My local newspaper...

PasturesNew

I've not been out for months, no idea what's happening out there. Apparently the largest shopping centre in Wales opened today, in Cardiff. Mostly not let. A few newcomers there, shops that haven 't been in Cardiff before, quite a lot relocating from the other end of the shopping area ... and just one "local independent retailer" Wally's Deli. Wally's have also kept his other/local shop open too. Good luck to Wally!

sjaypink

OK, thought I'd take a quick look on rightmove... Property Bee is not working on each search page- but does still how up if you click on each property- very annoying- any ideas?

(Sorry OT )

lostinrates

sjaypink wrote: »

OK, thought I'd take a quick look on rightmove... Property Bee is not working on each search page- but does still how up if you click on each property- very annoying- any ideas?

(Sorry OT )

I think its to do with Beerhunter and lack of people answring the call to arms:( I wish I were able to do it.:(

sjaypink

lostinrates wrote: »

I think its to do with Beerhunter and lack of people answring the call to troops:( I wish I were able to do it.:(

I have no idea what that means!

Davesnave

lemonjelly wrote: »

:eek: that's 25%! Quite remarkable.

LIR is sort of right. Only one of the 5 shops that closed was a 'basic needs' place. That was a fruit & veg venture, which had not been around long.
We still have a butcher, baker, newsagent and general store. We even have a hardware store with quite an on-line presence, a deli & a bistro for the weekenders.;)

I notice my egg farmer is now offering a few free range vegetables and some fruit, so as one door closes.....etc. etc.

lostinrates

sjaypink wrote: »

I have no idea what that means!

Beerhunter is one guy who created and ran Property bee, alone, with th rest of his life going on too. Now life has taken forst place, which is totally how it should be for any individual.

There were posts some time back asking for help, but....I guess no one could/would.

PasturesNew

Yeah, Beerhunter of Property Bee doesn't have the time to develop it further and answer peoples questions etc + do his day job, nobody's come forward to take the project on. I'd have been there like a shot if it were in my skillset, but it's not.

fc123

I should have picked up the local paper today to see what's going on down on the coast...but's such a deadly paper to read.:o

I do think far more jobs are advertised only online now....more than, even, 2 years ago.

Empty shops in the area I know well have been getting new tenants over the past few months...one after being empty since early 2007 after the lease ended, the existing T refused to sign a new one on new high rent of £58k.
It eventually dropped to 25k....and let, probably with 6 months rent free too.

The commmercial crash has been a positive thing IMHO and, we 'contributed' in our own tiny way by refusing to play the game...along with others. My store re-let for a lot less than we were paying too.

In central London I know of one person (very well respected indie) who is taking on a store @ 250k pa (I know ) but they were 450k pa 3 yrs back.
The rents drop and someone takes the unit on and emplys some help.
Perhaps it's all starting to turn around now?
I think we forget how quickly things happen nowadays...the downturn was swift, so the upturn may be quicker too.
I blame T'internet.:o

lostinrates

FC, I skim the actual news generally, but the ads can be useful. I also like to know what is on locally, incase DH is not to tired to do something at the weekend.

Well, another observation. Yesterday I needed to go into abigger twn than any of my local ones...mainly for anyone intyerested, I needed some tights, so M&S, and our nearest one is some 25 local minutes away in a town I try to avoid, but didn't fancy a trip to a city or bigger town further away so this was the choice.

We walked through the town and DH kept saying how quiet it was. And it was, but it wsn't dead. Very sadly the best shop in the town, and independant cheese seller, hs closed down. And a mobile phone shop. There were a few empty shops. This town is the nearest M&S sized town for a significant surrounding area, and it has a Starbucks now, which amaed me. Cafe Nero has been there a few years....loving being the only chain coffee shop I imagine.

I didn't check to see what, if anything, had replaced woolworths, significant draw too, like M&S in prominant position.

As someone who doesn't hobby shop I was relly amae by the sales on. We've been not spending after the splurge on a new -old car, and a planned splurge of a simialar size, but I feel now maybe I should hit the shops. I almost bought a couple of dozen glasses before deciding that glass was a silly purchase for someone who had no space bar storage.

I'm quite...curious..sad...at how its crept up on my locality and now feel compelled to visit with my eyes open, all the local places I feel most familiar with.

lostinrates

More and more interested in this now. Drove through vibrant little town/big village earlier. Its got lots of pubs (one has been closed for a while) a ouple of eateries, and a vibrant mix of local inhabitants and tourist draw....its one of the Towns Beeching didn't chop. Well, the ''new'' deli/coffee shop (about two years old) is ''To Let'' and an antique shop is a clothes shop. I popped into the esate agent in which someone I used to get about with a bit works, and had a really interesting gossip about the market locally.

I'm enjoying this. (not in a glad people suffering way, just in a way of greater understanding, i'd enjoy more never having even thought of the economy, but its weird to see what opens/survives, what is going) And I bought a new teapot this morning that I had seen and not bought some months ago.