Sunday Xmas shopping event

News and views on shopping in the county town.
carlos fandango
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Joined:Wed 04 Dec, 2013 8:00 am
Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by carlos fandango » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 8:15 am

Well unless one was buying vouchers for hairdressing, facial, nails, meals or drinks, what exactly is there to buy in Hertford. I've lived here many years and have almost given up on it as a shopping destination.
Sorry people, but it it just makes more sense to go further afield half the time.

carlos fandango
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Joined:Wed 04 Dec, 2013 8:00 am

Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by carlos fandango » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 8:17 am

PS: I don't say this with any joy either. This is my home and I find it sad that a cartel of landlords and supermarkets are driving good independent retailers to the wall.

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Steve
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Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by Steve » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 11:52 am

carlos fandango wrote:... I find it sad that a cartel of landlords and supermarkets are driving good independent retailers to the wall.
You forgot business rates and the internet

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Ted Badger
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Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 8:14 pm

Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by Ted Badger » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 3:06 pm

I may have read somewhere that this was to be expected of now and the future:

The town centre is replaced by residential housing and the people are serviced by the outlying ring of shopping 'parks'.

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gemipicorn
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Joined:Sun 01 Dec, 2013 6:04 pm

Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by gemipicorn » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 5:33 pm

carlos fandango wrote:Well unless one was buying vouchers for hairdressing, facial, nails, meals or drinks, what exactly is there to buy in Hertford. I've lived here many years and have almost given up on it as a shopping destination.
Sorry people, but it it just makes more sense to go further afield half the time.
I'm sad to say that I quite agree, we don't go out to eateries and I don't do the whole beauty thing, I find it hard to get anything I want in the town so apart from the odd trip to my bank I hardly ever go into town anymore. :(

Kateg28
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Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:53 am

Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by Kateg28 » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 6:03 pm

gemipicorn wrote:
carlos fandango wrote:Well unless one was buying vouchers for hairdressing, facial, nails, meals or drinks, what exactly is there to buy in Hertford. I've lived here many years and have almost given up on it as a shopping destination.
Sorry people, but it it just makes more sense to go further afield half the time.
I'm sad to say that I quite agree, we don't go out to eateries and I don't do the whole beauty thing, I find it hard to get anything I want in the town so apart from the odd trip to my bank I hardly ever go into town anymore. :(
Me too. Compounded by difficulty in parking and cost of public transport (Cost me just under £5 for one way for my son and me on the bus :o ) Actually I use the bank near my office as easier so don't even have that.

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gemipicorn
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Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by gemipicorn » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 6:28 pm

I had to go into Ware the other week (not something I have done in years) and I was amazed to see how busy it was compared to Hertford. It seems to a have a good variety of shops with reasonable prices. If they can do it I don't see why Hertford can't.

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james
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Joined:Mon 02 Dec, 2013 12:22 pm

Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by james » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 7:07 pm

I've said it plenty of times on the old forum, so about time I rehashed it here on the new one....

Town centres have changed. The notion that they are somewhere to do shopping is dead. They are now leisure spaces. Somewhere for people to meet, children to play, and communities to promote and share ideas. The council needs to wake up to this and make the town centre attractive to people and get over the the idea that we're still living in the 70s and towns should be designed around the car.
If the centre was redesigned to make it more attractive and easier for people, not cars, to move about in then shoppers will spend more time in town, buy more stuff, and return more often. Plenty of studies have shown this. Free up some space from cars and you can have street events every week and all over town, not just one poorly promoted Sunday in December.

To test the waters on this the council should close the streets for longer when they have a special event such as the carnival or Christmas lights switch on. Maybe even for the whole weekend. Make the town genuinely attractive to come to, and not just some half-arsed effort. Actually, the Christmas switch on is a good example. Loads of people in town, most of who had walked in, squeezed onto the narrow pavement of Fore Street as they give way to a handful of cars.

Rant over. I look forward to your comments about how the town could be improved by being able to park anywhere for free.

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Steve
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Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by Steve » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 7:19 pm

I think we're in danger here of veering off-topic. The future and sustainability of town centres is a separate discussion to the wisdom, success or otherwise of Sunday's shopping event. :)

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Dillinquent
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Re: Sunday Xmas shopping event

Post by Dillinquent » Tue 10 Dec, 2013 7:33 pm

Steve wrote:
carlos fandango wrote:... I find it sad that a cartel of landlords and supermarkets are driving good independent retailers to the wall.
You forgot business rates and the internet
And parking

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