MrB Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I paid a visit to our local 99p store the other day and was pleasantly surprised. It was nice and clean, well organised, and cheap! Cheaper than Wilko, not as rough as Poundland. Bought various gardening items, seeds etc, and cereal for a quid is better than £2.35 Tesco price, batteries etc were also very cheap, cheaper than ebay. For those that haven't tried it, give it a blast, you may like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Self Employed Youth Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Not only £1 shops, check out this deviant: Literally shopfronts like this should be banned, they are worse than flytippers, as they are persistently an eyesore. Hardly fair to pick on Barnsley? At least the shops here are actually trading! (I live about a mile from the centre and the road to the centre has seen 5 new shops open since these articles 6 months ago!) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8953199/Mary-Portas-cites-Barnsley-market-as-role-model-to-energise-high-street.html Mary Portas, the retail expert, has described Barnsley market as the "most exciting" she saw in her review of Britain's high streets. http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/business/retail_growth_in_barnsley_1_3507368 BARNSLEY has been named among a handful of town centres in the UK which are ‘improving’ – according to a survey of 365 towns and cities by property consultants Colliers International.The company’s report revealed empty shops have triggered a downward spiral on high streets in 83 out of 365 towns, while another 42 of the retail centres surveyed are deemed to be degenerating. Full details of the survey are due to be published next week and come after official figures revealed an unexpected 1.4 per cent plunge in retail sales volumes in May. Just three per cent of town centres are designated as improving, including Barnsley, Ealing and Maidenhead. http://www.barnsley-chronicle.co.uk/news/article/4294 Barnsley has the lowest rate of empty shops of all town centres in South Yorkshire, figures show. There are fewer here, as a percentage, than in Rotherham, Sheffield and Doncaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Good riddance to the charity shops completely distort the economics of the High St No the charity shops are great, unwanted goods can be recycled, money goes to a good local cause... the quality of some items is far better than the tat purchased for far more in dire retail stores owned by the mega rich who avoid paying their taxes and live a life of riley, why pay more for something worth less when you don't have to......without charity shops many with very little disposable income would go without not buy worse stuff in a more expensive shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I paid a visit to our local 99p store the other day and was pleasantly surprised. It was nice and clean, well organised, and cheap! Cheaper than Wilko, not as rough as Poundland. Bought various gardening items, seeds etc, and cereal for a quid is better than £2.35 Tesco price, batteries etc were also very cheap, cheaper than ebay. For those that haven't tried it, give it a blast, you may like it. I agree.....hanging baskets 99p....1kg Growmore 99p... all sorts of healthy looking shrubs such as a nice scented rose 99p....a big box of wild flower seeds 99p... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 No the charity shops are great, unwanted goods can be recycled, money goes to a good local cause... the quality of some items is far better than the tat purchased for far more in dire retail stores owned by the mega rich who avoid paying their taxes and live a life of riley, why pay more for something worth less when you don't have to......without charity shops many with very little disposable income would go without not buy worse stuff in a more expensive shop. I would bet the average charity shop bins a larger percentage of donations than it sells. The 'needy' get benefits and I doubt many of them would be seen dead in a charity shop and as for price you'd see larger reductions in TK Maxx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord D'arcy Pew Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Just make the residents of Hayward Heath pay £10 a litre for fuel. They will then feel special, and hopefully stay within their own postcode area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I would bet the average charity shop bins a larger percentage of donations than it sells. The 'needy' get benefits and I doubt many of them would be seen dead in a charity shop and as for price you'd see larger reductions in TK Maxx. No they bag the unsellable, worn, stained, tatty rags and they are collected to be recycled, some I think goes overseas to needy countries....TK Maxx is good, some charity shops are better, nice to have the choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I agree.....hanging baskets 99p....1kg Growmore 99p... all sorts of healthy looking shrubs such as a nice scented rose 99p....a big box of wild flower seeds 99p... Nah, it's mostly imported sh1t made to a price point not a lot of genuine value. Will be interesting to see how long the supermarkets tolerate the big brands either making value versions for the discount sector or failing to control the grey market distribution of their products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Nah, it's mostly imported sh1t made to a price point not a lot of genuine value. Will be interesting to see how long the supermarkets tolerate the big brands either making value versions for the discount sector or failing to control the grey market distribution of their products. You don't have to buy it....you can always go down the garden centre if it makes you feel good spending more money.....just because it costs more does not mean it is always better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 No they bag the unsellable, worn, stained, tatty rags and they are collected to be recycled, some I think goes overseas to needy countries....TK Maxx is good, some charity shops are better, nice to have the choice. If you go into the servcie area of any shopping centre you can always tell which is the backdoor of the charity shops as they have three times as many bins as everyone else. The clothes the ragman takes but things like books they'll have a policy of sticking it out for half cover price and if it's still there in a fortnight they oik it in the bin rather than reduce the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) If you go into the servcie area of any shopping centre you can always tell which is the backdoor of the charity shops as they have three times as many bins as everyone else. The clothes the ragman takes but things like books they'll have a policy of sticking it out for half cover price and if it's still there in a fortnight they oik it in the bin rather than reduce the price. Have the charity shops upset you by any chance? Would you buy an out of date travel guide or an encyclopedia Britannica?....or take it home for free? Edited March 17, 2012 by winkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJG18 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 I drove past the shop at the start of this thread today. Never seen a shop on this high street so busy! It was crowded. Looks like the nimbys got it wrong. Either that or their negative equity has rendered them housebound... