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January 9, 2008
Save Our Shopping Centre
HOW ironic that in the midst of the sale season, we learn that some of the best stores in Ealing Broadway are due to move out in 2008.
And the reasons being mooted for this shock decision includes higher rents and the competition from the up coming White City shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush.
The stores due to leave are all under the umbrella of the Arcadia Group, owned by retail billionaire Sir Phililip Green. They include Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans – Miss Selfridges having already closed.
Obviously this is a hammer blow for Ealing Broadway but surely it can’t be that much of a surprise as accusations of complacency continue to abound.
The business community and those responsible or involved with the shopping centre management must now be galvanised into action and start protecting the Broadway Shopping Centre from losing any more big names.
It’s now time to wake up from slumber and make sure Ealing does not slip any further down the list of top shopping centres in the country.
Becuae at the end of the day it is in all of our interest to make sure that Ealing remains a thriving economic hub and the Gazette will be fully behind any initiatives that aims to do that.
Let me have your thoughts on what should be done to protect the shopping centre and I'll be happy to pass them on.
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Posted by sazam at January 9, 2008 11:52 AM
Comments...
It is no surprise that an exodus has begun from the shopping area of Ealing Broadway.
It was damaged years ago by the strangulation of short stop free parking which really did for those useful quick stop shops, few of which remain.
The other problem is that the Broadway centre set itself up as a prestigous place to shop-except it always fell a bit short of that.
What it did not fall short of was prestigeous pricing.
Ealing has been for too long a rather expensive place to shop, not just parking but getting a good quality bargain is rare. A good deal is far more likely in far posher places like Richmond and Kingston both of which still have small shops not in the clutches of corporate landlords.
The Broadway has been deserted by it's own residents in droves, but the damage is not down to them.
The real damage has been inflicted by the greed of the landlords over the shops. Their high rents leave traders with little alternative to screw every last penny out of those shoppers who still shop locally. Only here today gone tomorrow short lease operations can trade in this scenario.
They won't do good bulk sales because when the Broadway is thriving ie at christmas, the car parks and local roads can't cope.And everyone hates it like that and won't come back.
The buses have poor provision for shoppers and Ealing Broadway station? Well that's where any development should start.
Imagine if the District and Central lines terminate underground and a low height mall spanned the railways from the end of the existing platforms linking to the multi storey in spring bridge road with a raised park over the top of the station platforms.
The greedy land owning institutions and the developers will break the commerce of Ealing to push us all to the brink so they can get their way. Trouble is how do we stop that happening?
Comment posted by: Mike Brandt at January 13, 2008 12:22 AM
This is depressing.
Does this put another nail in Ealing Broadway's coffin? Is the death of the Queen of the Suburb near?
Oh God, here comes all the pound shops in great numbers.
Comment posted by: Grace at January 15, 2008 6:26 AM