Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

Thehooperman

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
tek-monkey said:
So what you are saying is locals should wander all the streets looking to see if new places have appeared, rather than looking for advertisements? Fine for those that work in town like I do, but hardly likely for those who work out of town so only ever have sat/sun to visit and generally have other things to do.

I actually spend an hour a day walking around Stafford town, I don't see the opening of a new vape shop as something to care about. I will give that new asian food place a go though.
Click to expand...


I totally agree. I also work out of town an for by the time I get back to Stafford most days the independents have already closed.

I don't see many of the independents making much effort to firstly advertise where they are and secondly make themselves available to out of hours shoppers even on a Sunday.

I do use the fruit shop if I am in town on a Saturday but generally I have other things to do at weekends and it is easier to do my shopping mid week.

Sorry to see it closing though.
 
Cue

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
Such is life with small businesses sometimes. You get it a lot in the areas I work in too - small indie game companies make a game, release it, then complain nobody is buying it and the market is messed up. But then people go “never heard of it”.

If you don’t advertise, you don’t get noticed. Can’t expect everyone to go walking about the town on the off chance something has opened. Especially when they’re on limited parking time or paying for the pleasure of being in town.
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Cue said:
If you don’t advertise, you don’t get noticed.
Click to expand...
Advertising is not an exact science. After my comments about not noticing A-boards much, unless they obstruct me, and then not really being aware of what info is on them, I decided to have a proper look around the town. I expected to find about 25 to 30ish, based on there being a few others scattered about, not just the two main "barricades" at Mill Street and Crabbery Street.

I soon gave up trying to count them, I suspect that there is well into three figures, few of which I've ever noticed before. I will take a clicker counter and make a more competent survey at some point soon.
 
tek-monkey

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
On an unrelated note just tried to eat at the new Asian place near Starbucks. Only on a whim as was passing, but the lady came out to apologise as they had sold out of everything! I wish them well, very glad they've had a good day. She did say everything was home cooked, so I guess once it's gone.....

Will certainly go one lunchtime when at work.
 
ChrisLewis

ChrisLewis

Well-Known Forumite
Had a wonderful couple of days at Stone Food Festival, but I did have to smile when one couple took it upon themselves to set about complaining to me about the lack of Staffordshire oatcake stalls in the festival, when I pointed out there was an oatcake stall in the farmers market they agreed that they’d seen it. Foolishly I enquired why they hadnt bought any? Needless to say I was surprised when Mr & Mrs Grumpy then admitted he didn’t like oatcakes so come on admit it which of you forumites that moans about the lack of independents but buys from Amazon or shops at the big supermarket, complains about local parking prices but then drives all the way to Birmingham was it? Other than that if you haven’t visited Stone Food Festival it’s on tomorrow and well worth a visit, plus there’s a discount on entry with the STAFFORD enjoy card.
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
ChrisLewis said:
Had a wonderful couple of days at Stone Food Festival, but I did have to smile when one couple took it upon themselves to set about complaining to me about the lack of Staffordshire oatcake stalls in the festival, when I pointed out there was an oatcake stall in the farmers market they agreed that they’d seen it. Foolishly I enquired why they hadnt bought any? Needless to say I was surprised when Mr & Mrs Grumpy then admitted he didn’t like oatcakes so come on admit it which of you forumites that moans about the lack of independents but buys from Amazon or shops at the big supermarket, complains about local parking prices but then drives all the way to Birmingham was it? Other than that if you haven’t visited Stone Food Festival it’s on tomorrow and well worth a visit, plus there’s a discount on entry with the STAFFORD enjoy card.
Click to expand...
Somebody appears to have stolen your punctuation - call the cops!

I did my bit, but it was never likely to be enough - County Store is (was?) easily my favourite shop in Stafford.

The town centre is dead, it will reincarnate itself.
 
G

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
tek-monkey said:
So what you are saying is locals should wander all the streets looking to see if new places have appeared, rather than looking for advertisements? Fine for those that work in town like I do, but hardly likely for those who work out of town so only ever have sat/sun to visit and generally have other things to do.

I actually spend an hour a day walking around Stafford town, I don't see the opening of a new vape shop as something to care about. I will give that new asian food place a go though.
Click to expand...

Well yes and no I am saying people should wander... why not?!

advertising is great buy many independents struggle to show themselves against the bigger fish. Many do have the financial clout to advertise, there can only be so many a-boards and the internet has a huge part to play but is a potential shopper going to trawl through every facebook page and website of businesses in the town centre.

If you go to a local farmers market or another town one tends to look around especially for independents, so why should that be different in your home town especially if one hasn't been for a while or knows what is new. Yes most do not have the time to look around the town centre all the time, but every now and again is something or doing bits and parts over time especially if one frequents the town often and yet doesn't even use the places they know which commonly would bring one across new businesses

But I am not really referencing the casual shopper as such, there are many who have not only lived and worked in the town for years yet some of these people should know the main core offer/ shops.

But at least such folk are in town and contributing

It is just an excuse and comes down to the easiest or laziest solution for some. But it is those people who are often the biggest moaners yet they are significantly part of the problem, especially those who never frequent the town and don't have a clue at all.
 
Last edited:
Thehooperman

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Gareth said:
Well yes and no I am saying people should wander... why not?!

advertising is great buy many independents struggle to show themselves against the bigger fish. Many do have the financial clout to advertise, there can only be so many a-boards and the internet has a huge part to play but is a potential shopper going to trawl through every facebook page and website of businesses in the town centre.

If you go to a local farmers market or another town one tends to look around especially for independents, so why should that be different in your home town especially if one hasn't been for a while or knows what is new. Yes most do not have the time to look around the town centre all the time, but every now and again is something or doing bits and parts over time especially if one frequents the town often and yet doesn't even use the places they know which commonly would bring one across new businesses

But I am not really referencing the casual shopper as such, there are many who have not only lived and worked in the town for years yet some of these people should know the main core offer/ shops.

But at least such folk are in town and contributing

It is just an excuse and comes down to the easiest or laziest solution for some. But it is those people who are often the biggest moaners yet they are significantly part of the problem, especially those who never frequent the town and don't have a clue at all.
Click to expand...

What a load of crap. Local farmers markets are a lot more compact than Stafford town centre and stalls are local independents so it doesn't take much searching for them.

If I visit another town I do not search around for local independents at all, I usually go to whatever shop/business I am visiting the town for or if I am a "tourist" I wander around to see sights or to visit a specific event or building.

Not using local independents is not the easiest or laziest solution, as you put it. For me it is a matter of most local businesses are closed when I have time to visit them so I can't use them.

There is no reason why local businesses can't make the effort to find forums such as this and take advantage of free publicity but few seldom do in Stafford except Chris Lewis and Market Vaults.

It is up to local businesses to be more flexible and advise us what they are offering and when they aren't open not expect people to stumble across them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top