Woolworths to close - and Dorking!
I am sure that we are all aware of the news of the failure of the administrators to successfully find a buyer for Woolworths and that a closing down sale is ordered to start on Thursday.
With the impending closure of one of the towns biggest retail outlets this news will come as a massive blow and seems likely to remain empty for the foreseeable future.
It seems incredible that Dorking seems to be the only town which has continued to struggle through which was reportedly one of the most sustained economic boom periods ever. One where excess and financial recklessness are now blamed for the mess we are in.
For many local people (including visitors to this blog) Dorking's consistent underperformance over these years has long been as big a mystery as to why the whole UK financial system has been allowed to collapse just recently.
One wonders what else will happen in the near future, it seems unlikely that any other empty retail units in the town will be let in the current climate.
I know this all sounds rather gloomy, especially at Christmas time, but at the moment it really doesn't look good. But hey, at the moment, everyone else seems to share the same sentiment throughout the country.
posted by The Cockerel @ 11:11 PM
23 Comments:
Believe me, I don't want this to happen, but I reckon that unit would be perfect for McDonalds. Better them than yet another empty shop?
I know there is no lack of drinking establishments in Dorking but given the size of the plot, maybe a plush over 21s wine bar would spring a bit of life into the town centre.
A place that could offer some more live music of an evening, the sort that uses pianos, saxaphones and trumpets etc. rather than just guitars would be good.
Still, would be a shame to see Woolworths close!
Have heard that Wilkinsons are after this specific unit. A McDonalds - definitely not! We already have a KFC and this place is used as a chav hangout and the rancid smells lingers all over the town. The idiots who frequent KFC still have not grasped the idea of a litter bin either. Their KFC litter can be seen to be strewn all over the Meadowbank, Cotmandene and all over the town at the weekends! A large and relaxed drinking establishment would be a good idea but I don't think the police and the council will allow anymore in the town centre. I would like something like a Gourmet Burger or a lively Greek family restaurant. Saying that, how about another decent clothing retailer like New Look etc.? x
In contrast Reigate have not long had a Jack wills!!
What is a jack wills?
jack wills is a pretentious typical rip off clothing company that makes clothes in the far east for pennies and flogs them to mugs in the uk that think they're buying quality for a stupendously outrageous price. It's not in the least bit surprising they've gone to Reigate, you cannot get anymore 'reigate' !!
Yes but they are lovely clothes (although too expensive for me!) and the actual shop in Reigate is beautiful - and old georgian building that had been empty for a while. The point is that Reigate continues to attract good, different, up market shops - Noa Noa, White Stuff, Benefit Boutique, Jack Wills etc while Dorking goes down hill all the while. Perhaps Reigate town management should meet up with Sandra Grant and tell her how it should be done...
I think a store like Argos or something of that ilke should come to Dorking. The choices for entertainment products is dwindling.
Either that or a clothing store, as others have suggested.
Hooray, a signed comment, even if there is an ulterior motive - to get us to the Surrey&Sussex Blog !
The, to me idiotic, decision which prevented the town from having an anchor store of appropriate size, as Sainsbury’s would have been (and which makes such a difference to Reigate and L’head) is too big a cross to bear….whether it’s Easter or Christmas. Without that crucially important draw what compounds the issue is the fact that ‘our’ town hasn’t got a high enough threshold of population to support many of the shops which people say they’d like to see, making them unviable: Argos can only survive in L’head, if they do, because of the greater levels of suburbia around the town at the north end of Mole Valley. With Guildford, Horsham, Epsom and Crawley readily accessible, many ‘chains’ aren’t going to increase their overall business by locating in Dorking. Reigate and Redhill have a much larger threshold off which to feed.
Such competition from naturally bigger centres, plus the massive increases in personal mobility, does mean that Dorking’s problems in creating a thriving retail + leisure hub are long-standing. But it is only part of the answer to the Cockerel’s ‘big mystery’ and I continue to wish (having said it before on here) that reasons for it should be given by those in the know with a view to appropriate action being taken, quite apart from reducing ignorant comments on here, possibly including some of my own. There’s no doubt - though uncharitable types (anonymous of course) suggest otherwise - that those in positions of influence are trying to change the situation. Town businesses can list the initiatives tried. Surely it would be helpful for the circumstances which make success elusive to be made public.. How far is it to do with The Council having no way to influence business rents and other costs etc.; or to the policies of ‘Chain Store’ groups; or to Surreys Highways decisions; or…..???
What would make a difference?….Cockerel, can you contact on this?….Answer: a town square in Dorking. See how on dorkingabout.com, page 3. It's doubtful if it's an answer in itself; those other matters need 'sorting' and it certainly doesn’t deny that an ‘anchor store’ is still crucial. Or is it part of some 'magic combination' which can be conjured...even in these difficult times?
Why would Argos contemplate opening up a shop in Dorking when there is already one a few miles away in Leatherhead. Another clothing retailer is desperately needed in Dorking to stop people popping in the car to places like Reigate and Epsom. A Mothercare would also be a good bet, as there are no other's in the vicinity of Dorking. Anyone been to the Starbucks in Dorking recently and you can see all the Mum's with young kids in there having a chat over a latte. A reasonably priced childrens' clothing shop is also a must after the sad news about Woolies. How about one of the empty units in St. Martin's Walk becoming a creche? It is high time, we started putting forward some decent proposals and that town centre management listens before the town dies a horrible and prolonged death!