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Self Employed Youth Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I drove past the shop at the start of this thread today. Never seen a shop on this high street so busy! It was crowded. Looks like the nimbys got it wrong. Either that or their negative equity has rendered them housebound... If they only had a pound shop, they would have less money to spend on property! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ah-so Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 If you go into the servcie area of any shopping centre you can always tell which is the backdoor of the charity shops as they have three times as many bins as everyone else. The clothes the ragman takes but things like books they'll have a policy of sticking it out for half cover price and if it's still there in a fortnight they oik it in the bin rather than reduce the price. I bought a very interesting 2nd hand book on Hong Kong in Oxfam for £3.50. I looked it up on the net when I got home and it normally goes for at least 20 times that price from an antiquarian book seller or ebay. You can pick up some great bargains if you keep your eyes open! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Charity shops in upmarket areas can be particularly good, People throw out quality stuff sometimes. Mainly I buy books & CDs though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJG18 Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 ... Also seems to be open on a Sunday, and just as busy. Again driving past, got a glimpse through the door of lots of people pulling around little yellow plastic baskets on wheels. So current result so far: Free market 1 - Nimbys 0. (btw - I have to drive past this place to get almost anywhere. I'm not driving around outside all day like some sort of obsessed mentalist..... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajista Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 What disturbs me about this is that we often comment here on HPC that no-one reports increases in other goods in the same way as they do increases in house prices. Yet in HH they effectively seem to want increases in the cost of everything. I imagine the residents of HH all work for the clients of Goldman sachs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiremola Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Here are a few observations I made as I strolled down to the town centre at about midday. This 99p shop is very busy; there were 5 tills in operation and long queues to get to them. The branded goods looked to be cheaper than any other shop in Haywards Heath. I bought a rose bush for 99p, as I felt sentimental. I went into Robert Dyas to look at the prices of kitchen timers. I was the only customer in the shop. Hardly anybody in Marks & Spencers. The little Indian shop where I buy my aubergines, tamarind block, boczek and cheap Polish beer etc. was busy. There are no less than eight charity shops and two house-clearance second hand shops in the centre of Haywards Heath. However, I think they are a symptom of decline, not a cause of it. Unless the agglomeration of them reaches critical mass, of course. I can see that the sight of them would put retailers off. On the other hand, would they be a sign that landlords are desperate and would perhaps consider a deal about the rent? Our own Retailer may like to comment. I think that there are going to be more casualties in the town centre soon. Some of the best bargains I have bought came from closing-down sales in expensive kitchenware shops etc. I wait, and flap down, vulture-like, at the critical moment, as I am a pensioner, tight-wad, and never worked for Goldman Sachs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s-p Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hardly anybody in Marks & Spencers. My sources tell me M&S are looking to potentially leave the Heath. But then again, it feels like I hear the same story every few years. If they were to leave, it would be incredibly damaging for the high street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Looking at the 99p store, it appears that they are in Brighton, Sevenoaks, Petersfield, Surbiton, Kingston, Muswell Hill, St Albans etc etc. If the 99p store didn't crash house prices in those area, I can't see it is going to in a snobby little retirement town like Haywards Heath! If it does, I'd suggest opening one everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will! Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 My job might be about to move to Haywards Heath. I see it has a Waitrose now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worried1 Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 On 11/4/2017 at 4:02 PM, Will! said: My job might be about to move to Haywards Heath. I see it has a Waitrose now! I can't believe this thread is over five years old - it feels like it was about a year ago! I think that the acceptance of this type of shop in a lot of high streets has really improved in that time. The 99p Stores have been taken over by Poundland and rebranded. Where I am in Surbiton, the busiest shops are Waitrose, M&S Food and Poundland! There were moans and groans about Poundland opening (as the 99p Store originally) but it was busy from the outset and still is. My local high street might be a bit difficult (relatively affluent area but under a mile from a huge shopping centre), but I think that people realise that if Poundland closes down it would either remain empty or be replaced by a vape shop or similar. Whole Foods Market are not clamouring for space in most towns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmin Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 2 hours ago, worried1 said: I think that the acceptance of this type of shop in a lot of high streets has really improved in that time. The 99p Stores have been taken over by Poundland and rebranded. That's inflation for you! In a few years we can expect a Guinea Store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy T Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 In my northern town , the 60's shopping parade was bulldozed in 2007 and replaced with a new one centred around a new supermarket. The superb timing of the scheme meant it was unfinished and half empty until about 2014! Directly across from it's large Sainsburys store are various pound shops, and above those are BTL flats, nice. All brand new, but an eyesore to look at, none of the shops care about their outward appearance, just a grey corridor with no planting, none of the once traditional Christmas displays of the old parade, anything historic was binned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will! Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 There seem to be lots of BTL flats for sale in Haywards Heath. Heath Road Considering the Mortgage Market Review rules and Section 24, and even allowing for the incomes of workers commuting to London, I can't imagine how many people will be able to pay £290k for a 63 sq m two bedroom flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.