Business group looks to support town's retailers

I think that the photo you have used just shows what a souless place Wilmslow centre is, until, of course, the market is on and hides it all.Do away with pedestrianisation and lets have a proper town shopping centre. Only close the road to traffic on market days, like other towns.

Pedestrianisation of main streets like Wilmslow has had its time, Wilmslow can't compete with the internet or out of town shopping malls. The only way to survive is to increase footfall and however hard it is to bear that means easier for people to shop with cars; otherwise they just go somewhere else. Grove Street was a thriving shopping centre when cars were allowed to park for short periods. Wilmslow has lost the cache of a destination shopping centre to the likes of the Trafford Centre and even John Lewis. The only way it can survive is making it as convenient to shoppers as possible - and this means cars and being able to park in good locations.

Graham. I am not sure about the validity of this comment of yours.

"the only way to survive is to increase footfall and however hard it is to bear that means easier for people to shop with cars".

I agree with footfall but not so sure about "easier for people to shop with cars".

There are four significant public car parks in or immediately adjacent to the centre of town and this doesn't include the private car park above Waitrose. They are Broadway, Spring Street, South Drive and Hoopers Car parks. Hoopers and South Drive being immediately adjacent to two of the towns major retails stores (Sainsbury and Hoopers).

I believe that one of the issues is the provision of "free parking" as provided by the "out of town shopping centres such as Handforth Dean, Cheadle Royal, Trafford Centre" et al.

Handforth Dean is only 3 miles from the centre of Wilmslow and at mileage rate of 45p/mile costs £2.70 to get too in a car. And if it's a busy day then you are more likely to have to walk further to the shops from your car than from your car to the shops if you shop in Wilmslow.

I believe it's what people perceive as the benefits (ie free parking), than the actual facts of a cost benefit analysis!

The decisions of people are influenced by all sorts of factors. Hence the amount of money spent by retailers on influencing people by advertising.

I am a member of the WBG and support their initiative of "Get into Wilmslow". It's not just focused at the retail sector but at five different sectors and has been created by a Wilmslow based company.

The five different sectors are education, communication, business, leisure and retail.

http://www.wilmslow.co.uk/news/article/5405/59700-requested-to-brand-wilmslow

Stuart, bottom line is Grove Street needs more footfall. Let's take the Morrisons , its doing well because people people can quickly park (front or back of the premises), a quick shop and gone. No need to travel to Hand forth Dean, the benefit is convenience. Morrison's wouldn't even think of opening in Grove Street. People by nature want what's easy. I'm not a planner but I reckon you get more people shopping in Grove Street by allowing parking there than blowing £60k on branding Wilmslow.

I work for a fashion retailer in Wilmslow and would like to attend the business meeting. Do I just show up or do I need to notify anyone beforehand or make a booking?
Thanks!

Hi Tamara, you will be welcome to just turn up. The meeting will be held in the cafe on the top floor of Hoopers.

If you arrive after 5.30pm Hoopers will be closed so you will need to go to the back of the store, to the revolving doors, where the security guard will let you in.

When you arrive ask for Catherine Mackenzie, the chair, or Sue Morrison, the secretary, to introduce yourself. You will be made to feel very welcome.

I am coming along on Monday so I hope to meet you.

Guys, you have my utmost admiration for continuing to run a business in Wilmslow town centre. Stuart is not wrong when he sets out his case. However, who will spend 60p for one hour's parking in the centre of town? Yes there are free "one hour" parking bays dotted around but they are not enough, particularly when cars are parked badly, e.g. two cars taking up the space of three. You need to make it enticing for both the casual shopper, who wants to "pop in" and the serious shopper, who will stay for a while. Extend the parking voucher system which operates in the Sainsbury Carpark to other business in the WBG, but lower the threshold. £30 spend is a bit steep - even for Wilmslow.

Good Luck..........

One of the first things Wilmslow should do to improve footfall and compete with Trafford centre/John Lewis free parking/convenience is to extend the 'free 1 hour parking' that currently exists to 2 hours. An hour is not enough.

Whether you are going for a coffee or pick something up or do a bit of shopping. The customer is constantly looking at their watch/phone and worried about getting a ticket and we lose a lot of business because of this.

Having lived in the States, two hour free parking on or around high streets in small commuter towns is the norm. We need to create an easy, stress free environment in the town.

Secondly, the future of Wilmslow must be small independent shops and not chains. There has to be a point of difference and the unmatchable friendly service. Someone already mentioned, Knutsford as a benchmark when it comes to independent shops and I agree.

Finally, the rent issue is a huge obstacle but I cannot see how that can be resolved however rate relief is something that should be looked at asap (along with the lack of small business/local grants). I cannot believe that the last review on retail spaces in Wilmslow were conducted in 2008, retail has changed so much in 5 years. It's all fixable with the right shops and attitudes...