Quote:
Originally Posted by lindsay ormerod
When the thread wanders have finished this is actually quite a tragic picture for our town centre, although not entirely unexpected. The DorothyPerkins/ Burtons in Blackburn's Mall closed when it's lease expired, I fully expected the Accy one to do the same, it makes no money and hasn't for years. It's sad because it's been a presence there since the opening of the Arndale, and I know the manager Phil, he's tried his best but it's over-priced forAccy.
If New Look goes we have effectively lost all outlets for young fashions, other than Peacocks, which although I am pleased to see still here is not what todays young teens want.
I have mentioned before that M&S is only still in Accy because of preferential business rates deals, I don't know if this is still the case but I would be amazed it they are actually breaking even.
It's online/Asda/Matalan or Blackburn, just goes to prove that you don't actually need a big, scary retail park at Whitebirk to kill your town....
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That's a fair comment Lindsay. I'm sure we all agree there is no easy answer. There's a person employed by the council as a Town Centre manager. Does anybody know his plans ? If he has any then who should he be sharing them with, a select few or the public in general. Surely there should be a council plan somewhere, is it secret or am I expecting too much as a resident of the town and a retailer in the town to actually know whereabouts on the council website I can find it.
I have to be honest we keep going from week to week. We can't plan any long term growth in the shop. Some may say thats my fault, we aren't running the business properly but when you have a shop in a town centre you're dependency on the footfall of that town centre is relatively high to survival.
The only plan we have is to grow the internet is the side because thats the only expansion we can see. The town's dying on it's backside and there's a lot of Nero's fiddling while it burns. Or at least that's the perception, unless somebody can tell me otherwise,