Although a few large shops have closed recently in the centre of Ramsgate, most notably Woolworth, where my bookshop is on the edge of the town centre quite a few new shops have been opening, the latest two being a cycle shop and a washing machine and domestic appliance shop.The large shop next door to me, that was vacated by the chemist that moved to the Montefiore medical centre when it opened about two years ago and has been empty since is being fitted out as a general store.
The recession is a peculiar thing as it tends to work in favour of some of the shops, particularly when they are cheaper than the out of town shops.
Although King Street in Ramsgate is fairly scruffy and has quite a few closed shops it also has a good share of cheaper than the out of town shops, butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger, my bookshop, several secondhand furniture shops and Iceland.
Whatever it is that’s causing this I don’t really know I have been trying to puzzle it out, I wouldn’t have thought with all of the empty shops around that this would be the most desirable available place to start a new business.
Whatever it is that is happening it seems to be bucking the general trend anyone else got any ideas about this?
Peter the only solution I can see is to boycott out of town shopping and encourage others to do likewise. Frankly though I am amazed to see shops opening with Westwood Cross and the present economic climate I think it may be that the shops in this part of Ramsgate have had their rents reduced considerably, several businesses have moved to different building in the same street because the rent was lower.
ReplyDeleteWhatever is causing it if one could find out what it is perhaps it could be applied to Margate.