OT Debenhams

The days of the Department store as the main attraction in a shopping centre have gone. Blackpool needs to think how to market itself going forward, and is that town centre area aiming at locals for shopping or tourists? At the moment, it's falling between those two stools, and not really catering for either.

No doubt, they're considering knocking it down and having additional car parking for the next 50 years.
 
TangerineTractor said:
Look at the busiest part of the trafford centre - the food area. Make it into a big food court. Especially if they're building a cinema on the carpark at the back. Town centres are leisure and windows-shopping destinations now.
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Absolutely, these are everywhere in Sydney which I visited a year ago and they’re great. We’re a tourist town and food is a massive earner.
 
Well, the Government could always open a fleet of state-owned department stores, like GUM in Russia. After all, they are spunking away billions every day on their other mates. Maybe it’s time to support the workers?
(I am joking, they could not run a PU in a brewery)
 
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Great idea by the clowncil to spunk our money buying the Houndshill shopping centre!! I wonder why they got it so cheap??

As mentioned above, get it demolished & have more car parking, for a town centre no one wants to go to anyway... Cant remember the last time I went into Blackpool town centre to shop???

Went past the Trafford centre yesterday, car parks empty, I assume its closed? no wonder Intu went bust....
 
Wizaard said:
The days of the Department store as the main attraction in a shopping centre have gone. Blackpool needs to think how to market itself going forward, and is that town centre area aiming at locals for shopping or tourists? At the moment, it's falling between those two stools, and not really catering for either.

No doubt, they're considering knocking it down and having additional car parking for the next 50 years.
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Aye ok but I think the department stores still have a place in a seaside resort but it needs a rethink about the town centre.

People can't park here close to their hotels and can't get in near enough to shop anyway so online is a no brainer. The parking policy is to raise as much cash because of shortfalls with the budget,which props up the social care and housing black hole.

I've just paid £100 for a parking bay so I can help develop a town centre business, and every time I venture into town it costs me additional money so usually I dont bother.I'd love to try more restaurants, use the facilities and generally enjoy a trip into town as a day ours experience but its simply a bind.

We've still got people sleeping in the doorways, dirty streets and a run down demeanor so Debenhams is just one aspect of the overall problem.

Funnily enough I'm in Lytham today which is a great place to shop- lots to choose from and some great eateries. No big superstores here and a community doing quite well given the circumstances.
 
Yes. Making the centre different to every other town should work, with independent traders selling unique goods. An identikit centre doesnt incentivise anyone to come in.
 
Wizaard said:
Yes. Making the centre different to every other town should work, with independent traders selling unique goods. An identikit centre doesnt incentivise anyone to come in.
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One thing that the town centre traders moan about is Squires Gate where its free to park and easy to access and thats busy all week long, but its surprising how slow the present council are to react to that.I guess there were moans from Fleetwood traders too about Asda but that brings people in and of course bumps up the local job opportunities ; of course Tram Sunday shows that people will come when you put on a show as did the Blackpool firework displays in the Autumn.

The Blackpool Council already buying up some of the rundown stuff but they havent addressed the bigger issues,and opt for token gestures like free parking on a pre Christmas Thursday night etc. If it was me I'd be bulldozing most of the crap stuff and looking at working with hoteliers and traders to get numbers up, and ensuring that local people are employed while we re-structure the town.

Its annoying when contracts are awarded to Preston/Lancashire companies when we used to have a number of construction colleges, and an infrastructure that trained after recruiting locally.

The root of problem seems to be a slow moving council thats more concerned with staying in power,rather than whats best for the town as a whole.
 
How about a Quiggins type venture featuring interesting independents starting out on easy in/easy out terms? Blackpool needs something different. There are going to be a lot of start ups who have set up in the lockdown and might want to trade live rather than just online as we (hopefully this year) come out to play again. Could include clothing, food, drink, media, music etc etc 🏝️
 
This is Blackpool town centre we are taking about. How many people would travel there for specialist artisan shops when Amazon rules our lives?
An entertainment venue is its best chance with crappy take away / fast food kiosks inside there and a kids play area type pub.

I would rather poke my eyes out than go to such places but they do sell out.
 
Ahh, that mixed aroma of beer breath, fags, farts, brylcreem and leather jackets rolling around in the ‘Barrel’ emanated from gormless East Lancs Teds & Greasers in the early 60’s, whilst us local 12 year olds gathered their loose change, lighters, etc falling from their pockets! Happy days etc.
 
I think they need to agree a strategy for rhe whole of central Blackpool.
Not keen personally on gambling but I think we should try again to be European version of Vegas and do a better job than the real thing.
Bring Vegaspool back as a consultant minus his firearms.
 
I like the idea of the food court, maybe with some smaller shops too, maybe the cinema too.
 
Levi501 said:
Ahh, that mixed aroma of beer breath, fags, farts, brylcreem and leather jackets rolling around in the ‘Barrel’ emanated from gormless East Lancs Teds & Greasers in the early 60’s, whilst us local 12 year olds gathered their loose change, lighters, etc falling from their pockets! Happy days etc.
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Me and my mates used to make plenty of cash tripping up those pissheads in the Barrel too 😜
 
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