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Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris
Surely, it's not about being snobbish or elitist, but rather, about offering more choice? A record shop that offers jazz and classical, but also blues, 50's rock 'n' roll, reggae and more. A bookshop that stocks Shakespeare, but maybe also has a good crime fiction section, perhaps books on the occult and other varieties. Restaurants serving tirimasu and red wine, but possibly something more out of the ordinary like a Mexican, veggie or even cajun restaurant.
I think it's been said before on here, but there seems to be little point in Accrington chasing the coat tails of bigger towns with more and more bog-standard high street chain stores. Instead, it should develop its own identity as an unusual, slightly off-beat shopping centre with an interesting range of independent outlets. I know it's stating the obvious, but we have so many jewels in the crown here - a superb (but criminally misused) arcade, the Warner Street area, a traditional market hall that wasn't flattened in the 60's. When you add the free parking to that, Accrington has the potential to be a real draw for out-of-town shoppers...or am I dreaming an impossible dream??
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I'm not sure, but it would need good advertisement. This is exactly the idea behind the booktown started here. Instead of trying to get shops that the big towns have, which we still wouldn't use even if we did have them, the idea is to have unique shops selling stuff that you can't get in big towns. Therfore as well as being interesting for us it would also pull people in from big towns and tourists. The idea is a town of bookshops, some just with books, some with books and music, some with books and a cafe, tea rooms what ever. certain shops specialise in certain types of book, fiction, photography, gardening, cooking, occult and spiritualism. This it's hoped will bring classy gift, home, crafts, collectables, food shops.
Blanavon has more or less failed, because it started with 8 bookshops cheap rent and people who didn't think about what they were doing just jumping in, here we started with no shops on the launch date, and it's very steadily built up, despite the local council not advertising it. Because of this we've actually lost several shops that I feel were needed, a candle shop and a teddy and dolls shop, both are touristy.
The tourists and and visiitors are supposed to bring in people to the towns existing shops, increase footfall, increase turnover and enable them to increase their choice, rather than just selling what most locals will buy.