Jessop's Gone!

[Hetairoi]

Just been into town today and noticed that Jessop's has gone!

Whilst wandering round I was keeping an eye on empty shops and it is really getting bad and before anyone goes on about Stafford being good compared to other towns that is no excuse for the council not trying to do something to regenerate the area.

The market was even worse with probably only about half the stalls open!

And please, please, please can someone do something about the charity beggers, they are a pain in the backside.

I was approached at least six time by the same charity within the space of an hour, they will put people off going into town.

 

[Withnail]

I was approached at least six time by the same charity within the space of an hour...

 

[MoD1982]

Rent too high... people vacate shops... council push up rent to cover losses... more empty shops... rent goes up again.. a lovely vicious cycle, to pay for what exactly? A stupid building that falls apart if you sneeze within 200 yards of the place and some pay rises.

If empty shops are to be filled, I suggest lowering the rent rates. As a man in a favourite film of mine once said, "50% of something is better than 100% of nothing". And the way it's going, the council are heading that way in my opinion. Surely a reduction in the rents will bring more businesses into those empty shops, thus pushing up those precious profit levels?

Has anybody ever seen any shops open down at the clock end of the high street, in Goalgate Place? Hell, that place hadn't even fully filled up and businesses were closing. Gamestation, Discs and Disks are two examples I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm sure there are others down that end that have gone.
It's all very well rebuilding parts of town and offering them as attractive plots to interested parties, but frankly until that rent issue gets taken care of I wouldn't be surprised to see more businesses going the same way.

Incidentially, when was the last shop to open up in town? I think it was the Virgin media center in Guildhall, but I could be wrong...

 

[KencoPlenco]

is there are a way of voicing this to the council and try and get a reducing of rent?

 

[John Marwood]

Getting a hair cut, having a meal or drink, shouting at a building housing a financial institution, these things may survive a town centre but...

Lighting a product in a window or shop display and employing people to point at it whilst paying a pension company rent and central government a tax to be there, will not

 

[Goldilox]

Rent too high... people vacate shops... council push up rent to cover losses... more empty shops... rent goes up again.. a lovely vicious cycle, to pay for what exactly? A stupid building that falls apart if you sneeze within 200 yards of the place and some pay rises.

If empty shops are to be filled, I suggest lowering the rent rates. As a man in a favourite film of mine once said, "50% of something is better than 100% of nothing". And the way it's going, the council are heading that way in my opinion. Surely a reduction in the rents will bring more businesses into those empty shops, thus pushing up those precious profit levels?

Has anybody ever seen any shops open down at the clock end of the high street, in Goalgate Place? Hell, that place hadn't even fully filled up and businesses were closing. Gamestation, Discs and Disks are two examples I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm sure there are others down that end that have gone.
It's all very well rebuilding parts of town and offering them as attractive plots to interested parties, but frankly until that rent issue gets taken care of I wouldn't be surprised to see more businesses going the same way.

Incidentially, when was the last shop to open up in town? I think it was the Virgin media center in Guildhall, but I could be wrong...

Why are you assuming the council owns 35A Gaolgate Street? I think the landlord is more likely to be the Duke of Westminster to be honest....

 

[KencoPlenco]

Why are you assuming the council owns 35A Gaolgate Street? I think the landlord is more likely to be the Duke of Westminster to be honest....

I think he does. but how can you tell?

 

[Hetairoi]

There are loads of things a council can do rather than allow a new development to be built that will mean even more shop units to let and one of the major shops at the bottom end of town becoming empty never mind creating more shop units to try to finance thier new council offices.

 

[Dabbler]

It would be interesting to know how many units the local authority does own - I suspect very few, which means there is little they can do to get commercial landlords to reduce rents. The high street is changing, it will continue to change with the advent of online shopping. Retailers need to adapt to these changes, we need to recognise that the type and size of shop units we have now may not be what is required in the future.

Shops cease trading for many reasons, but one of the main ones is a lack of custom. That lack of custom arises for so many different reasons (product choice, price, competition, lack of disposable income etc etc). No retailer is immune to these issues.

There are loads of things a council can do rather than allow a new development to be built that will mean even more shop units to let and one of the major shops at the bottom end of town becoming empty never mind creating more shop units to try to finance thier new council offices.

It would be good to know what, specifically, you think the council can and should do. It would also be good to know what the existing retailers intend to do to encourage shoppers into the High Street.

 

[KencoPlenco]

It would be interesting to know how many units the local authority does own - I suspect very few, which means there is little they can do to get commercial landlords to reduce rents. The high street is changing, it will continue to change with the advent of online shopping. Retailers need to adapt to these changes, we need to recognise that the type and size of shop units we have now may not be what is required in the future.

