Don't Worry: We Have Beauty Salons

[punter]

The British economy is saved:

The number of empty shops in Britain is still rising, but High Streets are adapting to changing trends, research commissioned by the BBC has found.

Overall shop vacancies now stand at 14%, up from 10.5% a year ago, say retail analysts the Local Data Company.

But while certain businesses are declining, new ones are springing up offering services not easily available on the internet, such as beauty salons.

The LDC visited 500 towns and cities for the BBC's Inside Out programmes.

It found that businesses such as off-licences and travel agents were facing high closure rates.

Overall, the number of empty stores was going up, although at a slower rate than in 2009.

But as vulnerable businesses were disappearing, they were slowly being replaced by service-based retailers offering something that could not be provided online.

In the towns surveyed across England, Scotland and Wales, a total of 2,633 restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets opened in the first six months of 2010.

Over the same period, 2,145 hairdressing and beauty salons were opened.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11911915

[Riedquat]

Not a great example, since it mentioned off-licences. They can't easily be replaced with online ability. It sounds more like the usual supermarket accusation, but directed in the wrong direction.

[Stay Beautiful]

and Takeaways and Pawnbrokers.

[Loddy]

Charity shops are thriving in my town centre, other than that its bookmakers, coffee shops, banks and building societies, pawnbrokers, pound shops and other similar ultra cheap outlets. There are a few long established names still about as you get to the centre but a lot of them are now out of town and there is still an awful lot of empty premises. As for beauty salons, I have seen the odd fancy nail bar open up over the last couple of years but most of them have already closed by now and lay empty.

[_w_]

The British economy is saved:

The number of empty shops in Britain is still rising, but High Streets are adapting to changing trends, research commissioned by the BBC has found.

Overall shop vacancies now stand at 14%, up from 10.5% a year ago, say retail analysts the Local Data Company.

But while certain businesses are declining, new ones are springing up offering services not easily available on the internet, such as beauty salons.

The LDC visited 500 towns and cities for the BBC's Inside Out programmes.

It found that businesses such as off-licences and travel agents were facing high closure rates.

Overall, the number of empty stores was going up, although at a slower rate than in 2009.

But as vulnerable businesses were disappearing, they were slowly being replaced by service-based retailers offering something that could not be provided online.

In the towns surveyed across England, Scotland and Wales, a total of 2,633 restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets opened in the first six months of 2010.

Over the same period, 2,145 hairdressing and beauty salons were opened.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-11911915

The structural deflationary forces we are facing are truly enormous. Pumping the economy with cheap money to fight them really is going to destroy what's left of it. Nail salons and poodle parlours, didn't they recently try that in the US? Food stamps for millions was the conclusion of that little experiment IIRC.

[winkie]

If you don't use them you lose them....the councils with their expensive parking policies and high fines are cutting their noses to spite their faces.....dying high streets fewer local retail stores = less business rates and rents.

People will only visit if it is made easier for them, less stressful, it has something to offer and made to be an enjoyable experience.....some of the high streets are now so dowdy and depressing it brings the whole town down so you avoid going there.

More farmers markets I say.....local produce, personal service with a smile and good advise.

[Charlie Don't Surf]

If you don't use them you lose them....the councils with their expensive parking policies and high fines are cutting their noses to spite their faces.....dying high streets fewer local retail stores = less business rates and rents.

Yep pretty obvious that the councils aren't there to help local high street retailers. Instead of allowing out of town superstores with free parking they should be offering free parking in towns.

As for business rates - in Sicily they call it the Cosa Nostre!

[needsleep]

On our local main shopping area we got loads of new beauty salons, new cafes, two new chinese takeaways, two new curry houses and a new Indian take away and a new US diner on the way called S w a n k y Franks (which is going to have to be very, very good not to quickly get an unfortunate nickname). Also a new place where fish nibble the bad skin off your feet for a tenner. The off licences closed (we've lost three) and we lost a pub but it was shit anyway. It's near 100% occupancy but I'm hoping that'll change when the eight or so estate agents close down. Take a cruise into the future of our chavved-up (or down) high streets:

The future

Edited December 6, 2010 by needsleep

[blankster]

I'm one person who dares to say that supermarkets are much better than high street shops. Better parking, better choice, lower prices, all under one roof. I can't think of one single advantage for shoppers if we went back to small high street shops. High street shops often sell the same products you can get cheaper in supermarkets. And many of the 'traditional' high street names were large chains anyway - like Boots, Woolworths, Stead & Simpson, W.H Smith etc.

Why have high street shops died? Because the public have deserted them in favour of supermarkets, which are better.

