February 2010 As town and city centres up and down the country continue to struggle with a poor economy and severe winter weather Great Yarmouth is not immune, however, Springboard, the operator of the town centre footfall counters recently confirmed that Great Yarmouth is faring slightly better for town centre visitors than the majority of centres. The average January footfall for town centres nationwide was 7.5% down on last year, many blaming the wintry weather, whilst Yarmouth was 1.5% down. Although, this is small comfort to retailers that are struggling to keep their heads above water as the country slowly comes out of recession, it is another indication, along with the town's improved occupancy rate of shops, that Great Yarmouth has been less affected by the recession than many centres. Encouraging more people to stay longer and use Great Yarmouth town centre's only multi-story, car park operator Apcoa have launched a promotion advertising a £4.50 all day parking fee. This represents great value to car users as it reduces the normal daily cost of parking by 50% as the full price is generally £9.00 for all day parking. A bid to attain ‘Purple Flag' status for the town's night-time economy was launched this month as public and private sector figures work together towards passing a stringent accreditation process that judges the way the town is managed between 5pm and 6am. A number of stakeholders representing key business and public interests have agreed to participate in working groups to tackle various aspects of the town's attractiveness to people of all ages in the evening. It is hoped that the town will be in a position to be audited for the Purple Flag award this summer. January 2010 A Happy New Year for town centre retailers? With the Christmas shopping rush behind us retailers large and small will be assessing how they fared during their most important trading period in what is proving to be an increasingly difficult and changing environment in which to trade. This past year has been an extremely challenging one for town centre retailers, with many shops dependant on a ‘good' Christmas for a large percentage of their annual turnover. Hopefully, the last minute rush and ‘record' Boxing Day sales announced by some national retailers will have been a relief to many. No doubt that there will have been winners and losers, and this may become apparent during the bleaker months of January and February as it did last year with the loss of Woolworths, Adams and Zavvi from Britain's High Streets. The big supermarkets will no doubt have increased their market share of the national spend on Christmas, along with the seemingly unlimited range of internet shopping sites available, of course high street retailers now have on-line presence and some use this to drive footfall into their stores with special offers and vouchers, which may be an example of how the internet can have a positive affect on the high street. So in the face of increasing market share being taken by supermarkets, out of town shops and the internet, what does the future hold for Great Yarmouth town centre? In terms of availability of shops the town centre has a stronger offer than it has had for the best part of a year, with the former Woolworths premises taken over by Ethel Austin in November and The Works filling the vacant unit left by Currys in December. The overall presentation of Great Yarmouth town centre is one that has easy access, central parking, compact with a wide variety of high street chain stores and independents. The Victoria Arcade has had new life breathed in to it with a number of new traders, and the bi-weekly market is also a positive factor as there is still a clear increase in shoppers on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Footfall during 2009, although down on 2008 remained a healthy 2% to 3% better than the national average and it has a greater shopping offer now could potentially continue in 2010. So the overall prognosis is for another tough but not disastrous year for Great Yarmouth town centre but a word of caution, the high street economy is clearly fragile and the health and vitality of our main retail centre is dependant on it being protected - within central government guidelines - from any additional, unwarranted expansion outside of the town centre. December 2009 Christmas Shopping in Great Yarmouth As Christmas approaches Great Yarmouth town centre is set to get another boost as a number of new shops race to get their shelves filled and doors open in time for the peak shopping season. Ethel Austin incorporating Aux Naturalle (old Woolworths store, The Works (former Dixons store) and Paperbox (new into Market Gates Shopping Centre), are the latest three national retailers to expand into the town, following the completion of the Market Gates Shopping Centre expansion last year which resulted in bringing Debenhams and Starbucks to the town and a larger New Look store. The new chain stores are complimented by the growing number independent shops that have been opening in the town in recent months including Finishing Touches, Knitters Knock, Bambino's and Bella Gowns in Victoria Arcade, Shattered Mirror and Mocha on Regent St and Thomas Burn Jewellers, Noble Crafts, Turnstyle, Headrush and Instant Furniture in Market Row. The new shops will increase an already exciting shopping offer with hundreds of outlets large and small, national and independents, that together provide a range of shopping catering for most needs and likes with many, many Christmas gift ideas throughout the town. Beyond the wealth of shopping that Market Gates offers, there exists around the Market Place and King Street more than one major department store set amongst a wide variety of the main high street chain stores to provide everything you need for a great Christmas. The uniquely independent Palmers and the new Vergo department stores, the latter with it's Christmas Grotto open from November 28th, along with the likes of Argos, Boots, M&S and British Home Stores provide the Christmas shopper an inspirational selection of gift ideas, whilst a plethora of fashion stores and make sure you find that party outfit you need. Of course, Christmas shopping doesn't begin and end with the chain stores and Great Yarmouth town centre has a wealth of independent shops that cater for a variety of gifts and services, allowing you the opportunity to buy that someone special something special and different this Christmas. Between them the town's Market and Broad Rows, King Street, Regent Street and a re-invigorated Victoria