Stafford shops opening - Turning into a boom town?

BobClay said:

I remember two shops !!! Snapes, on the corner of Smallman Street and Cambridge Street, and Browns, on the corner of John Street and Cambridge Street (diagonally opposite Snapes.) There there was Reg Hornes, at the top of the Rec ... BANG !! ..... Hey !! .. who's shooting at me ??

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Was Reg Horne's original shop not a wooden building on the corner of Prospect Road & Blakiston Street?

Yes.

This is everything Stafford Remembered is.

In the 70's, i shot a man with Renal failure. Etc.

Old people are terminally boring.

Carole said:

There might have been a few old bags as well.

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Can we get back to shops please ?

Withnail said:

Yes.

This is everything Stafford Remembered is.

In the 70's, i shot a man with Renal failure. Etc.

Old people are terminally boring.

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What calibre Renal Failure?

New shop openinging in town on 12th June

https://m.facebook.com/Branded-Bargains-Stafford-105065498466084/

Branded Bargains opening in the old 99p shop at the side of Stafford Railway Building society, Market Street...

Sounds a bit like Yum Yum. That place has caused me to have to lose far too much weight.

I just wish that we could have some lovely upmarket shops in Stafford.

We are, after all, the County town, we should be the show town, but we are nothing short of a disgrace.

It seems like it’s been a race to the bottom, cheap bargain shops, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, tattoo etc.

There is nowhere to buy any decent clothes or shoes, or house stuff.

Where do people go that actually have money to spend?

I’ll tell you..... those people who previously hopped on a train to Manchester or Birmingham are now going to Cannock.

There are queues outside the shops at the designer village because most people aspire to nice things.

Had the powers that be had a better vision for Stafford then more people would be flocking in.

A department store, designer shops, independent shops. If we were known as a good shopping town then the people would come, the town’s pubs and restaurants would benefit.

But no, cheap shops is all we’ve got.

Carole said:

I just wish that we could have some lovely upmarket shops in Stafford.

We are, after all, the County town, we should be the show town, but we are nothing short of a disgrace.

It seems like it’s been a race to the bottom, cheap bargain shops, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, tattoo etc.

There is nowhere to buy any decent clothes or shoes, or house stuff.

Where do people go that actually have money to spend?

I’ll tell you..... those people who previously hopped on a train to Manchester or Birmingham are now going to Cannock.

There are queues outside the shops at the designer village because most people aspire to nice things.

Had the powers that be had a better vision for Stafford then more people would be flocking in.

A department store, designer shops, independent shops. If we were known as a good shopping town then the people would come, the town’s pubs and restaurants would benefit.

But no, cheap shops is all we’ve got.

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I know, I read 'a new shop', got excited, then read 'Branded Bargains'... *sigh* another Poundland....

littleme said:

I know, I read 'a new shop', got excited, then read 'Branded Bargains'... *sigh* another Poundland....

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Yes exactly.
I’m not saying they don’t have their place, they do because everyone loves a bargain.

But its about finding the balance.

If you have lovely, interesting and diverse shops then you attract lovely, interesting and diverse clientele.

If you lower the standards and ONLY have tat, then it follows that the general clientele will be of the same ilk.

Carole said:

Yes exactly.
I’m not saying they don’t have their place, they do because everyone loves a bargain.

But its about finding the balance.

If you have lovely, interesting and diverse shops then you attract lovely, interesting and diverse clientele.

If you lower the standards and ONLY have tat, then it follows that the general clientele will be of the same ilk.

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They have their place, however Stafford seems to be filled with bargain shops & charity shops, banks and pubs.... Its such a shame

Come on you two, be fair.

We've got loads of betting shops, as well.

Carole said:

I just wish that we could have some lovely upmarket shops in Stafford.

We are, after all, the County town, we should be the show town, but we are nothing short of a disgrace.

It seems like it’s been a race to the bottom, cheap bargain shops, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, tattoo etc.

There is nowhere to buy any decent clothes or shoes, or house stuff.

Where do people go that actually have money to spend?

I’ll tell you..... those people who previously hopped on a train to Manchester or Birmingham are now going to Cannock.

There are queues outside the shops at the designer village because most people aspire to nice things.

Had the powers that be had a better vision for Stafford then more people would be flocking in.

A department store, designer shops, independent shops. If we were known as a good shopping town then the people would come, the town’s pubs and restaurants would benefit.

But no, cheap shops is all we’ve got.

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Tbh , went to the city of Wolverhampton yesterday. Their town is full of tat and derelict or empty shops.

Their main shopping centre although had a fair bit of passing trade was mainly all independent or charity shops. Even the town centre Burger King and KFC is gone.

Seen someone move into bright House, and just get rid of the b from the signs, so they're called "right house"...

Seems like a nationwide issue, not just a limitation of Stafford.

To me, bargain shops (and I love a prod around them) have helped usher the demise of 'general' markets (indoor and outdoor) - these shops are the places I go to get day to day household things, but I don't have to remember which days of the week they are open, our which day it's in town.

They are also the items I'm less likely to buy online, so if there is a type of shop more likely to bring me into the town centre it's those.

Partly I think people's priorities have changed, of where and what they buy. The convenience of buying online has permanently altered our relationship with shopping. No amount of cute independent shops are going to fix that.

When we were at Cannock outlet centre a few weeks ago the biggest queue was outside of the Haribo shop, the 2nd biggest was families with kids outside of Nike shop, I assume to buy trainers because kids feet definitely haven't taken notice of the fact the government hasn't designated shoe shops essential shopping.

