Shopping in town

[Eric Arthur]

The council want to build lots of big new shops in Sheffield city centre but I'm not convinced that's what we all want. I prefer to buy things online and have them delivered to chez nous. Maybe going shopping as a thing is what women do because I don't know many men that enjoy it.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Eric Arthur

[Mister M]

I don't especially enjoy shopping, but I'd much rather shop in town than buy things from the internet. Especially for things like clothes, where I can try before I buy. Saves all that faffing about sending things back.

I don't like the thought of the city centre becoming like a ghost town with just mobile phone shops, banks and cafes. I think city centres should be as vibrant as possible.

[999tigger]

Why cant you do both? Some things are better bought at a real store and others cam be bought just fine off the internet. It would be much better for Sheffield if it had a vibrant and busy shopping centre. More jobs, more choice and better kept city centre.

[Berberis]

I like shopping in the town centre, I just begrudge the greedy council charging a fortune to park.

[forgeman]

I agree the parking costs are off putting travelling to town. I have a free travel pass for the buses but find them unreliable so we go to Meadowhall where there is free parking. That said most of the well know stores are owned by larger companies and tend to sell the same products. This is true in most towns these days. We need more independent stores be it large or small, if they could afford the business rates.

[sgtkate]

It depends on the weather, my mood and the time of year.

 

At no point does car parking charges even enter my head if I'm honest.

 

I would say I prefer the city centre shopping than Meadowhall mainly as there is fresh air and other places to go if shopping is getting on my nerves. I can go and sit on the grass at the peace gardens with a sandwich or sit in a nice pub if the weather is poor. I can do neither of those things at Meadowhall. Wetherspoons does not count as a nice pub!

[geared]

If there was something worth going into the town centre for I'd make the effort.

 

The council have let it get so bad it's become engrained in common thought that it's a waste of time shopping into the centre.

[ECCOnoob]

Oh here we go again.

 

Its all the council's fault. Waaaa Waaaa SCC incompetence.

 

God sake. People need to stop being so in denial.

 

WE choose where to shop. WE create the demands for what we want to buy. WE choose how much we are prepared to pay.

 

We get the shops we deserve in the places where we choose to frequent.

 

If people want to attract better retailers then they need to create a market for it.

 

Retailers aren't stupid. They spend millions on research to know where their stores will work and more importantly where they wont.

 

Despite what doom mongers bang on about, the council's involvement is only a tiny tiny part of a huge jigsaw.

 

We the public have our part to play too. Firstly by stopping being constantly stuck in the past and always so negative. For example, its been a little while since I have visited the bottom of the moor, but this afternoon I ventured down there. The market was at least moderately busy, three new units have opened up including Peacocks and Deichmann and part of the new centre block is up and built. Small changes like this keep happening on the precinct along with the demolition of Grosvenor House and complete refurbishments of (former) Telephone House and Milton House.

 

This is the progress people have been screaming about isn't it?? This is what "redevelopment" is supposed to be about isn't it??

Edited February 20, 2016 by ECCOnoob

[geared]

So it's our fault there are so few shops in the city centre?

 

It's our fault the development down the moor has taken decades instead of months?

 

It's our fault shops choose Meadowhall over the city centre?

[ECCOnoob]

So it's our fault there are so few shops in the city centre?

 

What are you talking about. There are loads of Shops in the City Centre. They run from Haymarket right through to Moorfoot with extra shopping along Division Street and Chapel Walk.

 

Add up the number of retailers and make some comparators to Meadowhall.

 

It's our fault the development down the moor has taken decades instead of months?

 

There was a global recession and massive increases in competition from out of town retailers and internet shopping which WE the people were partly responsible for. We voted with our feet and where demand dropped some retailers couldn't survive it.

 

I have said before, its a jigsaw and its not all on the council's shoulders. There are many pieces to the project and we are a part of it too.

 

It's our fault shops choose Meadowhall over the city centre?

 

YES partly. People choose to shop there over the city centre. The retailers take note and set up/move their business to follow.