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Longdogs
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11-05-2019, 10:09 AM
21

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Judd ->
All of the above but also the punitive parking charges levied by councils that penalise motorists forcing them into out of town shopping centres where the parking is free or shopping on line which is more the norm these days.
I agree. Cost us £6 to park in Exeter for just over 3 hours.
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11-05-2019, 11:05 AM
22

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Rhian ->
The town where I grew up, Mold, has a massive street market twice weekly
And a livestock market weekly

I'd be interested to find out what rent they pay

The town itself has very few empty shops as a consequence but it also has it's fair share of charity ones
And the cafe culture is thriving there! If a place has tables and chairs outside... they'll be occupied, all day!
I quite like that vibe though, on a sunny day you can imagine you're in an European town or city
My sister lives just out side Mold in Cilcain. There seems to be a strong community spirit in that area, which is what the country villages /towns thrive on. They are all very supportive of local amenities and it pays, although some of the new residents do not have the same mind set.
Car Parking charges.. 30p for up to 1 hour, 50p up to 2 hours..

In comparison , our is £1.10 for 1 hour. and upwards.
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11-05-2019, 11:35 AM
23

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Judd ->
All of the above but also the punitive parking charges levied by councils that penalise motorists forcing them into out of town shopping centres where the parking is free or shopping on line which is more the norm these days.


Ah now that is the ecological solution. Make it too costly to use cars but fail to improve public transport.
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11-05-2019, 11:41 AM
24

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Tregonsee ->
Ah now that is the ecological solution. Make it too costly to use cars but fail to improve public transport.
Yes, it is in the news today, it is thirteen times more expensive to go by train ..... so much for improving the environment.
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11-05-2019, 11:45 AM
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Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Hi

I live two miles away from one of the most stunning Town Centres in the UK.

It is cheaper to drive and park and shop in the urban scrawl 12 miles away.
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11-05-2019, 12:25 PM
26

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

The high street collapse is simply the end of the "rip off" era.

For years and years all these shops and stores have been making hay, wilfully ripping the people of the UK off with ridiculously high prices.

The people of the UK for the longest time either didn't really know they were being ripped off or didn't really have a viable alternative.

People travelling abroad saw how cheap products were there and would bring things back with them on their vacations.

But by and large the retail street stores of Britain had for years, preyed on an unsuspecting ignorant public who continually coughed up the readies for products.

Then the internet happened.

And suddenly people could see the horrific mark-up that shop stores had been charging. How ripped off we have been.

And things began to change.

Why would I pay £5 for a music CD in a store when I can buy it for £2 on the internet?

Why would I buy an expensive fridge from Currys when I can order online for half the price for exactly the same product?

Bit by bit the "Rip Off Britain" situation was revealed to the masses who responded as you would expect.

Now the retail outlets are collapsing. And rightly so.

One by one the former rip-off giants are falling. The emperors have been revealed as having no clothes. They have ruthlessly charged the people of Britain excessive amounts for too long. The people have seen the truth and have had enough.

That's how it started. Then it began to change.

Suddenly the streets began filling with Pound shops and Bargain shops. Suddenly we found we can buy tons of things for just £1 that we were previously being charged extortionate amounts for in large stores. We realised at that point just how badly we had been ripped off in the past.

What we are seeing now is the aftermath of all this.

The high street stores have only themselves to blame. They created a lucrative business model for themselves based on ripping people off with high prices. Now the demand has disappeared their business models don't work, and they are collapsing.

Even today there remain high street stores clinging on, still ripping people off. Take the high street jewellers. They are still charging almost 50% to 100% more for basic gems than online providers. Exactly the same products, just with a huge mark-up. It is patently ridiculous but they are clinging on. They have survived over people like Debenhams because jewellery is expensive and people are afraid to spend £1000s online without first seeing a product. But in time it will become second nature to do so.

I have absolutely no problem with what is happening. It is a necessary period of change to oust the greedy rip-off merchants and to instead create a new industry with new business models that will treat the customer with respect.

Those landlords who own the properties on the high street will likewise have to adjust their business models or go out of business too.

All in all it just means we will get a different type of store, one with better prices for the customer but likely one that sells high volume of product. Coffee shops are doing well in this environment.
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11-05-2019, 12:45 PM
27

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Interesting post Realist.
Laura Ashley here is a good example... how it's kept going all these years is an absolute miracle.
There's always a 50% sale on, but even the Sale prices are way above what I think is reasonable.
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11-05-2019, 12:54 PM
28

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

I see it as a balance. Yes, the small shops in my town charge more than the supermarkets but I would rather pay over the top occasionally and keep local businesses going or we will end up a ghost town.
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11-05-2019, 12:55 PM
29

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Realist ->
The high street collapse is simply the end of the "rip off" era.

For years and years all these shops and stores have been making hay, wilfully ripping the people of the UK off with ridiculously high prices.

– Snip –
An interesting post and I believe there is a lot of truth in what you say. My take on all this is that it comes down to one simple thing and that is pure 'greed' which starts with what accountants, who 'run' these big organisations, say the need is for more, more, more profit. See my post #06 in this thread if interested.

Nobody seems content to make a reasonable profit, it must be far more than that. The result is as you comment the demise of all those who have done this for years and years. This way it seems is rife in all areas of our lives you can look at and across the country.
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11-05-2019, 01:19 PM
30

Re: Empty Shops in Town Centres

Originally Posted by Baz46 ->
An interesting post and I believe there is a lot of truth in what you say. My take on all this is that it comes down to one simple thing and that is pure 'greed' which starts with what accountants, who 'run' these big organisations, say the need is for more, more, more profit. See my post #06 if interested.

Nobody seems content to make a reasonable profit, it must be far more than that. The result is as you comment the demise of all those who have done this for years and years. This way it seems is rife in all areas of our lives you can look at and across the country.


I totally agree.

The whole of Britain is run on the basis of greed and profit. That's why the Government's answer to everything along with banks, is to fine us rather than solving the problem.

Plastic Waste - charge us for using it
Too much sugar - Slap a tax on it
Traffic - congestion charges.
Overdrawn - Bank charges

Tbh, I don't know how our town has survived for as long as it has, probably down to community spirit. The shops are virtually empty all day, car parking is expensive plus we have the dick of a warden round every hour fining people who dare to shop here but run over time.
 
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