Fewer empty shops in Colchester compared with national average (From Essex County Standard)
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Fewer empty shops in Colchester compared with national average
9:20am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News
COLCHESTER has nearly half the number of empty shops compared with the national average.
Research conducted by Colchester Retail and Business Association shows just eight per cent of town centre shops are vacant, compared with a 14 per cent national average.
Michelle Reynolds, chair of Colchester Retail Business Association, said: “Colchester is faring reasonably well set against other towns.
“Our shop occupancy rates are lower than elsewhere and people seem to like trading in Colchester.
“But it is also true to say that there are some people who are struggling.”
She added: “Colchester’s reputation has shielded it from the worst of the recession.
“We are a tourist destination, we are the oldest recorded town and I think businesses look at that and think ‘this is where we want to be’.”
The association conducts the research every three months.
Comments(3)
Simon1986
says...
1:21pm Thu 27 Sep 12
wormshero
says...
2:23pm Thu 27 Sep 12
The only things I bother ordering online are music/films and games for the cheaper prices (thank you import tax cut off). Not to mention the fact we have very limited shops in Colchester. We don't even have a record shop (unless you count HMV, but if you count that you may as well buy music at Tesco). I mean, I've been buying stuff online since I got my first visa card (when I was 11/12), but my main use of online shopping is getting stuff I can't buy in town, stuff that is notably cheaper, and music brought direct from the band/label, just because I prefer to see my money re-invested in new talent.
Everything else seems pointless to me, you occasionally save a few £ (but in a lot of cases you're no better off) but you then have the nuisence of waiting, hoping your neighbours/people who get into the building don't steal the items from the mailbox area (a sadly common occurance), and in the case of clothes you don't have the risk of ordering things that don't fit.
totallyfootball says...
10:49am Thu 27 Sep 12