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Who Shops in Preston?

pnewortham

pnewortham

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Joined
Aug 8, 2019
Messages
8,130
Live in Penwortham but haven't been to Preston (up Fishergate etc) since before lockdown.

I've re-trained myself to shop either online, at local shops, or at Deepdale / Capital Centre.

Am I the only one?
 
Last thing I (we) bought apart from a Coffee maybe in Preston city centre was my wedding band. That was circa 2018/2019.

I’ve had more Covid Jabs in Preston in the 2020’s than I’ve had retail experiences.

That ain’t a brag, I appreciate it is rather disappointing.
 
Bit of a trek for me now, but when I was there I used to regularly shop there, but it was mainly at Scene skateshop. In fact I was in there so much I'm featured on a limited edition shop board they did called 'Workers v Lurkers'. Can't find a pic but I have the board back in me mum's attic in Preston.
 
I still go into the centre, mostly to the markets. Butchers, fruits and veg and Cheese stall. I also like to pop in for a few beers, mainly the real ale houses.
Most my other shopping is done at retail parks or supermarkets
 
Haven't been in town shopping for anything since the start of Covid last March. Usually go online, deepdale centre or capital centre like the O.P. says. I've been in one or two pubs/restaurants but that's about it.
 
Can only imagine venturing in to town for a pre match pint or occasional meal in an evening. But saying that there is as many nice restaurants on the outskirts of town than in it….
 
Yeah, mostly the market though, plus Waterstones, Action and the charity shops for any records.
 
Used to more when I lived closer, now it's a day out for me to go the centre, I just go to the retail parks recently.

One thing that puts me off though, charity collectors or salespeople, there's really nothing nice about some of their ways of getting your attention.
 
Not a lot worth going in for now, unless it’s for a few drinks. Not a fan of online clothes shopping, I’m a try before you buy person, much less hassle. Looks like I’m going to have to increase my carbon footprint, and go to the Trafford centre, (yuk) Liverpool or Leeds.
 
We occasionally venture in but haven’t since pre lockdown. Prefer the centre to retail parks as there are still some good individual businesses rather than corporate stuff.

https://www.paluca.co.uk/ this place is great for a coffee and waffle breakfast. Why go to Costa Fortune when places like this exist?
 
Shame to see some of the empty shops that were once household names such as Debenhams and Topshop. Sign of the times as well sadly, what with the many pubs that haven’t reopened after the pandemic. It would be nice to see more independent and smaller enterprises start up. It’s tough and high rates don’t help.
 
I do wonder what will become of the old Debenhams store.

It has such a big footprint, the rates would be huge! Is there really any retail that could take that on?

Surely they’ll have to split it up and attempt to get smaller retailers, but even then, will there really be much demand?

Given that the old BHS store is still vacant, I can’t see anything different for that Debenhams plot.
 
northender0602 said:
Not a lot worth going in for now, unless it’s for a few drinks. Not a fan of online clothes shopping, I’m a try before you buy person, much less hassle. Looks like I’m going to have to increase my carbon footprint, and go to the Trafford centre, (yuk) Liverpool or Leeds.
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Can't wait to get back to Preston and Primark - new undercrackers 👍
 
I do worry about how they re-attract significant footfall post-Covid to the city centre given there's no real destination stores within the CBD.

How Fishergate is still going is another story in itself, footfall massively down with the lack of commuter traffic from the train station and walking through there's nothing you can't get in other parts of town or retail parks with the exception of Primark.

Massive task on the council's hands to re-attract named brands and start ups to fill the vacant properties especially with the proposed St George's hospitality deal collapsing.

I mean, the old JJB Sports has only just been reoccupied by Slaters Menswear relocating from near the Miller Arcade (and I'm not sure if it's even opened yet). JJB went bust in 2012.
 
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The shift to online shopping was very much in progress anyway pre-Covid, but the pandemic has probably significantly sped up that shift away from the high streets.

Not really sure what the government can do to protect the high streets in the long-run. If consumers are looking elsewhere then high streets and town centres will have to adapt and re-invent themselves.

I think the high streets of the future in places like Preston will contain more residential buildings/student flats, more smaller independent stores, restaurants, cafes etc. and less big brand retail stores.
 
People keep talking as if these problems are unique to Preston but the same is happening up and down the country.

We've seen some well-known brands disappear from the high street for good, online retailers (who aren't subject to the vast overheads as physical stores) go from 'strength to strength' whilst central government have sat back and done fuck all to help address the decline.

Anyway, for me, I try to get as much from up town as I can. Sadly with the loss of Debenhams which was my go-to place for most of my clothes (one of the few places that cater for fat late 30-somethings such as me!) means I'm pretty screwed now when it comes to clothes shopping.
 
Adam . said:
I do wonder what will become of the old Debenhams store.

It has such a big footprint, the rates would be huge! Is there really any retail that could take that on?

Surely they’ll have to split it up and attempt to get smaller retailers, but even then, will there really be much demand?

Given that the old BHS store is still vacant, I can’t see anything different for that Debenhams plot.
Click to expand...

I wondered the same down here with the Debenhams and speculated it would be more mixed use and lo and behold it’s been taken on to become more of a mix of smaller shops concessions mixed with food and drink places and small traders. Weirdly it might just work here as a tourist town as like you mention rates are the killer. Down here it would probably get the footfall if it’s a mixture of offerings. Whereas in Preston I’m not sure if it would be the same (Bournemouth town centre is dying as a retail centre I must add hence why I assume they’ve considered different ideas)

edit: even more than I remembered reading in the original plans in fact. Wouldn’t visit many of them but I guess that’s the point of appealing to the masses by being diverse
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