Latest post of the previous page:
824It's the old case of screwing the market until it starts losing them money. City councils do it via rents on the shops they own and local business tax. That's one of the reasons Gloucester is dying at the core.
For some strange reason it seems to be able to support seven sports and outdoor shops (but a sports and outdoor hyper-market has recently opened - the old B&Q with cheap prices, a massive range, easy access and a huge car-park to attract the customers.) 12 charity shops at last count, two pound shops, four "gift" shops (like mushrooms, appear over night on temporary leases). Plus four Tescos, one Sainsbury's, one Morrisons (maybe another soon) and one Asda within the city boundaries.
Went for a bus ride to Stroud today. When I left there in 1991 it was dying, rents and rates too high, to many new shops being built, old ones closing up (like Gloucs). It seems to have recovered and I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the interesting old shops had survived. Perhaps there is hope for Gloucs even yet! Many of old shops are now coffee bars and sarnie shops of some kind.