John Lewis

[tinfoilhat 11]

2 hours ago, bassett one said:

i think it would make a great independent store ,with lots of sheffield retailors,but the problem would be the rent and rates

Wouldn't work. People like nice independent shops to walk round, then exclaim "how much?!?!?" then buy it cheaper online. 

 

Parking concerns really are a red herring. What is it now, few quid? That's not going to make or break expensive purchases from independent shops.

[Mossway 15]

Let’s face it,  the High Street is buggered..

You go to town and then  firstly spend some time avoiding the Spice Heads/Druggies/Beggars - and  then go in a shop and when you come out, often, you are addressed by an aggressive beggar.

I (and I’m old) don’t need this hassle - so - for me- it’s mostly on line supermarkets for buying and the village shop for milk bread etc.

[Findlay 116]

I would rather have the city centre filled with local independent businesses than chain stores. All chain store products can be found online anyway. The only reason for them to be open is for people to be able to look and feel the products, as they then go home and buy them online from a cheaper store.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Findlay

[Thirsty Relic 206]

1 hour ago, Findlay said:

I would rather have the city centre filled with local independent businesses than chain stores. All chain store products can be found online anyway. The only reason for them to be open is for people to be able to look and feel the products, as they then go home and buy them online from a cheaper store.

Exactly! 

 

Imagine driving into the store car park, looking around a whole host of independent eclectic stores-within-stores for that special present - something of quality and a one-off produced say by a local artisan, then having a quiet coffee and heading home. 

 

I've found a few such places over the years in different towns, and I've usually ended up with a few items for birthday presents etc for a few people (and the other half of course!) - then saved them until the day.  Would love to do that in Sheffield, at what is now Cole Brothers/John Lewis, or Debenhams, or wherever folds next.

[tzijlstra 11]

We already have that, if I'm not entirely mistaken the final large department store in Sheffield (City) is Atkinson's right? Independent, probably owns the premises, offers independent products as well as main-stream stuff. 

 

It's not the fanciest store and some of the sections smack of old-fashion, but I always find it a fun store to browse due to the unique offer. 

[hauxwell 243]

Have to agree with tzijlstra about Atkinsons.   When I’m in Sheffield I still like to look round the shop, it’s sad that it’s the last department store still standing, I hope it survives.  

I’m wondering if that is why a very large department store called Fenwicks is still open for business here in Newcastle, to the best of my knowledge I’m sure it’s independently owned with a few branches in other cities.  It’s not a cheap shop either, it still has a very expensive delicatessens food hall which always looks busy and although I’m sure it’s facing challenging times at the moment I can’t see it closing.  So far John Lewis is staying open in Newcastle but it never looks busy and I don’t like the layout of the shop, I thought the Sheffield one was nicer.

I can’t see Newcastle turning into a ghost town when the shops reopen after lockdown.  The shops stay open later up here and this has a knock on effect for cafes and bars.  At 7 o’clock there seems to be plenty of people using them with their shopping and parcels. Mind you I’m sure there are more drunks up here tho.  

I still prefer parts of Sheffield City Centre to Newcastle’s, credit to the council, but is Sheffield Council doing something wrong when after  5 o’clock most places close in the city centre and you don’t see many people walking around?

 

 

 

 

[Planner1 428]

51 minutes ago, hauxwell said:

 but is Sheffield Council doing something wrong when after  5 o’clock most places close in the city centre and you don’t see many people walking around?

What exactly do you think the Council is doing wrong and is it all their responsibility anyway?

 

The Council work in partnership with city centre businesses  in the Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID), which has quite a reasonable budget to put on events and finance initiatives. They all want to improve the evening economy in Sheffield, but they are realistic and recognise that it's a long term project.

[Guest busdriver1]

3 hours ago, hauxwell said:

Have to agree with tzijlstra about Atkinsons.   When I’m in Sheffield I still like to look round the shop, it’s sad that it’s the last department store still standing, I hope it survives.  

I’m wondering if that is why a very large department store called Fenwicks is still open for business here in Newcastle, to the best of my knowledge I’m sure it’s independently owned with a few branches in other cities.  It’s not a cheap shop either, it still has a very expensive delicatessens food hall which always looks busy and although I’m sure it’s facing challenging times at the moment I can’t see it closing.  

