Fashion Factory closing - kind of

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Gareth

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Couldn't disagree more Carole. Retail is dying a death on high streets and it will never recover and will get worse on small high streets like stafford and stone.

councils and landlords push retail and more retail. How does that work in a ever decreasing market. Retail still has the most significant to play but town centres need to shift their thinking for more of them to survive.

This is my world and I know my stuff. Even Mary Portas says book end both ends of high street and centre point and more leisure throughout so town centres thrive day and night.

no poiny putting your eggs into basket with a large hole into it. There is also a seismic shift in retail location. That north end will die off and the princess street area needs knocking down. One of the buildings has 12 louis Taylor to let signs on it. Nobody wants to be there.
 
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Really?

Really?

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Unless and until they sort out Business Rates, Retail will continue to die. In the past Business Rates were basically a tax on the profits the government predicted a shop would make purely because of where they are. Along comes the internet and the dearth of "bedroom sellers" who would always undercut because they had few overheads. SOME people like a bargain and went cheap. The better internet businesses have survived and some now have units they pay rates on, (but at a far less rate than retailers because of the "lack of footfall") and are growing businesses but a lot of internet Retailers are still siting naked in their bedrooms, running "businesses" that don't make a penny.

Without an "internet tax" for want of a better word, there is no level playing field and, becuase the business rates go to the government and not the Council, (with differing councils getting some, all or more than they collected) there is no appetite for the Council to change things. Councils wake up when they see they can get some of the tax direct to their coffers by having a BID (a nice stitch up job which also gives the Council chance to off load a few of the people they are over staffed with) which costs the business an extra 2% or 3%.

But there will be no "internet tax" as a replacement for Rates so Bricks and Mortar Retail will continue to die. The only hope is for those who are different, unique and give damned good service. Stafford has a few of them but not enough to make a huge difference.
 
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Gareth

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Really has a point. Rates on profits/;business models not over priced buildings the tennants do not even own.
 
Jade-clothing

Jade-clothing

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Withnail said:
WTF?

It's a fecking mess on the inside, and a feckin meh on the out.

The only possible potential positive about the migration southwards of the town centre, with the new spangly Riverside thing, is that that whole Princes St area will become devoid of life and thus ripe for the ball 'n' bulldozer. It looks like shit, is shit, and should be obliterated.

What it should be replaced with is an entirely different matter, but it is hugely difficult to believe that anything could be worse.
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I agree it's an absolutely vile building, inside and out and I've never liked the 'feel' of it. It doesn't flow well at all.
I think from Crabbery street to Princes street should be flattened and some town centre apartments and a nice green seating area should be built with some community based type stuff in the area.
I'd turn the Guildhall into quirky independents and any shops worth keeping from knocking down Crabbery to Princes streets can move into empty units at the other end of town at the same rent they pay now.
If town centres are dying a death we haven't noticed in Mill Street - we're thriving. Some of you may have noticed in the paper Saffron celebrated 10 years in business a couple of weeks ago and we celebrated with a re-vamp and a visit from the Mayor and Mayoress. We also have a new shop coming to Mill Street but I'm not allowed to say what it is ;)
 
Really?

Really?

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Jade-clothing said:
If town centres are dying a death we haven't noticed in Mill Street - we're thriving.
We also have a new shop coming to Mill Street but I'm not allowed to say what it is ;)
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I think the rectangle area around MIll Street, the Soup Kitchen and the Church area up to the Grove is the best part of Stafford - mainly independents just getting on with it and doing their own thing - how an old town like Stafford should be if it wants to attract people from out of town - a gentle stroll around the area is a delight and I rarely see an unhappy face in the shops. It doesn't have a great deal for many locals who demand big, multiple shops butthe new centre might actually help them IF they can get people to enter the town. If I was an outsider and moved from the new place into that area I would be delighted - I would soon change my mind if I continued up the HIgh Street. The whole shopping demographic is about to change. IF Waitrose have Morrisons place it might help, but I see a divide that will leave the town desolate from the Market Square up.

As for the new shop in MIll Street, I think I know who it is- it will certainly bring the average age range down in the area
 
Jade-clothing

Jade-clothing

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Really? said:
I think the rectangle area around MIll Street, the Soup Kitchen and the Church area up to the Grove is the best part of Stafford - mainly independents just getting on with it and doing their own thing - how an old town like Stafford should be if it wants to attract people from out of town - a gentle stroll around the area is a delight and I rarely see an unhappy face in the shops. It doesn't have a great deal for many locals who demand big, multiple shops butthe new centre might actually help them IF they can get people to enter the town. If I was an outsider and moved from the new place into that area I would be delighted - I would soon change my mind if I continued up the HIgh Street. The whole shopping demographic is about to change. IF Waitrose have Morrisons place it might help, but I see a divide that will leave the town desolate from the Market Square up.

As for the new shop in MIll Street, I think I know who it is- it will certainly bring the average age range down in the area
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Going on your last comment, I think you might know who it is too!!
 
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Gareth

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Maybe the thread title should be amended as the fashion factory is 'shrinking' to the back end of the ground and first floor with a 'hight street retailer' taking up the front half of the ground floor. 12 staff under fashion factory lose jobs unfortunately. Source is newsletter.
 
littleme

littleme

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The husband only told me the other day that the Cannock Fashion Factory has also closed down, their Facebook page states that they're opening in new premises in March - but they're not replying to people asking where...
 
Katniss

Katniss

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littleme said:
The husband only told me the other day that the Cannock Fashion Factory has also closed down, their Facebook page states that they're opening in new premises in March - but they're not replying to people asking where...
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I was hoping they were gone for good.

Sorry if people will lose their jobs over this but the place sells a lot of rubbish imo.
 
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Gareth

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Cannock site closed down i think end of last year as the lease was up and the landlords had another retailer in mind. All the staff transferred to Stafford.
 
littleme

littleme

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Gareth said:
Cannock site closed down i think end of last year as the lease was up and the landlords had another retailer in mind. All the staff transferred to Stafford.
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Yes, but now Stafford has closed too.....husbands gossipmunger told him that they've left both places owing a LOT of money .....
 
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Gareth

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But they have not left Stafford at all. There is now/ or will be a smaller version of fashion factory in the same building with a high street retailer taking the front of the store, as reported in the newsletter
 
littleme

littleme

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Gareth said:
But they have not left Stafford at all. There is now/ or will be a smaller version of fashion factory in the same building with a high street retailer taking the front of the store, as reported in the newsletter
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Ah, I haven't seen the article. As far as I was aware they are closing (I think on Thursday) & only Turners furniture are remaining in the building.....
 
littleme

littleme

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