Has ED started to decline?

[Earl Aelfheah]

Soupdragon, The Mag, Green & Blue, Grace and Favour and Jacks all recently closed. Is the area beginning to go into decline?

[edcam]

Perhaps you haven't noticed but there's a recession. It's particularly tough for small independent traders when Internet shopping and chain stores are how most people buy things nowadays.

[pebs]

How to address high rents - I suspect that's a large part of the problem?

[Huguenot]

At least a couple of those said they were closing because rents were going up - that's a signal for growth not decline.

I guess the jury will need to stay out until their replacements do (or don't) make an appearance.

[????]

Recession that will kick in more especially when middle class families lose child benefit next April plus the fact that as the Forum shows time after time a fair proportion of unimaginative punters want chains, well, careful for what you wished for you're getting it. Another Indie shopping street bites the dust.

[????]

Rents are going up because LL is hitting the chain retail marketers 'ooooh we should be there antenna' Upper Street syndrome. tedious corporate yuk coming our way, mull over that in Cafe Nero

[Fabricio the Guido]

Can we stage an effective boycott when these chains arrive? What will resistance look like ?

[pebs]

not sure there's the demand out there that the chains will need tho?

[richard tudor]

Perhaps ED has always been smoke and mirrors than real substance. Credit only goes so far. More will no doubt close.

Perhaps the shops were wrong in the first place

[*Bob*]

I was thinking about this today.

Circumstantially, none of these places are/were places we regularly spent time and money in, despite having money to spend. It was nice having them, but we rarely went in. I think Green & Blue is a case in point. I (and I suspect many others) liked the idea of the place more than we we actually patronised it. Going in there for an occasional treat wasn't going to keep the rent paid.

Conversely, the ones we used all the time, such as The Cheese Block, SMBS & Rose.. Still look healthy.

All circumstantial as I say, but whilst 'use it or lose it' applies, it has to be something enough people - and lots of them - want to use.

[StraferJack]

"Posted by Fabricio the Guido Today, 08:29PM

Can we stage an effective boycott when these chains arrive? What will resistance look like ?

"

Given some of the businesses in question closed due to lack of custom, maybe not give chains your custom?

"Rents are going up because LL is hitting the chain retail marketers 'ooooh we should be there antenna' Upper Street syndrome. tedious corporate yuk coming our way, mull over that in Cafe Nero"

Exactly this

(Only exception I would make is as I've said before... A chain like pizza express in the mag location would draw more punters further up the lane, benefiting tippler, franklins etc. but if they take over g and b location... Ick)

[tomk]

Edited as I have now read the Green and Blue thread...

[thecaptain]

Vicious circle really, i feel alot of shops sell their items at premium prices to cover high rents. People dont see value so they go to cheaper places.

[macrobana]

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> At least a couple of those said they were closing

> because rents were going up - that's a signal for

> growth not decline.

>

You know that is not true.

[LondonMix]

Didn't Jacks want to go for a different model altogether? Isn't another indie shop replacing Grace and Favour (run by Lorraine)? Green and Blue just wasn't popular enough with all the good offerings around here food-wise as much as I liked them. Its sad whenever any business closes but I think the idea that Lordship Lane is in decline or that chains are taking over isn't at all true. M&S taking over Iceland is one chain replacing another. I can't think of any shop that has closed (and many have over the last 5 years) that was replaced by a large chain rather than what most people on here consider "indie shops". In fact, the people behind the Palmerston and the Bishop pubs have only expanded in the area... Lordship Lane carpets is opening a new branch in Blackheath. Lush is looking for a permanent place in ED, the new jewellery shop has opened on Upland Road, Mother Inc has opened a second store in East Dulwich up on Forest Hill Road etc etc etc

[LondonMix]

Also, one of the main thing limiting chains' ability to move into ED is the small size of the existing retail units and very limited ability to expand them. Do you think McDonalds needs ED to be rich to open in here? A lot of chains- Primark, KFC, McDs are already in Rye Lane as the retail shop footprints are more appropriate.

[Miacis]

No. Farmers is still here. And hopefully thriving.

[AbDabs]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Recession that will kick in more especially when

> middle class families lose child benefit next

> April

You've got to be kidding (no pun intended). Child benefit is a life saver at the sharp end but the loss of it is not exactly a life changer for those in the affluent middle classes. Perhaps I can see your thinking for Soup Dragon (middle class poppets spending the pocket money that those nice taxpayers across the wage range provide) but I can't see it having a significant effect along the whole of the Lane.

[*Bob*]

On balance - and despite a few noteworthy closures (RIP I-72) there's more here we actually use than there was when we arrived.

Lots of properly interesting joints springing-up in adjacent areas too.

Nothing to cry about really.. For the present.

[????]

AbDabs Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Recession that will kick in more especially

> when

> > middle class families lose child benefit next

> > April

>

> You've got to be kidding (no pun intended). Child

> benefit is a life saver at the sharp end but the

> loss of it is not exactly a life changer for those

> in the affluent middle classes. Perhaps I can see

> your thinking for Soup Dragon (middle class

> poppets spending the pocket money that those nice

> taxpayers across the wage range provide) but I

> can't see it having a significant effect along the

> whole of the Lane.

Of course it's not a life hanger but it's a ?3 cupcake per kid and Moroccan trinket changer for a 2+ kid family

[Jeremy]

Small businesses often go under, even during good times... and these are not particularly good times by any means. And bear in mind that at least two of the businesses mentioned in the OP closed for personal rather than financial reasons.

The loss of G&B is a shame, but the shop part sold expensive products that most of us would only buy for a gift or a special treat. The bar/cafe side of it had a nice feel to it, but they clearly struggled to attract enough customers.

[Dulwich Squirrel]

This post seems to be a bit of an over reaction in my opinion. LL and ED is thriving, despite the recession. End of.

[????]

End of which particular pub/restaurant/cafe squirrel?

[Dulwich Squirrel]

End of this silly thread. ED is doing just fine, small independant shops will always turnover for many different reasons. That said, sorry to hear that Green and Blue is closing.

[richard tudor]

Not enough middle class poppets to keep it open