Shopping in town

[Mr Bloke]

(snipped)...The retailers take note and set up/move their business to follow.

Well I guess somebody just forgot to tell those retailers in the new Moor market that that's how it's supposed to work then?

[GLASGOWOODS]

I aint been in Sheffield town centre for a good 10 months, so when i come down in a couple of weeks i will go have a walkabout and give you an outsiders perspective on it.

[geared]

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.

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

 

Rubbish, take a look at any nearby cities, the centres are much more vibrant, very busy and have lots more to them.

 

We've only managed to get round to smashing down the scabby old castle market, which should have been felled decades ago.

 

It's not the fault of 'this' council, if anything this council are actually getting things done, but these things should have been well along the way before the recession hit in 2008.

[Hesther]

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.

 

What do you mean 'we'? You live in Bakewell. When you pay council tax to Sheffield CC, then you can have a say.

[Eric Arthur]

What do you mean 'we'? You live in Bakewell. When you pay council tax to Sheffield CC, then you can have a say.

 

My business rates are much higher than your council tax and I pay a relative's council tax too. By your own standards I have a much bigger say than you.

[Isabelle]

I don't like shopping, I'm not your typical woman. I need to go into town on Friday to go to the bank (I can't do what I need to do online or on the phone), and purchase a few things I can't get elsewhere. I don't like Meadowhall, and it's difficult to get to on public transport, despite being just 10 minutes down the motorway. I worked in Meadowhall for a while, and that's enough to put anyone off for life

I do like some of the food retailers in town, my favourites are Nourish, and the falafel bar, Fanoush.

[Cyclone]

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?

 

For 1 and 3, basically, yes.

 

People stopped going to the city centre and went to meadowhall, the city centre declined.

If you don't use it, then you will lose it.

[Andy1976]

Town to me is:-

 

1. Street drunks, arguing and fighting

2. Betting shops, pound shops and Greggs

3. Charity idiots on Fargate

4. Expensive parking.

 

When they get rid of 1, 3 and 4, and do something to resolve number 2, I'd consider going. In the meantime, Meadowhall fulfils all my shopping requirements (non-food).

 

I agree good shops won't come to town unless people will use them, but people won't come to town unless there are good shops, so it's a little catch 22.

[alchresearch]

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.

 

Sevenstone?

 

Its all very well talking about retailers providing what people want. But maybe they don't need to spend time and money investing in Sheffield if the people are prepared to travel to Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool instead.

 

Cyclone does have a point about Meadowhall though. Manchester's Trafford Centre gets an amazing amount of visitors. Manchester city centre was dire until it got regenerated after the IRA bomb. Liverpool doesn't have an out of town shopping centre, instead making a centre of town one (Liverpool One).

 

Look at IKEA. OK, so Sheffield is finally getting one, but has the fact its not had one stopped Sheffield people from travelling to the other stores?

[Eater Sundae]

There was an interview on Radio Sheffield as part of the lead up to the recent discussions regarding where the HS2 station should be. I don't remember / know who he was and whether or not he knows what he was talking about, but a key point seemed to be:

 

(very heavily paraphrased) Don't try to regenerate Sheffield city centre with shops, as it doesn't work. What Sheffield needs to do is attract business. Once business comes, then this creates the people with the money who will use the shops, and so the shops will appear.

 

or words to that effect.

 

I don't know if he was right, but it might be worth considering.