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Newbury shoppers, where have they gone? |
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Nov 30 2012, 09:40 AM
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I presume this is a national trend and not just local. It would seem that after an initial high of around 30% increase in footfall when Parkway opened, footfall has dropped back to where is was pre-Parkway development. Link to PDF report: West_Berkshire_Town_Centre_Footfall.pdfA word to creators of reports like these, and this is not the only one, bloody well put what the figures actually represent: 24,000 over how long? Since the last entry; everyday, week , month?
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Nov 30 2012, 10:35 AM
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QUOTE (JeffG @ Nov 30 2012, 10:06 AM) I think you must be looking at a different graph to me. I see a net increase from around a steady 21,000 in the years 2009-2011 to 24,000 now. There was a peak when Park Way opened, but that could have been expected as curious people wanted to see what it was all about. But it's not dropped back to 2009-2011 levels.
We need another set of figures to see what the real trend is: is it going to level out, or keep dropping? We are both reading the same graph, but please read my previous post again. Work started on Parkway in March 2009, then it was around 24,000 and it was inevitable that footfall would drop so I have ignored the period for the build. It would be wrong to judge footfall in that period. When Parkway opened, footfall soared to a peak of 27,000, but it is back down to 24,000, the preParkway development level. The point is, Parkway should be bringing in more footfall.
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Nov 30 2012, 10:59 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 10:51 AM) To make any judgement, there needs to be more post PW figures. Well October is pretty new, and I'm sure more will come, but it doesn't look good at the moment. I hear at least one major retail outlet in the centre is frustrated by the current level. While there was bound to be a surge in interest, I think it is reasonable to consider the 27,000 peak to be the potential maximum.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:04 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 10:59 AM) Well October is pretty new, and I'm sure more will come, but it doesn't look good at the moment. I hear at least one major retail outlet in the centre is frustrated by the current level. While there was bound to be a surge in interest, I think it is reasonable to consider the 27,000 peak to be the potential maximum. Retailing does not look good at all at the moment, in any traditional form - we are still in a rather large depression. It would be interesting to know what the figures would have been withour PW, but that would be just pure conjecture. if PW has slowed or halted a bigger fall, then the retailers should be happy.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:08 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:04 AM) Retailing does not look good at all at the moment, in any traditional form - we are still in a rather large depression. It would be interesting to know what the figures would have been withour PW, but that would be just pure conjecture.
if PW has slowed or halted a bigger fall, then the retailers should be happy. I was about to post the exact same thing. My feelings are that Parkway has held up the figures, and that it would be worse without. The argument against that is that there was a big peek, which I still maintain should be the aspiration figure.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:12 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:08 AM) I was about to post the exact same thing. My feelings are that Parkway has held up the figures, and that it would be worse without. The argument against that is that there was a big peek, which I still maintain should be the aspiration figure. Once we are back on the boom instead of bust, 30k should be attainable. Footfall is only a measure of people in a town - what is more important is the spending figures. 27k just comming to have a look is no use to a retailer. If that additional 3k were just curious, then they are no great loss.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:20 AM
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QUOTE (Penelope @ Nov 30 2012, 11:15 AM) Speaking from the Distaff side of things, I much prefer shopping in Reading, London is even better. Turin is nice too even in December as most of the shops are behind arcades. Barcelona very good at this time of year with the Christmas Market in the Medieval quarter in front of the Cathedral ( where you can buy a Tió de Nadal to really liven up Christmas ). Innsbruck is very chic, and of course one can always pop over the pond & do Christmas shopping in New York. ( although it is a bit late now for that, just after thanksgiving is best ).
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Nov 30 2012, 11:23 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:12 AM) Once we are back on the boom instead of bust, 30k should be attainable.
Footfall is only a measure of people in a town - what is more important is the spending figures. 27k just comming to have a look is no use to a retailer. If that additional 3k were just curious, then they are no great loss. Of course that is true, but footfall is the measuring device retailers use, and like I said, I heard at least one Parkway outlet is disappointed with the figures. I was never going to be a typical Parkway user, but like Penelope, I was disappointed with the development. The things I don't like: getting there and back out is a chore (the Robin Hood Giratory). Parking charges were an issue, although that has been addressed somewhat, and it is open air. I believe shopping peaks in the 'dark months' when the weather is usually poor.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:29 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:23 AM) Of course that is true, but footfall is the measuring device retailers use, and like I said, I heard at least one Parkway outlet is disappointed with the figures. I was never going to be a typical Parkway user, but like Penelope, I was disappointed with the development.
