to set up, I would suggest £5 per child if they can offer a gift and personal experience to reflect the price.
I'd look at Christmas books, buy a few in bulk so I could undercut Waterstones and when not used as a grotto I'd have it as somewhere where kids can come and have a story read to them, say one different Christmas book each week through November and December, 3 readings at set times in the day on weekends and the school holidays, pair it collecting donations for a local charity who can also help with event advertising and everyone's a winner if every family through the door purchases the book and a toy or two.
I'm going to make the effort this week to go into Stafford and buy something from Salter Street toys, I want to see them stay in Stafford.
With so much competition out there I shop for convenience and price. I go online where I can browse everything, I can pay 20% less at The Entertainer, it's delivered to my door and I get cash back thrown in for good measure.
Due to the current obstacles in the way for town centre traders (congested roads, congested car parks, loss of retail units pulling people in and mass relocation from the main shopping street) combined with a massive increase in competition it is unfortunate that Salter Street Toys now looks unlikely to survive the Christmas period.
The best thing they can do now is find something to make them stand out, look at their sales and pair back a bit on the things less likely to make big revenue for the Christmas run up and find something that will bring people in.
For me looking at that business, I'd focus primarily on the toys that sell and move the models into storage, catalogue everything as still available for purchase and offer home delivery so they're freeing up space but not loosing the sales entirely. I would clear out either the back room or the area to the right as you go in to create a Santa's grotto, it doesn't haver to be huge or cost and arm and a leg to set up, I would suggest £5 per child if they can offer a gift and personal experience to reflect the price.
I'd look at Christmas books, buy a few in bulk so I could undercut Waterstones and when not used as a grotto I'd have it as somewhere where kids can come and have a story read to them, say one different Christmas book each week through November and December, 3 readings at set times in the day on weekends and the school holidays, pair it collecting donations for a local charity who can also help with event advertising and everyone's a winner if every family through the door purchases the book and a toy or two.
I'm going to make the effort this week to go into Stafford and buy something from Salter Street toys, I want to see them stay in Stafford.
Bob
Well-Known Forumite
Salter Street toys probably rely on those Saturday afternoons in December to keep the doors open all year round.
Thehooperman
Well-Known Forumite
c0tt0nt0p
Well-Known Forumite
Exactly
Bob
Well-Known Forumite
I'm confused by your decision to quote me entirely out of context but I will humour you with a reply.
It hasn't come from anywhere I am merely stating an opinion on a forum where people share their opinions.
I haven't written 'I heard Salter Street Toy Shop is shutting down before Christmas' because that would be a rumour.
The majority of my post was about positive things they could do to minimise the impact the major chains will have on their pre Christmas trade.