I was born in Newcastle and lived there until 1990 when I found the way out. ( A bit like Fenwick's 🙂 ) As long as I can remember I have always window shopped in Fenwick's then bought much cheaper elsewhere. The regular tradition at Christmas was to visit Fenwick's, enjoy their extensive Christmas window displays, visit the toy department to browse the goods on sale, then get the bus to Gateshead and buy everything from the fantastic Sheppard's department store. There have always been a hard core of Fenwick's shoppers who happily buy there and demand the Fenwick's carrier bag to impress their neighbours. For that reason they will probably survive.

There are also complete families who have got lost in there and they more than likely account for a good few of their customers as well.

[ECCOnoob 1,017]

Very sad as I am to see JL go, I do wish they would hurry up and make their mind up what is going to happen - if only to stop the Sheffield Star tying itself up in knots desperately trying to throw out the latest rumours.

 

In just a short space of time I have seen stories advising the branch might be closing, stories saying they definitely will be closing, stories saying they may not be closing due to the the high response on the petition campaign, stories saying they are yet to make any final decision until June as they are still consulting and the latest story is saying that they will be leaving barkers pool but reopening a smaller store somewhere else in the city....

 

The latter of them all seems the most implausible to me as I cannot understand why they would give up their long-standing building with car parking and the obvious heavily discounted rent the council so will offer them to spend money building and fitting out somewhere else new.

 

It really is enough to make your head spin and adds to the agony to the staff who are losing their jobs by this constant speculation and false hopes.

[Fudbeer 12]

Yes its all very strange why did they not say about the smaller store option withe the original release?

 

Vey poor unless this was the plan to make it look like they have compromised after listening to public opinion.

[hauxwell 243]

17 hours ago, busdriver1 said:

I was born in Newcastle and lived there until 1990 when I found the way out. ( A bit like Fenwick's 🙂 ) As long as I can remember I have always window shopped in Fenwick's then bought much cheaper elsewhere. The regular tradition at Christmas was to visit Fenwick's, enjoy their extensive Christmas window displays, visit the toy department to browse the goods on sale, then get the bus to Gateshead and buy everything from the fantastic Sheppard's department store. There have always been a hard core of Fenwick's shoppers who happily buy there and demand the Fenwick's carrier bag to impress their neighbours. For that reason they will probably survive.

There are also complete families who have got lost in there and they more than likely account for a good few of their customers as well.

Other than meeting up with friends for a coffee in Fenwick’s I’m also a window shopper, although I did buy some electrical equipment in their sale when I moved up here, it was about he same price as anywhere else. I do like to browse round trendy food hall which was revamped a few years ago and purchase the odd cake, it definitely attracts younger people in the food hall cafes and it’s wine bar, so in fairness to Fenwick’s they have tried to moved with the times.  As for the Christmas window it’s still a big thing and attracts large crowds but in the last five years I’ve been disappointed with their displays, they don’t look very festive to me, compared to what they looked like in the 90’s.

 

I can just remember going to Sheppard’s with my aunt when I use to visit Gateshead.  I’m sure the shop had its own currency.  People still talk fondly about Sheppard’s and say Gateshead isn’t the same since Littlewood’s and Sheppard’s closed 

 

I’m going off topic now when the thread is about JL.  I hope the shop stays open, I feel sorry for the staff. 

[hauxwell 243]

19 hours ago, Planner1 said:

What exactly do you think the Council is doing wrong and is it all their responsibility anyway?

 

The Council work in partnership with city centre businesses  in the Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID), which has quite a reasonable budget to put on events and finance initiatives. They all want to improve the evening economy in Sheffield, but they are realistic and recognise that it's a long term project.

Pleased they are working with businesses and trying to improve the evening economy.  It would be nice to see the city come alive after five.  

 

As already said other than the Quayside and Tyne Bridges here in Newcastle I prefer Sheffield Centre to Newcastle.  How I miss the Peace Gardens, Winter Gardens and other parts of the centre.