I’m sure I’m not alone at about this time of year in starting to think about “What am I going to get x for Christmas?” and “Where do I get it from?”
Of course this year is going to be different for us all because a lot of shopping will be done online. Again however, I don’t think I’m alone in looking forward to physical shops reopening. Christmas isn’t Christmas without Fenwick’s window.
I do believe we will get back to shopping and drinking in physical shops; humans are sociable creatures and northerners more than most. But where? Rents and rates have been threatening the High Street (be
it Northumberland Street, Fawcett Street, Silver Street or wherever) for years. But it hasn’t all gone to MetroCentre and other retail parks. Some of us are of enough to remember when Newgate Centre opened then Eldon Square in Newcastle, when Millburngate then Prince Bishops opened in Durham, and when Bridges was developed in Sunderland.
These took some trade off the main streets but strengthened the town centres. But MetroCentre promised 10,000 free car parking spaces and that’s been the draw for the out of town centres around the country. But did you go to Metro just before lockdown? Spending hours trying to find one of those free spaces free?
When we return to physical shopping we need to be encouraged. Retailers will do all they can but they need help. So many retailers (and I’m including pubs, restaurants and other leisure operators in this) have had to close their doors during lockdown. They will need ourhelp as consumers, and I call on the local authorities to do their bit. Don’t take away parking, don’t make remaining parking prohibitively expensive, listen to the public who pay council tax and businesses who pay rates. Let town centres and out of town centres complement each other not compete.