Arcade are home to a range of quality jewellery, book, fashion, sports, antique, florist and gift shops. These places also are home to a variety of cafes and restaurants for somewhere to relax and unwind during or after that major shopping trip and salons to make sure you look your best for that big night out. Great Yarmouth Market, another place where you are guaranteed to find the best value from a wide variety of stalls, along with some great food stalls, is open Fridays as well as Wednesdays and Saturdays in December, so don't forget the plan a look round there during your Christmas shopping expedition. November 2009 The Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership has announced its list of events planned to celebrate Christmas and support town centre retailers during the most important trading period of the year. Town Centre Manager Jonathan Newman said "It's no secret that retail has been hit hard during the recession and the Christmas build up will be all the more important for that, this will probably be the most important Christmas trading periods for many years as far as town centre shops are concerned. As the Town Centre Partnership we will be pulling out all the stops to encourage more people to use their local town centre for Christmas shopping whilst competition from the internet, supermarkets and other shopping centres will be fierce as everyone will be after a share of what is likely to be a smaller spend on Christmas by most people this year." The Festivities will start with the traditional switching on of the Christmas lights on the evening of Wednesday November 25th by his Worship the Mayor plus special guests and an evening of entertainment on the Heart FM soundstage. Popular breakfast presenter duo, Rob and Chrissie, will present the evening which will conclude with a rooftop firework finale at 8pm which is the time that town centre shops will be staying open until as the first late night shopping evening of the Christmas period. The Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre, which will this year be concentrated in and around St. Nicholas Church and the Priory Centre at the North end of Market Place, runs from Friday 27th November to Sunday 29th November. This annual Christmas craft and gifts event provides ample opportunity to find unique presents and speciality food s whilst enjoying a festive entertainment and atmosphere. The Fayre will once again be playing host to the group of Norwegian craft traders that have visited the event every year since it began 11 years ago. THE Norwegian theme continues with a once a year opportunity to enjoy the fantastic Norwegian Christmas Carol concert on Saturday 28th November at St. Nicholas Church performed by the Lardal Kantori. The 40 piece mixed Choir will be travelling from their home in South-East Norway to perform exclusively in Great Yarmouth, where they also enjoy doing a bit of Christmas shopping them selves! On the weekend of December 4th and 5th the town centre will play host to ‘Italia in Piazza' a wonderfully Mediterranean themed market. Some 20 stalls will feature a range of foods supplied directly from the producers in Italy, including a wide range of cheeses, cured meats, olives and pasta. A number of stalls will have a festive flavour, in particular the ranges of cakes and sweets. Late night shopping in the town centre starts with the Christmas Lights switch-on November 25th and continues on every Wednesday until Christmas. The majority of shops will open until 8pm on December 2nd and 9th and until 9pm and December 16th and 23rd. A variety of entertainment will take place each evening but a visit by Santa's reindeer and their friends the Christmas ‘Reindeer' Donkeys is promised on each of the Wednesdays in December. October 2009 On saturday 24th October Great Yarmouth will be hoping to set a new Guinness World record and raise over £1,000 for the Breast Cancer Care charity. The campaign to set a new Guinness World Record in Great Yarmouth is well under way with hundreds of people expected to turn out for this wackiest of events being held in the Market Place. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the current World Record for the number people dressed as the children's book character from "Where Wally" in one place 1,052. With many people already registered on the Yarmouth events official website www.gytcp.co.uk/wally it is hoped that Great Yarmouth can establish a new record to beat that total set in New York earlier this year. £1 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Care Charity for every 'Wally' taking part in the attempt. Preparations are in full swing now for Christmas as town centre retailer's debate store opening times in the run up to December 25th. The pressures of the economic downturn and the way the festive period has fallen across the weekend is forcing many national traders to extend opening hours and days to include Boxing and New Years' Days openings. Great Yarmouth town centre will open for five late night shopping evenings from the date of the Christmas Light switch-on planned for Wednesday 25th November and the four following Wednesday's in December. Keep an eye on the Events page for further details on the events being held on the late night shopping evening as well as the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre taking place over 27th - 29th November. August 2009 Footfall in Great Yarmouth town centre recovered slightly in June and July after two months of negative growth in May and April. Following a buoyant start to the year with an average growth of 4.4% up to March, footfall figures measured by Springboard dropped drastically following Easter, with both April and May being down some 6% on the same months in 2008. However, following a 4% year on year increase for June, July's figures are static with no growth are decline. The current average growth for the year to date stands at -1.3% with still compares favourably with Springboards benchmark figure for all town s and cities of -3.9% and -8.9 for coastal resorts. With four late-night ‘Summer Wednesday' shopping events in August, footfall in the town centre could get a further boost. The Town Centre Partnership has arranged entertainment and activities to tempt shoppers into town during the extended hours including Punch and Judy shows, donkey rides, live music and street dancing. Many shops will have in-store events of their own including demonstrations and special offers, whilst town centre car parking in Council run car parks is free after 4pm. With entertainment and a free