I'm trying very hard to think of a shop I'd like to exist in Stafford, that I would buy things from regularly, that I couldn't buy on line. I think I'd like a branch of paperchase, as I like browsing and finding perfect cards and I like pretty stationary.

After that, I can't really think of anything else that isn't food / drink related.

Personally I'd love a good entertainment shop like hmv, yes, I do mostly stream TV shows and films, but that's because of the situation with lockdown.

Not every film is available to stream, so physically media still has a place, especially game physically media. And most of my purchases of these types are done on impulse.

Tumble weed said:

Tbh , went to the city of Wolverhampton yesterday. Their town is full of tat and derelict or empty shops.

Their main shopping centre although had a fair bit of passing trade was mainly all independent or charity shops. Even the town centre Burger King and KFC is gone.

Seen someone move into bright House, and just get rid of the b from the signs, so they're called "right house"...

Seems like a nationwide issue, not just a limitation of Stafford.

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Yes, just about every town and city across Britain is full of tat and derelict or empty shops.
Four years ago I noticed that even the High Street in Cardiff, a capital city, had its share of betting shops and charity shops.
Nobody a generation ago would have imagined a Wolverhampton with Beatties closed and about to be converted to more than 300 flats.
Maybe only London in exempt.

Carole said:

I just wish that we could have some lovely upmarket shops in Stafford.

We are, after all, the County town, we should be the show town, but we are nothing short of a disgrace.

It seems like it’s been a race to the bottom, cheap bargain shops, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, tattoo etc.

There is nowhere to buy any decent clothes or shoes, or house stuff.

Where do people go that actually have money to spend?

I’ll tell you..... those people who previously hopped on a train to Manchester or Birmingham are now going to Cannock.

There are queues outside the shops at the designer village because most people aspire to nice things.

Had the powers that be had a better vision for Stafford then more people would be flocking in.

A department store, designer shops, independent shops. If we were known as a good shopping town then the people would come, the town’s pubs and restaurants would benefit.

But no, cheap shops is all we’ve got.

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The designer village is something Stafford council should have fought tooth and nail to get located in the town. I think Stafford has better links to the motorway, especially where the village is located in Cannock. It's not that convenient for the M6.

Tumble weed said:

Tbh , went to the city of Wolverhampton yesterday. Their town is full of tat and derelict or empty shops.

Their main shopping centre although had a fair bit of passing trade was mainly all independent or charity shops. Even the town centre Burger King and KFC is gone.

Seen someone move into bright House, and just get rid of the b from the signs, so they're called "right house"...

Seems like a nationwide issue, not just a limitation of Stafford.

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That takes me back, I worked at Beatties in the late-90s, it was my first 'proper' job after I finished college. Amazing how retail has changed since then. It was a proper old school department store, if you remember 'Are you being served?' it was not too far away from that!. Managers were always Mr/Mrs/Miss (never their Christian names!) & we were not even allowed to remove our jackets on hot days unless the General Manager gave permission to the whole store. Most of all the customer was always right!. I left in 2000 & they were making millions. I never thought I would see the day when it would close & the building flogged for a pittance to be turned into flats. It is progress I suppose, there is no doubt that the Internet has made all our lives better/easier in some ways but it has a lot to answer for in others!.

Jonah said:

The designer village is something Stafford council should have fought tooth and nail to get located in the town. I think Stafford has better links to the motorway, especially where the village is located in Cannock. It's not that convenient for the M6.

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Definitely, I was initially sceptical it would work (Hugo Boss in Cannock? No chance!). The master stroke the original developers pulled was selling a stake to McArthurGlen. That guaranteed the brands people want would take units there. There are so called designer villages all over the place however the non-McArthurGlen ones are generally sh@te. I have popped into Cannock a couple of times (I only work down the road), it is no Cheshire Oaks or Bicester however, it is still pretty decent.

The Notorious A.N.T. said:

That takes me back, I worked at Beatties in the late-90s, it was my first 'proper' job after I finished college. Amazing how retail has changed since then. It was a proper old school department store, if you remember 'Are you being served?' it was not too far away from that!. Managers were always Mr/Mrs/Miss (never their Christian names!) & we were not even allowed to remove our jackets on hot days unless the General Manager gave permission to the whole store. Most of all the customer was always right!. I left in 2000 & they were making millions. I never thought I would see the day when it would close & the building flogged for a pittance to be turned into flats. It is progress I suppose, there is no doubt that the Internet has made all our lives better/easier in some ways but it has a lot to answer for in others!.

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My memories of Beatties goes back to my parents shopping there about once a month, and going there and back on the bus puts that to before 1961 when my father got a car.
Yes, Beatties were doing very well twenty years ago but I think taking on a site in central Birmingham about then was the start of their downfall.
At their height they had several stores across the Midlands and even Birkenhead I think.

The Notorious A.N.T. said:

Definitely, I was initially sceptical it would work (Hugo Boss in Cannock? No chance!). The master stroke the original developers pulled was selling a stake to McArthurGlen. That guaranteed the brands people want would take units there. There are so called designer villages all over the place however the non-McArthurGlen ones are generally sh@te. I have popped into Cannock a couple of times (I only work down the road), it is no Cheshire Oaks or Bicester however, it is still pretty decent.

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But for how long will all these out-of-town shopping centres ( that's what they are, not "designer villages" ) last for ?
Not so long ago the big supermarkets couldn't build enough out-of-town 'supermarkets' but shoppers want something more local now.