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High Street gloom


hissingsid

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2 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

We were in Clitheroe, Lancs a couple of days ago. Pop. 15000. Ten pubs, and pretty much every shop occupied. And it is in the arse end of nowhere.

What were the prices like though?

 

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26 minutes ago, yootalkin2me said:

The high street as we know it is dying at a very fast rate, however, if towns diversify their town centres/high street with artisan, specialist, coffee, cafe, boutique shops with entertainment and things to look at I'm sure it'll do fine. The main problem with Douglas is that it doesn't have a town built around a square as such so it'll need to be pretty inventive as most, if not all coastal towns suffer in the autumn and winter. It'll take someone or some people collectively to work together to be creative and come up with a brand new use for Douglas, something unique and indeed all the other towns of the Isle of Man.

Target practice?

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2 hours ago, pongo said:

The shops which sell stuff people don't buy online seem to be doing fine. Imagine trying to buy lunch online. Or even just a coffee. It would be even slower than Starbucks.

 

2 hours ago, pongo said:

hifi components?

It more about choice and convenience. Rather than being especially about saving money.

Niche and boutique businesses do just fine despite the internet. But I'm not sure I would trust the advice of anyone who would deliberately compete with the internet for what the internet does better.

To a point. This is the usual route that is cited as the way forward for the future of the high street, but it only has so much mileage in it. The reason that coffee shops, niche eateries, art shops, etc. do reasonably well today is because there is still a rump of real traditional businesses on the streets supplying groceries, household goods, consumer durables, jewellery, etc. Maybe some people will visit the high street especially to partake in coffee shops, tapas bars and peruse art galleries, but these outlets also need footfall from the residue of people who still actually shop like their parents did and are taking a break from it for an hour or so. When those regular "foot stomping" shopping people have gone and have been replaced their children who shop online, I wouldn't give much for the chances of the leisure time high street. I am not sure that it will retain critical mass.

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The future model for high streets is supposed to be more homes, which then supports nightlife, coffee places, restaurants, Tesco express, niche browsy shops etc. 

By having people living there it generates footfall, which makes the businesses that remain popular and the people from the Suburbs and surrounding villages are drawn in. 

Edit to add: I struggle to see this in Strand Street, The Quay perhaps Castletown and Peel maybe  

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1 minute ago, Declan said:

The future model for high streets is supposed to be more homes, which then supports nightlife, coffee places, restaurants, Tesco express, niche browsy shops etc. 

By having people living there it generates footfall, which makes the businesses that remain popular and the people from the Suburbs and surrounding villages are drawn in. 

In there quest to satisfy the finance sector, Douglas virtually chased out all the people who used to live in Central Douglas. Could that be the crux of the problem or just a contributing factor

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12 minutes ago, Neil Down said:

In there quest to satisfy the finance sector, Douglas virtually chased out all the people who used to live in Central Douglas. Could that be the crux of the problem or just a contributing factor

Really? I thought the entire promenade, which used to be hotels hotels hotels had now turned into flats flats flats and the odd apartment.

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Supermarkets in Bavaria are limited to what they sell, so butchers, bakers and pharmacies are always busy here.

People also use the coffee places as meeting places and will usually go to get their bread, meat and meds then spend time in the coffee bar, before picking up their parcels from amazon, at the post office on their way home.

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3 hours ago, craggy_steve said:

 

It's a terrible thing. Many high street retailers offer an important value-add service, whether it's being able to try on clothes, or try a musical instrument, or listen to hi-fi components, or seek advice about camera models etc. etc.  before you buy.  Peoples desire to save money buy buying online from large discounters is understandable, but when folk have made their purchase decision by first inspecting and trying goods at a local retailer they should buy local, otherwise these shops go out of business and we lose the facility and our neighbours and friends lose their jobs. 

Peter Norris closed down a few days ago. There endeth the last proper music shop on the island. Yes, it's a very bad thing. 

There is  nothing to stop another music shop opening up. Certainly a gap for one if they can find the right place  Affordable rent.

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3 hours ago, craggy_steve said:

 

It's a terrible thing. Many high street retailers offer an important value-add service, whether it's being able to try on clothes, or try a musical instrument

Peter Norris closed down a few days ago.

1

It's not that important obviously.

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2 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

We were in Clitheroe, Lancs a couple of days ago. Pop. 15000. Ten pubs, and pretty much every shop occupied. And it is in the arse end of nowhere.

which tells you the isle of man is even worse than the arse end of where.

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