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Retail in Liverpool

2M views 9K replies 343 participants last post by  Howie_P 
#1 ·
I thought it might be useful to have a general thread for retail in Liverpool. Not neccessarily just the city centre, but also further afield in district centres, and out of town retail parks. Obviously issues to do with Liverpool One can still go in the relevant thread, but I thought it would make sense to keep all news, comments, and discussion on other retail issues in the city together in one place.

First is some rather downbeat news that the stand-alone George store in Clayton Square Shopping Centre is to close - http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...-asda-kills-off-george-brand-100252-20805562/
 
#6,339 ·
Great news. As much as Ashley is an utter scumbag.

I can't see it being Tesco, Clayton Square. Totally right building if taking in the old Sports Direct unit, which he owns. But totally wrong location for higher end.

Rightly or wrongly that is firmly the "value" end of town. It just doesn't have the same public realm and retail neighbours for such a retailer. Cripes, I know people who wouldn't go into Met Quarter as it was the "dodgy end" of town and they'd rarely venture out of Liverpool One.

If it is there hopefully it'll attract other retailers.
 
#6,348 ·
You’re right about St. John’s and I think all that it really needs is a total reclad - something to make it look less like a Caramac and more like a prime city centre building. Inside, it is what it is.... a budget shopping centre. I would much rather have all those shops in there than in our main shopping area like a lot of other cities.
But Clayton Sq. certainly hasn’t flopped - it only has 2 empty units.
 
#6,349 ·
To be fair though Clayton square is a million miles from what it was intended to be and the units being full is not hard to achieve when there are substantially less units than before the ‘refurb’.

This whole area as I’ve repeatedly said needs a total rethink including Williamson and Queens squares, back Church Street and the area around and including Central Station and the former Blacklers block. This whole area could be a world class dense gateway of high-end modern architecture rubbing up against some of the city’s finest heritage right at the foot of Liverpool’s two busiest city railway stations.

Alas, it’s a busy but increasingly tired looking and tatty district with no vision, no care from building owners either with low end touch ups and paint jobs (who on earth thought painting the Holiday Inn black with white window frames was a positive step?) being the limit of their attempts to re-invest in what is clearly a profitable series of assets with a massive footfall.
 
#6,350 ·
I have to agree that the area has no great sense of place.

But it could be substantially enhanced + better intergrated into the public realm IMO, it's all very disjointed with little overall appeal. Thank goodness they kept the pubs + the Ranleigh Street fascades + shops opposite Central Station.

Perhaps if they get the Circus going around the Adelphi it might spread into something better.
 
#6,353 ·
#6,361 ·
Hope it’s in the former Owen Owens store (Tesco Metro) and not a conversion of Flannels in L1. This would bring into use an empty large retail space, although we don’t know the size of the proposed store. If it’s the first to open, you’d hope there would be some substantial capital spend on reconnecting the space of the former Tesco Metro store on the ground floor with the old Sports Direct footprint on the upper floors.
 
#6,362 ·
Hope it’s in the former Owen Owens store (Tesco Metro) and not a conversion of Flannels in L1. This would bring into use an empty large retail space, although we don’t know the size of the proposed store. If it’s the first to open, you’d hope there would be some substantial capital spend on reconnecting the space of the former Tesco Metro store on the ground floor with the old Sports Direct footprint on the upper floors.

It would be even better if it was George Henry Lee's. Is the conversion of that into a hotel definitely going ahead ?
 
#6,355 ·
Yeah, thought I'd seen it but then HS2 is still being built...
 
#6,364 · (Edited)
A further improvement to Clayton square could be achieved if TJ Hughes quit their London Road home for a new department store in St John's, converting the failed market into one shop with a shiny new frontage on Eliot Street that would enhance this part of the retail sector. This move would also allow them to have store entrances inside the centre itself. Recladding the exteriors would also help.

Ideally St John's shoukd be demolished and replaced but if we have to offer more likely short term solutions then this proposal would lead to a masive improvement in that area. A largeish budget department store would suit this centre and draw business in, then the vacated London Road building would make ideal student accommodation with shops at street level. :)
 
#6,365 ·
I think Tj's has its own place on London road + as the area develops with the fabric district + new apartments it'll keep some of the townies happy, just it always has.

As for the market it could do worse than just be a large 'Fun House' for the shoppers children ... Keeping them happy whilst Mum + Dad + the grand parents go shopping + forget where they put them.
 
#6,368 · (Edited)
I'm not surprised, the County Road Tesco Metro was one originally rumoured to become a Jack's in the first round of conversions. Not all the staff will be put on zero-hours (I'm not sure they actually use zero-hours), only the few that successfully apply... ...the rest will get redundancy or move to another Tesco.

The new store (in a completely new-to-them unit) at North Liverpool Retail Park off the E. Lancs is a first to open not in/on property Tesco already own/occupy.
 
#6,370 ·
There'll be no Selfridges in Liverpool anytime soon..


https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/selfridges-explain-wont-open-store-16397021


The main point being..


A spokesperson for Selfridges explained how its main focus was to concentrate on the growth of its Manchester and London stores which many shoppers from Liverpool still travel to.


Its online store was also a priority to the business. Sadly for Scousers, Selfridges did confirm to the ECHO it has no plans to open any additional stores.



A spokesperson said: “Our main focus is to ensure our existing London and regional stores, as well as our digital store at Selfridges.com which reaches the whole of the UK as well as over 130 countries, are the most compelling retail destinations and that each deliver extraordinary customer experiences. We have no plans to open additional stores.”
 
#6,371 · (Edited)
Selfridge's regional stores are pale replicas of the London store. Personally I think the store is over rated and full of overpriced goods. This is a classic example of how people from Liverpool have long flattered the shopping figures for various Manchester stores. The situation used to be far worse before Liverpool ONE was developed and Liverpool had a much less extensive retail offer. I would advise Liverpool shoppers to buy online and see how healthy the Manchester stores are without the input from shoppers forced to travel a 70 mile round trip to buy their overpriced bling.
 
#6,375 ·
Selfridges sell more of a range of upmarket/designer clothing/accessories, however I’d say John Lewis have a similar line up to be honest. Selfridges also have a lot more concessions like red 5, paperchase, yo sushi rather than their own in house departments and restaurants. John Lewis sells more electronics and homeware and furniture. Their beauty halls are pretty much identical. Selfridges apart from the Manchester store have food halls too.

The Trafford Centre store is family focused with luxury items as well as kids and
The Birmingham store is the same
The Manchester store is just luxury accessories, beauty and clothing
And the London is the flagship
 
#6,377 ·
I'm not into shopping at all, so it would certainly be lost on me. One thing I will say, I much prefer going into a city centre, walking among the buildings of the city than going to a mall. I get nervous just thinking about the parking at the Trafford Centre and if I were living in Manchester I'd much prefer the fantastic city centre you have to the Trafford Centre. Liverpool One does have mallish elements but the fact you're outside makes such a difference.
 
#6,381 ·
I live in Altrincham and although I'm in Manchester all the time I don't do my shopping there. I prefer the experience of Liverpool One and Leeds also. In my experience people in the outlying more middle class areas of GM go to the Trafford Centre if given the choice. Both L1 and the TC have shops that Manchester doesn't have as some don't want to open in the Arndale and there isn't really anywhere else that has the footfall.
 
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