DORKING Dan
To reply to one of the anonymous comments, would an over 21's club really benifit the town? Their is a large influental group of teenagers in Dork' town and they are all talented people, granted their are some very threatening teens in the mix but does that mean the minority have to spoil it for the majority?
QUOTE from this week's 'Advertiser', p35:
'Key figures in Dorking have slammed property developers' claims that the town has "gone to sleep".
'Reports ... in a national property trade journal .. included claims .. that Dorking had never recovered from the last recession'. 'Dorking was dubbed a market town which lost its appeal during the last recession leading to a lack of speculative development'.
This week's 'Advertiser'..BUT in its 'Yesteryear' column quoting TEN YEARS AGO !!
Oh for that Sainsbury's not-so-speculative development! How would those 'Key figures' comment now? How would they/we/anyone revitalise a hibernating town... even at this time of year?
I think the best we can hope for is that not too many shops ( be they independents or national chains) close in this recession. Then when we come out the other end, everyone will be starting from the same point and Dorking MUST take the initiative.
Dougie.
Have just come back from Sutton and noticed what Dorking lacks in terms of shops this Christmas. I am not talking about the pound shops and the tacky gaming arcades either. There is quite a lot of Christmas shops which sell everything from decorations, to Christmas lights to trees. They were quite crowded and would probably do well on a short term lease down in St. Martin's Walk. Also noticed a shop in the mall selling novelty items like Mr. Potato Head, Connect 4, Etch A Sketch and even A guide to making your own ale or lager. The place was filled with people and the shop offered everything for a little kid to an adult. It is a real shame that the town manager doesn't go out and do some research in our neighbouring towns to see what would be an ideal fit in Dorking. There are also numerous independent clothing chains which might be encouraged to open up in town, as they are being pushed out in Sutton because of the huge New Look and Next recent openings. How about town centre management looking closer afield like Ewell, Cranleigh and pointing some of their traders in the direction of Dorking. Ewell and Cranleigh continue to thrive with a large number of independent traders. Dorking needs to look forward and boot the dismal year of 2008 into touch. If it doesn't, the town may never recover from the present downturn. Jo
I think the toy kind of shop you refer to is Hawkins Bazaar.
It is a great shop but Horsham has one, and it was heaving at the weekend.
I would love Dorking to have one but again the Horsham one is too close. Infact the town used to have one years ago under a different name of Soupcon and it was in the shop which is (though not for long? ) Bookends.
Also Rowes and Fun and games do a lot of the smaller TOBAR items so might detract from their sales? TOBAR is the wholesale arm of Hawkins.
Does anyone know who the Dorking Towncenter Manager is?
That's a strange question Sonja!?! How 'Shrewd' are you?! As a retailer in the town you, more than the rest of us, must know, just as we do, and be aware of the efforts which the TCM makes to counter the accumulated difficulties, quite apart from credit crunch effects.
Ceebie colin..you speak a strange language..sometimes i dont understand it. Is it some strange form of english that you have developed?
Did wonder myself about such an involved sentence but couldn't be bothered to change it! Just making the point that Sonja knows, like most of us the rest of us do, who is the TCM. So why did she ask? I didn't understand her point.
OK...Anonymous?!
I think Sandra has been promoted hence my Shrewd question...
Sandra Grant has been promoted to Chief Bollock up
It is certainly true that the empty Woolworths store is a disaster for the town, bad news for shoppers and even worse news for the staff who were employed there and now face an uncertain future.
Speculation that a large store such as Mothercare, Argos, etc. would be a welcome addition to the town is way wide of the mark. Other large retailers have seen the level of abuse directed towards Sainsburys with their proposed development. Why face a long and expensive battle to open in Dorking when you can go to another far more welcoming town not too far away.
Sadly Dorking is completely up-the-creek in terms of planning matters. Just about the only new food shop that would be welcomed in to Dorking with open arms would be a new Waitrose, or better still, the first ever regional branch of Fortnum & Masons!
The proposed Sainsbury development (despite them being a retailer in the town for longer than I have walked - and that's a long time)was scuppered by a combination of middle class resentment (they probably have upper class pretensions) and a Highways Department who said Mill Lane was far to dangerous for use by delivery lorries - how on earth do they think Marks & Spencers and, until recently Woolworths, get their stock on the shelves? In any case if Mill Lane is unsuitable how do they square that with the use of Lyons Court (with all its elderly residents), Dene Street and Chart Lane; or for that matter Waitrose's lorries trying to get down Junction Road?
The truth is that for ages the town has been stuck in the mud and we don't have councillors with enough foresight to help get the town out of the muck.
Pepin
It does make sense for McDonalds to move to Dorking, especially on the site of the old Woolworths.
This will help other businesses in the town. Creating jobs and new life into the town.
The Royal borough of Windsor has a smart McDonalds outside, Windsor Castle. So Dorking can still be original unlike the ugly KFC on the corner, at the start of the high street.
Fingers crossed McDonalds will buy the old Woolworth store in Dorking.
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