What does your high street look like?

theinsider · 21 February 2009 at 6:42PM

Quick report from Guildford...seems to be largely business as usual.

Friary centre (owned by Westfield) - apart from Barratts, couple of other empty units due to the following businesses closing: upmarket opticians, First Choice and a clothes shop. There's always been empty units in this centre as long as I can remember though. Most noticeable difference was the little market type stalls were all empty.

White Lion Walk - all units occupied.

Friary Street - currently getting a facelift so it'll be interesting to see how quickly the new units fill up. Already a new Premium Apple Reseller opened. Other big casulty here is Woolworths of course.

High Street - only one empty unit as far as I could see; Viyella (ladies clothes shop I think it was).

Tunsgate - one major casulty here which was The Pier. All other units trading.

North Street - business as usual in the market. Freespirit had closed but already been replaced by Blacks relocating from previous awful location.

Elsewhere - noticed a couple of independent ladies fashion retailers have closed. Yates Wine Bar closed a long time ago (no loss there!).

fc123 · 21 February 2009 at 7:41PM

theinsider wrote: »

Quick report from Guildford...seems to be largely business as usual.

North Street - business as usual in the market. Freespirit had closed but already been replaced by Blacks relocating from previous awful location..

Blacks owns Free spirit....also Millets (though it's more millay now...can't do an ecoute on my keyboard to pronounce Millet French style).
The Millets on my old suburban S E London High St has been there as long as I can remember. All the wellies I have ever owned in my whole life have come from there.

It always amazes me how most people don't know that ceratin fascias/brands are all controlled by one mega parent company......but I do understand as it's my sector, workwise, and I am just as uninformed about other multi brand companies.......I'm not being Ms Know-all having a dig...just saying by the by.

Out of interest, is M Shoes still trading in the Friary? It opened this time last year.

theinsider · 23 February 2009 at 9:49PM

Well there you go...I never knew Blacks owned Freespirit...I was wondering how they got in there so quick!

M Shoes...not sure...I'll have a look next time I'm in the Friary.

Quick report from the large village of Cranleigh - only one unit empty in the whole village - seen more empty units in the good times!

fc123 · 23 February 2009 at 9:54PM

theinsider wrote: »

Well there you go...I never knew Blacks owned Freespirit...I was wondering how they got in there so quick!

M Shoes...not sure...I'll have a look next time I'm in the Friary.

Quick report from the large village of Cranleigh - only one unit empty in the whole village - seen more empty units in the good times!

Thanks...it's in a section near the cashpoints and a curtain shop.

sillyvixen · 23 February 2009 at 10:20PM

OMG walking to work today - 3 shops that were trading saturday have closed over the weekend and were being cleared, barrets and the other cheapy shoe shop owned by them, and a clothes shop in the shopping centre that i dont remeber the name as i have never had the budget to shop there.