Use it or lose it - warning to Plymouth shoppers
PLYMOUTH'S city centre chief has warned High Street-shy shoppers: 'Use it – or lose it'.
City people are increasingly shunning their local stores, as bargain-hunting Brits flocks online.
The Herald reported last week on a string of shop closures – many national chains – that had torn the city centre in two.
Traders, retail experts and city centre managers have all predicted more shutters will go up before the end of 2012.
And city centre manager Clint Jones has warned that a shift in retail habits could drive independent stores out of business.
He is forecasting the "inevitable demise of the High Street" unless the Government takes action to lure shoppers back.
"The big question is: Do people want a High Street?" Mr Jones said.
"If it's not important to people anymore to have a space and a part of their community they can call their own, that will be the inevitable demise of the High Street.
"I think it would be a huge shame and a huge loss – not just to Plymouth but on a national scale.
"We'll do everything we can in the meantime to stop that from happening."
Online shopping now accounts for around 17 per cent of UK sales, compared to just 1.2 per cent ten years ago.
According to e-commerce association IMRG, 32 million Brits now shop online every year.
They spent an incredible £68.2billion in 2011, up 16 per cent on the previous year – a trend that shows no signs of slowing.
Bolstering online sales is the surge in people shopping on their mobile phones.
In just two years, 'i-commerce' transactions have shot up by 200 per cent, Mr Jones said.
"You have to look at the way in which we as people consume," he added. "The reality is, retail has changed dramatically.
"I think we can expect to see a real-terms decline in spending across the high street this year, and a marked increase in online spending and i-commerce.
"I think off the back of that we'll also see the opening of a really strong national debate about retail in the wake of the Portas Review, and hopefully some Central Government recommendations."
TV star and retail consultant Mary Portas was commissioned by the Government to conduct an independent review into the state of the UK's High Streets last year.
Among her recommendations were cutting red tape that holds back traders, giving more power to Business Improvement Districts and encouraging commercial landlords to offer better rates.
Mr Jones backed many of her ideas, and said the City Centre Company would strive to attract more shoppers throughout 2012.
"I honestly believe there is no other city in the UK that provides as wide and diverse a series of events as Plymouth city centre," he said.
City traders and council chiefs have also noticed the shift in retail habits.
Speaking at a council budget meeting last month, Plymouth Labour group finance spokesman Cllr Mark Lowry said retail was moving "from bricks to clicks".
And David Draffan, Plymouth City Council's assistant director for economic development, said national retailers were realising they need a smaller high street presence.
City Market Traders Association chairman Ray Robins told The Herald that West End stores offered something the internet couldn't.
"The high street is shrinking and there's an increase in trade on the internet," he said. "That is obviously not good for us.
"But on the internet you're a consumer – in the Independent Quarter you're a valued customer."
Experts' report on Plymouth's retail market – Page 18
109 Comments
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by LPLennon
Friday, April 13 2012, 1:15PM
“People shop on line as items are much cheaper than the high street shop why pay 20 pounds to 25 pounds for a t-shirt when I can get the same t-shirt for 10 pounds or less on the internet, besides as I live on the outskirts of Newton Abbot so I have to travel to do my shopping. For that reason if I decide to visit Plymouth for the day I have to pay in access of 4 pounds car parking fees for 6 hours just to have a look around and then I might not find what I looking for. It's more convenient to shop on line than pay car parking fees.”
by MagicalOne
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:53AM
“High streets could and should do more to attract arts and crafts people to set up shop , unfortunately prohibitive rent and council taxes put off many artisans from setting up in business , they have been chased away from our town centres by the very stores who are now closing down their retail outlets , business taxes are way to high for individuals , there should be more help available for such industrious and independent persons .”
by hstmtu4000
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 11:58PM
“Just for interest John Lewis is investing £17million in its new Exeter which opens this Autumn.John Lewis is also opening new stores this year in Newbury, Chichester and Ipswich,followed by York in 2013 and Birmingham in 2014.Check out the following article and see how John Lewis are adapting to changing shopping patterns including the internet.
http://tinyurl.com/7g6epzq
To quote their managing director "We set a target last summer and had a target of getting to £1bn turnover online and we are target to do it by January 2014.Last year we did £500m online but this year our online growth will be 25pc. We take 21pc of our total trade online."
Their target is 60 shops by 2020, representing the biggest expansion in the department store chain's history but Exeter will be as far west as they would want to come do doubt just as everything else of consequence stops at Exeter now.”
by fiest1406
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 11:42PM
“The only way out of this mire is to re-introduce a manufacturing base similar to that we had in the late 70's & 80's. If people have money in their pockets and Plymouth had a balanced economy the service sector survives. What i find worrying is the simple fact no political party has grasped the simple concept. If you do not produce anything tangible then people, one cannot find work and two, pay to support a service sector? Considering this how did Draftan get a directors post in the Council and where why on earth did they find Clint and his dribble from? It really is time we put the infrastructure in place to support SME's that could employ 200-300people including offering incentives. From a national perspective to create jobs and stop this endless pile of cheap junk coming in from China, tax Chinese goods 30% at their point of entry to this Country in -order to make our economy more competitive against a devalued currency that supports another countries exports?”
by hjm4l
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 10:28PM
“Poor old Clint really doesn't have a clue.
