How many empty shops in your Town?

[trt]

The High street where I live in the small Market Town of Newmarket has 12 up to now, and some are only opening 3 days a week.

We already have a Tesco, Waitrose and an Asda, and now Sainsburys and Morrison's have put in planning permission for their stores.
If they are granted which looks likely, I think there will be lot more becoming empty!

[redcrx]

i always thought that Newmarket would have decent shops, what with all the money that floats around there with the horsy types.

youre not far from me, our high street isnt too bad, though 2 stores are in throes of being changed to charity shops (to go with the 7 we already have)

[Postdog]

Very few actually. My town has a nice mix of big store names and independents and is actually a nice high street. Where I used to live was mainly estate agents, banks, eateries and charity shops, the charity shops occupying the independents that were there.

[SIRandyraven]

Reasons why I don't bother with the high street...

Hassle parking car and you have to pay and then drag bags about with you.
Shop online ...it's cheaper and easy ...click click ..done
Retail parks , Tesco etc offer free parking and ease to park


The high street is my last option these days.

[craft1948]

I've no idea as I can't remember the last time I went into the city centre (it's always full of bloody tourists)

[SIRandyraven]

times change ..the high street is doomed.

All that young people know is online , shopping malls and retail parks.
The High Street is a minority shop these days.

[AB Editor]

May be of interest: http://www.theanswerb.../Question1030433.html

[ummmm]

Not many. The old Woolworths is now a Tesco. The ones that do close down tend to re-open really quickly.

[Mosaic]

Sheer poverty round these parts, always has been. Lack of jobs / low wages means the town is dying on its rse. For years the town centre has had a large crop of pound stores and charity shops. In its wisdom, the council has a policy of raising rents ever higher in its market, and even pursued an expensive court case to stop a bloke running a successful coffee shop because his shop was in a 'zone' they deemed suitable for clothing shops. And they have removed all free short-stay parking....you used to be able to park on certain streets, now even the back streets are metered.
In the middle of all this, they've changed the one-way system leaving surviving shops out on a limb.
So shops shut down. But we have an Aldi, a Lidl and a Netto.....

[emmie]

it's largely down to the short sighted councils, they are the ones who punish people by extortionate parking charges, and then give planning permission for a so called out of town shopping mall, which then kills of the little trader in the high street. I was shocked to see how many areas like Hampstead, affluent, Highgate similiar have endless charity shops, but little else. In one street i counted 14 charity shops, which is outrageous.

[shaneystar2]

I live in a seaside town .We have a thriving High Street .Ok ,few charity shops and one or two empty but we still have proper butchers and bakers ,candlestick makers are in short supply ,but otherwise it's great for local shopping .

[emmie]

all our local shop have gone, no butcher, baker, candlestick maker, replaced with endless coffee shops, and convenience stores. It's pants as my nephew would say

[shaneystar2]

We've got Boots ;New Look .Peacocks :Wilkinsons ,Iceland and on the quay Morrisons .Plus loads of little shops .
Two butchers ,two independent bakers .Then the usual banks ,estate agents .
Then there are two Newsagents ,two restaurants ,cafe ,Florist ,Menswear shop ,QD ( cheap and cheerful odds and ends ) Photographer,Independent drapers shop .Card shops .Pets shop and bigger animal feed shop ,all independent .Couple of pubs ,dog groomers ......beauty salon ,hairdressers ....

[karenmac60]

We have 4 chemists, 4 Bookies, 3 charity shops, 2 freezer shops, 1 clothes shop, 5 takeaways and god knows how many hairdressers. Most of the shops are empty and we don't even have a decent supermarket.

[welshlibranr]

trt, we only have a Co-op supermarket so far, but Tesco are building a store soon, we have just 3 empty stores at present, but we have lots of Charity shops here, the ironmonger has gone, the shop that sold bags and purses and umbrellas has gone, the electrical shop has gone too!....Have to drive to town for most things these days!......shame!..........

[trt]

Our Pound-land closed down about 3 months ago, and still empty!

We have 12 bookies now and lots of estates agents.

[Maydup]

I come to Newmarket quite often for the racing and am always disapppointed by the High Street. It certainly seems a shame that interesting independent stores cannot thrive there. I guess too many people come in the the races but don't visit the town. And the locals just want supermarkets like the rest of the population. More bookies than anywhere of course - i bet online, surprised they keep going really.