The things I don't like: getting there and back out is a chore (the Robin Hood Giratory). Parking charges were an issue, although that has been addressed somewhat, and it is open air. I believe shopping peaks in the 'dark months' when the weather is usually poor. If I drive into town, I always park in Sainsbury's & walk, so getting to PW is no harder than any other part of town. Newbury has always been a retaling backwater ~ for instance the Kennet Centre has only once, since it opened, had 100% occupancy. PW is exactly what I thought it would be. As to the open airness - the rest of town is out in the open, apart from the KC so I don't see that as a problem.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:40 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:29 AM) If I drive into town, I always park in Sainsbury's & walk, so getting to PW is no harder than any other part of town.
Newbury has always been a retaling backwater ~ for instance the Kennet Centre has only once, since it opened, had 100% occupancy. PW is exactly what I thought it would be.
As to the open airness - the rest of town is out in the open, apart from the KC so I don't see that as a problem. No you don't agent dannyboy Speaking to people about Parkway, the only positive response was that they enjoy going (in their large car) to shop at Debenhams (parking is easy), others, and a more common response is that there isn't really that much to it. Also, drivers were voting with their 'feet' and parking elsewhere. Weather is an important factor, I'm sure, and being open air is not helpful in winter. I see Parkway as being a bit elitist in its concept, and the shops they have seem to reflect that. But then again, what is the point in catering for me, I am almost certainly not going to be attracted there anyway (I'm an Internet and Retail Parkist).
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Nov 30 2012, 11:43 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:40 AM) No you don't agent dannyboy Speaking to people about Parkway, the only positive response was that they enjoy going (in their large car) to shop at Debenhams (parking is easy), others, and a more common response is that there isn't really that much to it. Also, drivers were voting with their 'feet' and parking elsewhere. Weather is an important factor, I'm sure, and being open air is not helpful in winter. Seems people did not understand what was being buiklt & were expecting a Festival Place or Oracle......
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Nov 30 2012, 11:44 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:40 AM) No you don't agent dannyboy Speaking to people about Parkway, the only positive response was that they enjoy going (in their large car) to shop at Debenhams (parking is easy), others, and a more common response is that there isn't really that much to it. Also, drivers were voting with their 'feet' and parking elsewhere. Weather is an important factor, I'm sure, and being open air is not helpful in winter. I see Parkway as being a bit elitist in its concept, and the shops they have seem to reflect that. But then again, what is the point in catering for me, I am almost certainly not going to be attracted there anyway. Elitist? Well, there isn't a pound shop....yet....
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Nov 30 2012, 11:45 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:43 AM) Seems people did not understand what was being buiklt & were expecting a Festival Place or Oracle...... I think you are quite right. I was very anti Parkway and once said that I wish it to fail, and a part of me still thinks like that, but that is more about the way it was sold. I now would very much like to see its fortunes turn round, not least for the sake of people's jobs and livelihood.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:47 AM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:44 AM) Elitist?
Well, there isn't a pound shop....yet.... It won't be that long. Bare in mind, the footfall figures are for Newbury Town, not just Parkway. It would be interesting to know how the footfall is distributed.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:53 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:45 AM) I think you are quite right. I was very anti Parkway, and once said that I wish it too fail and a part of me still thinks like that, but that is more about the way it was sold. I now would very much like to see its fortunes turn round, not least for the sake of people's jobs and livelihood. Once the economy picks up, it will.
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Nov 30 2012, 11:57 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Nov 30 2012, 11:47 AM) It won't be that long.
Bare in mind, the footfall figures are for Newbury Town, not just Parkway. It would be interesting to know how the footfall is distributed. It certainly would. The one thing footfall can't show is where people park & where they go in town. BB at the other place has always maintained that people don't walk around town - something I feel is untrue.
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Nov 30 2012, 12:47 PM
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QUOTE (dannyboy @ Nov 30 2012, 11:04 AM) if PW has slowed or halted a bigger fall, then the retailers should be happy. The point here is that there are now more retailers in Newbury than there were pre Parkway. I would have expected the footfall to have increased if the scheme was successful. From a retailers view it means that each one now has less potential custom. If I were a retailer I wouldn't be happy.
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