Big Shops re-opening today. Anyone going?

[wafter]

If you can get past the shonky journalism there are some interesting footfall numbers on the Oxford Mail website.

The takeaways are that on Monday (the day the consumptive flood gates were once more thrown open) city centre footfall was up by 70% on the previous week, while still 70% down on the same time last year.

Tbh I think it's pretty heartening that there were only around 30% of the people in the city centre compared to last year; while a good chunk of the difference can probably be explained by people still off work and an absence of international tourists, I find it encouraging that many are apparently still staying away despite government encouragement to do the opposite.

I'd also expect numbers to have been higher on Monday due to "pent up demand", so ongoing the footfall may be even lower for a while.

By contrast however, apparently the horror that is Bicester village retail outlet has been crammed with people - natural selection I guess; if not necessarily for those showing such little concern, for their vulnerable friends and relatives by proxy

 

[captain nemo1701]

I nipped down to Waterstones in Bristol the other day to buy a mate a book for his 60th. The Galleries shopping centre (oops, sorry, shouldn't that be 'mall' as BJ wants us to be state number 51?. I mention that as this forum spell check didn't like 'centre') deserted except for a dozen or so people. Got in & out of Waterstones in five minutes. Confusing one way system, loos not open. First time there since 23/3, maybe I'll order online in the future??. Unless we get a vaccine, this may be the death-knell of traditional shopping?.

 

[wafter]

I nipped down to Waterstones in Bristol the other day to buy a mate a book for his 60th. The Galleries shopping centre (oops, sorry, shouldn't that be 'mall' as BJ wants us to be state number 51?. I mention that as this forum spell check didn't like 'centre') deserted except for a dozen or so people. Got in & out of Waterstones in five minutes. Confusing one way system, loos not open. First time there since 23/3, maybe I'll order online in the future??. Unless we get a vaccine, this may be the death-knell of traditional shopping?.

Aye; I ventured to Primark earlier to suckle once more at the poison teat of consumerism (bought a couple of T-shirts in a novel smaller size to try and capitalise on my weight loss to cheer myself up). I constituted a queue of one for all of about 10 seconds until someone left; when I departed there were maybe 5-6 people queueing outside. Not sure how many people they were allowing in at a time but it was (thankfully) pretty sparsely attended inside. The Westgate (shopping centre) was again pretty empty; probably fewer people than I saw on Monday.

As you suggest this could well be the final nail in the coffin of bricks and mortar retail; it was already on its knees pre-Covid due to the perpetual growth of online sales (and probably reduced consumer spending too). Months of rent and other outgoings to pay for the shops with zero sales to fund these costs, while all the time people have been forced into using online retailers instead. It was grim before; must be a bloodbath now.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Aye; I ventured to Primark earlier to suckle once more at the poison teat of consumerism (bought a couple of T-shirts in a novel smaller size to try and capitalise on my weight loss to cheer myself up). I constituted a queue of one for all of about 10 seconds until someone left; when I departed there were maybe 5-6 people queueing outside. Not sure how many people they were allowing in at a time but it was (thankfully) pretty sparsely attended inside. The Westgate (shopping centre) was again pretty empty; probably fewer people than I saw on Monday.

As you suggest this could well be the final nail in the coffin of bricks and mortar retail; it was already on its knees pre-Covid due to the perpetual growth of online sales (and probably reduced consumer spending too). Months of rent and other outgoings to pay for the shops with zero sales to fund these costs, while all the time people have been forced into using online retailers instead. It was grim before; must be a bloodbath now.

Most Shopping Centres are owned by large companies as part of their property portfolio. They rely on the rent from the retailers / restaurants / cinema complex etc. If the shops aren't earning enough to pay the rents then the fallout will be like a house of cards tumbling.
We really are in a very precarious situation.

 

[wafter]

Most Shopping Centres are owned by large companies as part of their property portfolio. They rely on the rent from the retailers / restaurants / cinema complex etc. If the shops aren't earning enough to pay the rents then the fallout will be like a house of cards tumbling.
We really are in a very precarious situation.

Absolutely. IMO we've been due a proper financial collapse for over a decade after kicking the can down the road with all manner of money printing, borrowing, props and bail-out schemes introduced after 2007.. The new Westgate development was only completed a few years ago, which IMO was absolute madness given the financial climate / outlook.

Tbh I have little concern for private / corporate shareholders in all of this (and don't get me started on property financialisation, as a near-40yr old renter), however it seems that many local councils have also "invested" in such ventures as well

Another salient point is how much of our economy is non-essential service-based; meaning job losses and subsequent private spending cuts will spread like wild fire; unlike if we had a more diverse range of employment and a more healthy export situation.

 

[Mike_P]

Nipped into Harrogate this morning for the first time since pre lockdown if you discount early Saturday mornings when only the M&S Food Hall and Holland & Barratt were open. Maybe the weather had a role in it but generally no queues, their was one for Holland & Barratt as they are only allowing two customers in store. Seemed a bit strange in WHS not being tempted to make use of its magazine browsing facility and did have to wait inside M&S for access to the food hall. Picked up a rather snazzy face covering the bus company is selling for £2.50 (£4.50 posted) with proceeds going to NHS Charities Together

 

[oldwheels]

Shopping centres in Scotland don't seem to be opening yet. Only shops with a direct access to outside will be allowed to open meantime.

 

[matticus]

Shopping centres in Scotland don't seem to be opening yet. Only shops with a direct access to outside will be allowed to open meantime.

Is this because Scots prefer to queue in the rain?

 

[Low Gear Guy]

Went to a non essential shop today to buy a birthday card. This was a grim experience. All the staff had masks on, there was a one way system and lots of warnings not to handle goods. I won't be rushing back.

This was my second attempt to buy card. I failed after work last Thursday as Smiths had changed their closing time from 17:30 to 17:00.

 

[Mike_P]

Went to a non essential shop today to buy a birthday card. This was a grim experience. All the staff had masks on, there was a one way system and lots of warnings not to handle goods.

I would be glad to see staff all wearing masks as they are seeking to prevent passing the virus on if they have it without knowing. Most dupermarket staff are seemingly exempt from the virus IME as none seem to see any need to wear a face mask.

 

[MarkF]

I rode into Leeds centre yesterday, was going to get a few cheap bike bits for my son from Wilkos. It was a bizarre dystopian scene. Plenty of people about, not shopping as much as just being with other people, the stores had so little footfall actually inside it wouldn't be enough to pay the satff never mind anything else, yet there were small queues outside. Security everywhere, arrows everywhere. Market pretty normal, they'd opened up all the food outlets in the lower mall, ace. But taken away every bench chair & table meaing it was pretty pointless the outlets opening up.

Got a £3 meal deal from Sainsburys and sat eating it in the sun in Leeds dock, I've only got one life and am not prepared to spend 1 minute of it queuing to get in Wilkos. I'd say 5x more cyclists about than on a sunny June Saturday last year.