Preston high street in the news
BBC Business Correspondent Emma Simpson walked down Fishergate in Preston today asking the question – what effect did big name closures have on the high street.
Preston, a proud city with some familiar names on its high street. But there are not as many as there used to be.
The BBC reminded us that nationwide in 2011, 174 shops closed while in 2012 that figured soared to 1779 with an average of 28 stores closing a day in 2013.
Emma reported that pawnbrokers, discount (pound) shops and payday loaning units had filled the gaps left by the big chainstores.
Very depressing. But we have seen new businesses emerging and independents thriving. Preston ‘Offers something different’ says the council and that is the recipe for success.
Peter Rankin, Leader of Preston City Council interviewed for the segment said: ‘Any city, any town needs to be more than just shops. We have to make it an interesting place, an attractive place for people to come into. Its very, very important that we have that mix and not just of the national chain store.’
At the Blog we tend to agree. Preston is not all about the chains. They have their place but our city is more than that. We have the quirky and the unique. We have things not found anywhere else. There are special places to be found and discovered. They are the places that can attract visitors and keep them coming back – as long as people know about them. Hopefully, the Blog will try and keep its readers fully informed of what is happening in the city (but if we miss anything, please let us know).
The BBC news report can be found here