Wednesday 25 March 2009

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.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I disagree with this title, having grown up in crediton the past 20 years I can't remember when there were so many unfilled shops... Daily News, Main News, Stevie B's has moved to coopers old place leaving another empty shop, food fayre, I noticed another up the town (unsure of the name)... Soap Suds old place on charlotte/east street is now a house, east 56 looks like that is being made into a house as opposed to another business, its not just shops too...
Westward Babywear went bust, Print Workshop moved to exeter, Windmill foods is vacant leaving the westward business park empty...
Universal Office Supplies closed down...

brian in the tamar valley said...

Thanks Adam for your comment. It would seem that the Mid Devon Gazette were just intent on writing an upbeat story about a small number of local shops whereas, as you point out, that's not representative of the situation as a whole. I am wondering now what effect the new Tesco is destined to have on other businesses in the town.