Shops cease trading for many reasons, but one of the main ones is a lack of custom. That lack of custom arises for so many different reasons (product choice, price, competition, lack of disposable income etc etc). No retailer is immune to these issues.



It would be good to know what, specifically, you think the council can and should do. It would also be good to know what the existing retailers intend to do to encourage shoppers into the High Street.

probably reduce business rates first.

 

[Dabbler]

I thought business rates were set nationally, rather than locally, and that the council merely acted as a collection agent for central government - have I got that wrong? (It's very possible that I have!) I agree that business rates must be a huge deterrent!

 

[KencoPlenco]

there nationally? i thought they were locally, but yeah they are one way they can reduce it. and also if the landlord can reduce the rent that would be a big help.

 

[John Marwood]

there nationally? i thought they were locally, but yeah they are one way they can reduce it. and also if the landlord can reduce the rent that would be a big help.

Saturday is 'quarter day' - where, in these super modern Dickensian times, many shops are required to pay 3 months rent - in advance - so expect a casualty or two Nationally ( shops that is )

The marvelously extortionate 'business rate tax' that all these - bar charity shops - premises have to pay is actually set in London by our friends in Government and the local authorities are hired to collect it

So - in conclusion - we ( 89% of us ) have access at some point to the internet - where shopping will take place in future

And therefore the internet will be seen as a way to tax us

Be it directly on purchases - unlikely - or via our subscriptions or some other devious means.

As we import almost everything we consume, and the world is a growing and more demanding consumer, expect double digit inflation in the next two to three years ( even the cars we export are imported first in raw materials )

Now, in the olden days, the way to tackle inflation was to put up interest rates - not any more though
Government will see inflation as a means to cut deficit and plunge us into despair and (relative ) poverty and keep interest rates low

Wage demands will increase in those sectors that still think they have some clout and the Ted Heath will appear on the news - quite a lot

To conclude - the rich get richer - the poor get poorer - grow your own

 

[Gareth]

Factual inaccuricies from forum users guessing and making it up AGAIN. The town centre from the market square to the north end of town has seen the least vacant shops in town over the last few years. In fact until the last few months the only shop shop that was vacant on the high street from the market square (say River Island) to the edge of town and incorporating the turnings into the side streets of the high street, was the old Max Spielman place (and Apres for a short while). So the north end of town has down well, with non vacant premises anyway

And it is correct, local councils act as the collector for set business rates to central government. But a precentage of that is returned to local councils and bit down the line.

 

[KencoPlenco]

And it is correct, local councils act as the collector for set business rates to central government. But a precentage of that is returned to local councils and bit down the line.

oh so they are set nationally and a portion of that goes to the local council, didn't know that at all.

 

[Hetairoi]

Factual inaccuricies from forum users guessing and making it up AGAIN. The town centre from the market square to the north end of town has seen the least vacant shops in town over the last few years. In fact until the last few months the only shop shop that was vacant on the high street from the market square (say River Island) to the edge of town and incorporating the turnings into the side streets of the high street, was the old Max Spielman place (and Apres for a short while). So the north end of town has down well, with non vacant premises anyway

And it is correct, local councils act as the collector for set business rates to central government. But a precentage of that is returned to local councils and bit down the line.

What about the Games shop and you are only talking about the main road running through the centre of town, if you go round the back of Sports Direct then it is a different matter all together!

 

[Gareth]

My remark was to Mod who implies the Gaolgate place is kind of a new thing in the area of town and businesses were closing before it had been full and businesses were closing before full, wrong!!!
Disk and Disks and Gamestation were there for some and the place and have only closed in recent months, the area was full untill about 3 years ago when Connexions moved to Foregate Street, since then Farmfoods and the card shop have gone, Donald and Atchison have moved all 3 very recently and the furniture place went into admin about a year and a half ago. So even until that point with the exception of Connexions that place was full (except for the weird little thing next to home bargain)

 

[wildwood]

I always wondered about that "weird little thing". It's such a small and weird shape - I can't imagine it'd ever be filled. Seems it was like - oh we've got this tiny bit of space left on the plans - I know we'll stick a shop window in the front of it.

 

[That-Crazy-Rat-Lady]

Really annoyed at this! I brought a camera from them last Christmas and took out the insurance (I know I know!) but basically it means I can break it as many times as I like in 3 years and they replace/ fix it! As I’m a complete klutz I’ve already used this service twice!

But now I have to trek all the way to Handley if I want it fixed!

 

[Thehooperman]

Really annoyed at this! I brought a camera from them last Christmas and took out the insurance (I know I know!) but basically it means I can break it as many times as I like in 3 years and they replace/ fix it! As I’m a complete klutz I’ve already used this service twice!

But now I have to trek all the way to Handley if I want it fixed!

I work in Birmingham so could take it there for you if you ever need it fixing (again)