If as he states the demise of Plymouth is all down to internet shopping then why do so many travel to Exeter.
There are people still with money to spend but you would be hard pressed to find anything to spend it on in Plymouth as even House of Fraser will only stock goods depending on which city they are in.
After trawling around Plymouth and finding nothing i went to Exeter yesterday and managed to get everything i was looking for so won't be going into our city centre again as it's a complete waste of time.”
by crazypenguin
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 9:34PM
“gerrytucker88 You relise you can shop around online as well dont you? the world doesnt end at amazon.....4gb of ram can be had for a lot cheaper then 42 quid haha (Ive recently bourght 8gb for my desktop and it didnt cost me that), I suggest for pc items in future check out http://tinyurl.com/7rv5ao4 specialists and never failed me once.
Id think twice before I put a stick of bargin basement wilkinsons ram in my pc anyway though, you get what you pay for as far as pc stuff goes, ive used cheap no brand ram before and it was burnt out within a year :)
For computer items its much better shopping online, cant stand pc stores you always get some tech head member of staff coming over trying to talk you into buying stuff you really dont need because hes on commision,(thats one of my pet hates in all shops btw, at least online you can shop without being hassled!) I built my own pc with parts ordered via ebuyer and I saved a bundle over what a similar spec pc would have cost me from a major store like comet etc.”
by gerrytucker88
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 9:12PM
“The last time I ventured into town was for a single 4 gig stick of ram for my laptop.
Wilkinsons: £7.99
Amazon: £42.99 + free delivery.
Everytime I try and use online, it just forces me back into town ."”
by pimpsy
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 8:15PM
“I run a business here in the centre of Plymouth, the first and foremost thing killing the high streets are the unrealistic rates and rents, add on top of that, mounting tax and the downturn in footfall, caused by an eyesore that is out of reach for independent businesses you have the mess we are in now.
Retailers cannot compete with online it NEVER will, retail outlets have far more overheads to pay.
Truth be known only huge chains are surviving (and barely doing that) and if the current state of HMV and Game aren't showing you how much trouble retail is in, in general, nothing will.
Encourage growth through the properties rents and look at the current parking system and routes in and out of town to make shopping in a high street appealing.”
by Demshur
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 7:32PM
“I have said this before and I make no apologies for repeating it - the shops in the City Centre are on their way out. If I go shopping, for anything other than food, the chances are I will go home empty-handed because they don't stock it. Many times I have walked from Drake Circus end to Frankfort Gate looking for something and not found it. On one occasion it was just a light bulb; on another it was something from Argos which the shop said they didn't stock and I had to get them to look on their own website before they would believe me. Publishers no longer seem to publish books that interest me so there is little point in visiting Waterstones. DVDs are easier to buy online and get them delivered to my door at no extra charge. My computer was bought online and delivered and so have my recent furniture purchases. Some curtain hooks came from Scotland because nowhere in Plymouth stocked them. Retailers who do not have a website are just going to fade away and so are the shops in most of the City Centre. Car parking is only apart of the problem. I am happy to use the bus and I am still waiting for the Council to start their pedestrian zone in Cornwall Street and New George Street. But carrying something large or heavy home is always going to be a problem so perhaps the shop owners should be looking at a free delivery service within the City. One other alternative would be to lift the pedestrian zone completely on one half and let the car drivers fight over their spaces and get obese through lack of exercise while leaving the other half for those of us who would rather walk around a pollution free City Centre. In the meantime I am afraid that just as the train replaced the stage-coach and the plane has replaced the ocean liner, so will buying online replace the physical shop. That's life.”
by superwoman123
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 7:08PM
“first and formost its the cost of travling into town ie bus fares /parking all to high if they made it creaper alot more people would travel i,m sure plus some traders think they.re giving you a good bargin come on what would you choose honestly say buy a dress on line say for 30quid with free post or going into town paying like 40 quid for the dress and to top it paying for parking /bus etc
i know which i,d chose for sure going nto our plymouth city centre is so depressing as it is we really need to revamp and move the times i love the way like starbucks and zeuz and a few others have extended outside that sort of thing keeping things real is the way ahead now i love the market but that needs knocking down and all the buildings connected to is and completely revamped bretonside need blinkin help as does the train station both not a pretty site as vistiors come into our city is it it looks like a heap make the use of plymouth,s great history in the city centre !!”