Crediton bucks trend in shop closures

There might be doom and gloom on many British High Streets but one place that seems to be bucking the trend is Crediton (or Kirt'n as the locals might pronounce it in their Westcountry way of abbreviating so many local place names). Crediton is a thriving town in Mid Devon and to the west of Exeter. Looking online at the Mid Devon Gazette they have the story that five independent retailers are setting up there whereas one might have expected a piece about a similar number closing such is the economic downturn.

Without me trying to pour cold water on things it isn't perhaps quite so good as it seems. For instance Jan Thresher of Kezia's hairdressing salon has purchased her own premises but had previously leased a different building in Crediton. So perhaps not an entirely new business but well done to her for grasping the chance to buy her own place. Another one is 'Fly Fishing Tackle', a business with a website for the last five years but who have now decided to have a 'bricks and mortar' presence. Now I find this particularly interesting because this is turning a recent trend upside down; I'm of the opinion that certain more specialist shops with their high business rates and energy costs will close and operate on the internet instead so for someone to add retail premises to an existing website seems quite unusual.

It's an undeniable fact that more shopping is being done through the internet and surely this will increase at the expense of our town centres. Once this recession is over it should be possible to start assessing just how much difference internet shopping is making to our retail therapy.