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.pdf


A 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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Speaking from the Distaff side of things, I much prefer shopping in Reading, I found PW extremely disappointing with limited choice etc, not really bothering with it at all.

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 ).

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.

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).

Seems people did not understand what was being buiklt & were expecting a Festival Place or Oracle......

Elitist?

Well, there isn't a pound shop....yet....

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.

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.

Once the economy picks up, it will.

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.

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.

It is too early to judge.

If you look through the documentation, the detailed breakdown is there. Debenhams and John Lewis have some of the worst figures in the whole town, hence why John Lewis demanded a meeting with Parkway recently. Regardless of why and how Parkway was built we must support it where possible and encourage others to use it to. I don't like all of the shops there, but I'd rather have any shops than no shops!!!

Andy Capp's link provides no breakdown.

Why should I support a shop that I don't think should be there in a precinct that should not have been built in the way it was.

Gosh, this post has taken off since my initial comment.


First off, there is no need to roll your eyes at me, thank you.

Why do you assume that the building of Parkway had any effect on the drop in footfall from 24,000 to around 21,000, why was it inevitable, and why is it statistically valid to ignore that period?

Isn't footfall measured on the whole of the central Newbury shopping area? The Park Way development is at one end of that area.

If you look at the October 2012 spreadsheet, I believe one of the tabs shows the breakdown. As for Parkway being built in the first place, I don't accept that it should have been built the way it was and I certainly don't agree with the back room deals that were done. This being said, I'd much rather have the shops that are there than no shops at all. Some people think if Parkway fails, the buildings will go and the old hardstanding car park will return. As much as some people would love this utopia to return, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. Worst case scenario will be loads of empty retail units with housing above it. Surely nobody wants that??

You have more faith in human natire than I. Some on this forum would love PW to fail just to say 'I told you so'.

Exactly right, but if that ever did happen, Newbury would be much worse for it. There should be some real investigations into why and how Parkway ended up the way it did, but that ship has sailed and it's been built. Being bitter about it won't change anything.

I find Newbury quite boring. If people have transport they go to Basingstoke, Reading or something else close by (like Newbury retail park). I go to London quite a lot. I like the variety. To be honest what have we got that is exciting? We've got a lot of coffee shops, restaurants and the shops that are in every town (like WHSmiths, Sainsbury's etc).

I wouldn't like PW to fail, but I would like some more shops in there.

I think the illuminated globe looks good.

What, like Superman?

Wasn't thinking about that but now you mention it....

Long before that they will add the inevitable roof as they have in every other roofless development in the area.

Not currently any where near a phone box are you?

I really like the Park Way design and concept, for me, it fits and sits well with the rest of the town. However, fully appreciate Andy Capp's point. Even though he didn't want it, now its here, he really does want it to succeed. After all, its our town! That's probably the view of a good many Newbury people. We aren't doing too badly in Newbury compared to many other towns, which if we are honest, is probably down to the continued population growth. Nevertheless, the environment for retail is very hard at the moment and traders need all the help they can get. That's not pumping sunshine rather explaining where things can be improved and made better.

Well stop coming out with cheeky comments like...



...and I will.


Because it was my post and I am able to post what I like. Also, removing a large and popular car park is bound to impact footfall, not notwithstanding other works going. Also, ask anyone to comment on footfall over a protracted period, and I am very sure they would say that footfall is expected to drop whenever there is a big development going on. People would have found Newbury harder to access at the time as people competed for reduced car parking spaces, not to mention any road closures.


Do you think there was a more likely reason?

You find the town centre boring but say people will go to Newbury retail park?!?!

Bravo sir, bravo!!

That ball lies with SLI. Pension funds own most of the shopping centres in the UK. I'd imagine they generally know what they are doing and that they don't invest millions on a whim.

Yes especially when the land to build it cost them the the exorbitant investment of a whole £1? Even if it fails and the whole lot is demolished they are not going to be out of pocket are they?

Perhaps even sell it on to a housing developer.

Jeez Costco, I think you might be right.

Here's the link to the PDF and other documents.

Town Centre Performance Indicators

That was the Daily Globe.

Only because it is easier to park outside the shops and they are all close together and free parking. To Park in Newbury you have to pay; granted you have to pay in Reading and Basingstoke etc but they offer more.

Daily Planet.

Yeah, I knew it was one of them. Maybe I should of checked (as well) on the Internet

I can park for free outside Scats, but that isn't a reason for me to go there often.

Just the £100 million or so they spent building the place.