The only way that the high street can fight back is by moving into niches that the supermarkets don't occupy, which probably means steering clear of groceries and toiletries.

Edited December 6, 2010 by blankster

[needsleep]

I can't think of one single advantage for shoppers if we went back to small high street shops.

1. Quality.

2. Knowing you're buying local produce.

Soem of the shops around here (butchers, fishmongers, bakers (apart from Greggs) etc...) are way better than the supermarkets for quality and about the same price.

[winkie]

I'm one person who dares to say that supermarkets are much better than high street shops. Better parking, better products, better choice, lower prices, all under one roof. I can't think of one single advantage for shoppers if we went back to small high street shops.

Why have high street shops died? Because the public have deserted them in favour of supermarkets, which are better.

They are better for some things but not everything......you can't beat meat from a good local butcher, the fruit and veg in supermarkets is not the best and not always the cheapest...the bread from a quality bakers imo tastes better so do their homemade pasties and pies.

Supermarkets are convenient 'basket to boot' many are too lazy or busy to get to know their good local high street, the one I go to the market does a dozen eggs for a pound and a packet of butter for 50p.....back to the parking again...the supermarkets have the unfair advantage in that department.....if you have to pay say £3 to park or up to £5 if you want lunch it wipes much of any savings away.

Edited December 6, 2010 by winkie

[blankster]

1. Quality.

2. Knowing you're buying local produce.

Most high street shops don't specialise in local produce (perhaps they should) and a bar of Galaxy from a town centre newsagent's is the same quality as a similar product sold for less in a supermarket. All the supermarkets started off as high street shop chains - Sainsbury's used to just sell dairy products and cold meats, if I remember right, from quaint old-fashioned shops with two long counters and tiled walls. Tescos were small high street self-service shops.

Edited December 6, 2010 by blankster

[skomer]

On our local main shopping area we got loads of new beauty salons, new cafes, two new chinese takeaways, two new curry houses and a new Indian take away and a new US diner on the way called S w a n k y Franks (which is going to have to be very, very good not to quickly get an unfortunate nickname). Also a new place where fish nibble the bad skin off your feet for a tenner. The off licences closed (we've lost three) and we lost a pub but it was shit anyway. It's near 100% occupancy but I'm hoping that'll change when the eight or so estate agents close down. Take a cruise into the future of our chavved-up (or down) high streets:

The future

What no Nail Bar or Tattoo Parlour

Its a sure sign that if there is an abundance of Nail Bar's in a locality its an area to avoid

[winkie]

What no Nail Bar or Tattoo Parlour

Its a sure sign that if there is an abundance of Nail Bar's in a locality its an area to avoid

It has a launderette....a sign of a good high street.

[pilchardthecat]

My local high street has always been mostly made up of

- pound shops

- charity shops

- discount clothes shops

- couple of (non chain) dept stores established 50+ years

- estate agents/solicitors/pubs/cafes/travel agents/chemists/butchers/bakers, etc

We have an Argos which opened recently and a tiny WH Smiths.

Woolworths has shut, and both the dept stores are gone, and still empty. Other than that its much the same as it was 5 years ago.

The best thing is that the quality of produce from the butchers & bakers is a million times what you get in the supermarket (including the waitrose up the road)

[blankster]

Its a sure sign that if there is an abundance of Nail Bar's in a locality its an area to avoid

Until Asda or Tesco gets in on the act ...and "why not?", I say! Edited December 6, 2010 by blankster

[needsleep]

What no Nail Bar or Tattoo Parlour

Its a sure sign that if there is an abundance of Nail Bar's in a locality its an area to avoid

We got a tattoo place yeah. And some nail bars too but aren't they lumped in with the beauty salons? The local craft shop recently became a nail bar. I haven't been in yet though.

[dissident junk]

If you don't use them you lose them....the councils with their expensive parking policies and high fines are cutting their noses to spite their faces.....dying high streets fewer local retail stores = less business rates and rents.

People will only visit if it is made easier for them, less stressful, it has something to offer and made to be an enjoyable experience.....some of the high streets are now so dowdy and depressing it brings the whole town down so you avoid going there.

More farmers markets I say.....local produce, personal service with a smile and good advise.

The biggest problem where I am is high business rates and the cost of retail units to rent. This is why charity shops do so well, because many receive a rate rebate as they are non-profit.

I actually looked into the costs for a unit on our street (in a small semi-rural village with low footfall). Turned out your monthly liabilities would be near £3000 before you'd even bought stock or paid for utilities.

I personally long for the day when rates on small retail or service enterprises on local high streets are next to zero. I think there should be a policy where councils have to reduce rates if they have above a percentage of units vacant for over a set period of time.

But then I also want there to be no income tax levied on those that earn under £20K a year ..... so I think I will be waiting a long long time to see these kinds of changes.

[Blod]

If you don't use them you lose them....the councils with their expensive parking policies and high fines are cutting their noses to spite their faces.....dying high streets fewer local retail stores = less business rates and rents.

People will only visit if it is made easier for them, less stressful, it has something to offer and made to be an enjoyable experience.....some of the high streets are now so dowdy and depressing it brings the whole town down so you avoid going there.

More farmers markets I say.....local produce, personal service with a smile and good advise.

More local markets selling farm products direct is sadly only transitory activity. They would work better if legislation forced the large supermarkets to hold these markets in there own car-parks, helping to solve two difficulties that they often face.

Locally to me the council are just finishing refurbishing a town centre high street and have now announced that they intend to develop a new retail shopping park half a mile from it. The old high street has had the usual tart up of street furniture and restricted parking. Unbelievably there won't actually be foot access between the two. The council don't seem to think that there is anything wrong with their plan. Mind you they actually put the business rate up by 45% in one year and couldn't understand why so many local shops closed.

I can't really consider the grooming business as a way forward as has already been pointed out. The kind of employment that they create can hardly been considered primary economic activity, low wages and part-time work don't re-create real living wages.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Blod

[winkie]

The biggest problem where I am is high business rates and the cost of retail units to rent. This is why charity shops do so well, because many receive a rate rebate as they are non-profit.

I actually looked into the costs for a unit on our street (in a small semi-rural village with low footfall). Turned out your monthly liabilities would be near £3000 before you'd even bought stock or paid for utilities.

I personally long for the day when rates on small retail or service enterprises on local high streets are next to zero. I think there should be a policy where councils have to reduce rates if they have above a percentage of units vacant for over a set period of time.

But then I also want there to be no income tax levied on those that earn under £20K a year ..... so I think I will be waiting a long long time to see these kinds of changes.

It is not easy to establish yourself in the high street as a small start up business...the rent and rates are astronomical, you can work four days or more just to pay your fixed costs...some councils give a discount for a short period, the business is then sustainable until that discount finishes...then you play catch up until no longer viable....the government want this 'big society' and private self sufficient businesses but do very little to help.

Don't get me started with landlords, they could do with lowering their rents, but they want the big corporates not the small fry....I wonder why many high streets all look the same, with the same boring names, that sell the same boring stuff.

[Bloo Loo]

1. Quality.

2. Knowing you're buying local produce.

Soem of the shops around here (butchers, fishmongers, bakers (apart from Greggs) etc...) are way better than the supermarkets for quality and about the same price.

I get my meat from the local farm shop.

the price is often LESS than Sainsisons, the quality is definitely better, and the taste....I can have fillet instead of mince, and the bacon remains the same size after its fried/grilled as it was cold, and there is no skank brown residue left in the pan.

scotch eggs are more expensive, but they do taste of eggs and sausagemeat.

[ManorHouseOwner]

I presume these hair and beauty are the outlets opening up offering wigs to the African sisters. Been a load of them added to all high streets in London/Home Counties I know.

[dissident junk]

It is not easy to establish yourself in the high street as a small start up business...the rent and rates are astronomical, you can work four days or more just to pay your fixed costs...some councils give a discount for a short period, the business is then sustainable until that discount finishes...then you play catch up until no longer viable....the government want this 'big society' and private self sufficient businesses but do very little to help.

Don't get me started with landlords, they could do with lowering their rents, but they want the big corporates not the small fry....I wonder why many high streets all look the same, with the same boring names, that sell the same boring stuff.

The interesting thing is that when I look at my own area and consider what you would do to reinvigorate the street and get some decent businesses established is .....

.... to win the lottery, buy the premises, and rent them out for below market rates.

It is the only way to solve some of these problems now. You know, I look around at stuff, things I really would love to change, and I think about all the solutions and it always comes down to "well, if I won the lottery . . ."

The fact we need a branch line? Well, if I won the lottery, I could purchase the contested land ...

The fact our local state education provision is below par? Well, if I won the lottery, I could open a summer school and offer lessons for free/bursaries etc.

The fact our local public crematorium is a disgrace (and it is a revolting place, completely unfit for purpose)? Well, if I won the lottery ....

I think it really says something about our current state of affairs that the only way to solve them is outside government structures and to have a vast amount of money.

[winkie]

If they hadn't of wasted so much, we would all have had so much more...

[Britney's Piers]

The local high street has 3 cashforgold shops. Two of them next door to each other.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Britney's Piers