firework display on the seafront from 9pm, the town centre is the perfect place to park, get something to eat and do some shopping, before walking down to Marine Parade for the fireworks. The 'Summer Wednesdays' late night shopping runs until August 26th. July 2009 Plans for Great Yarmouth's first summer of late night shopping evenings in the town centre hot up as retailers reveal a series of special events to tempt shoppers into their stores. Every ‘Summer Wednesday' from 22nd July to 26th August, traders will be opening for extended hours in the town centre supported by activities and events provided by the Town Centre Partnership and Market Gates Shopping Centre. These include donkey rides, trampolines, a climbing wall, family craft workshops, singers, dancers, face painters and a weekly competition to win £100 of shopping vouchers. As well as having some great Wednesday night exclusive promotions, a number of retailers have arranged their own ‘in-store' events to add even greater interest to the weekly event. Book signings by top authors and celebrities have been organised by independent bookshop ‘Books Inside', whilst Boots will be having a weekly Makeover event and Fashion Show. Game has arranged for a special ‘Singstar' console in it's Market Gates store for one of the evenings, whilst Peacocks will have a Beautician on hand in their store to offer free advice on hair and facial care. As an extra incentive, Apcoa, the company that runs the shopping centre multi-story car park, is bringing in a one-off fee of £1.50 from 3pm on each of the ‘Summer Wednesdays' until the car park closes. The Town Centre Partnership's ShopSafe retail crime reduction scheme welcomed three new members during June. Retailers Store 21, Select and 99p Stores all took delivery of their hand held radios last month, allowing them to participate in the town wide scheme to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. And with the launch of new ‘Red Card' town centre exclusion scheme in May, the scheme is even better place to have an impact on retail crime. Shoppers and businesses in Great Yarmouth welcomed the news that the Market Place Co-op Department Store is to be saved after a deal was done by East of England Co-op to sell the shop along with 11 other stores to Liverpool based Vergo Retail. East of England Co-op Chief Executive, Richard Sampson, confirmed in a press release last month that the deal would secure the employment of staff as his own company moved away from non-food retailing. The store has been under threat of closure since March when it was announced that potential buyers were being sought. June 2009 This Summer retailers in Great Yarmouth will be opening for extended hours every Wednesday from 22nd July to 26th August. Traders in the town centre will be attempting to mitigate the effects of the economic downturn by opening until 8pm on one of the busiest days of the week during the town's peak tourism season. Using the title of ‘Summer Wednesdays', the initiative is being supported by the Town Centre Partnership with a programme of free entertainment and activities in the Market Place. A combination of radio and press advertising plus a special voucher booklet featuring special offers from retailers and town centre eateries, will promote the late night shopping to residents and visitors alike. The 3rd Great Yarmouth Beer and Cider Festival held at the Priory Centre over the Spring Bank Holiday was hailed a major success with numbers up 22% on the previous year and over 40% better attended than year one. Organisers, the Town Centre Partnership and Blackfriars Brewery, are already looking forward to next year when forthcoming improvement works at the Priory Centre will allow for larger attendances still. The 2010 Festival will once again be held over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend that has become the traditional time for the event to be held. The Town Centre Partnership re-launches its town centre exclusion scheme this month with a new ‘Red Card' approach to shoplifters and trouble-makers. The exclusion scheme is part of the Partnership's ShopSafe Retail Crime Reduction initiative and has been in place for a number of years. To date, persons caught shoplifting in member stores have been served an exclusion notice on a detailed form which required copies in triplicate. Following the re-launch, retailers will be armed with ‘Red Cards' that can be issued to persons caught shoplifting or for other offences including bad and/or threatening behaviour, which will inform the offender that they have been banned from all of the scheme's member stores, a total of over 70 retailers in Great Yarmouth. May 2009 Tickets are selling fast for the Great Yarmouth Beer and Cider Festival being held at the Priory Centre over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. A combination of over 100 locally produces real ales and ciders, with great music and entertainment, in this wonderful historic venue, help make this annual event really special. As every year, the staff at the festival are all volunteers, and this year the organisers are delighted that a number of local organisations are to bring teams of volunteers to ‘man' the bars for many of the sessions. The International Lions and the Royal Society of St George are just two groups that will be bringing volunteers to help out. The Festival opens for the first session at 5pm on Thursday 21st, where the Salt Box comedy club will be kicking off the proceedings with a night of laughter with top local comics. More details on this and the rest of the Festival can be found on the events page of this website. Footfall in Great Yarmouth Town Centre continued to buck the national downward trend for the first four months of 2009. According to the Springboard/ATCM High Street Index, Great Yarmouth footfall during January to April was 1.8% higher than last year, this compares very favourably with Springboards ‘All Towns and Cities' average of -3.8% for the same period. These figures go some way towards supporting the widely held belief that Great Yarmouth and East Anglia is being less affected by the national economic downturn than other parts of the country. And, with the prospect of an increase in Britons holidaying in the U.K. due to the weak sterling, with Great Yarmouth being Britain's third largest seaside tourism destination, traders in the town centre look set to capitalise on a further increase in footfall during the summer. April 2009 Great news for Shoppers in Great Yarmouth! - Town Centre car parks operated by Great Yarmouth Borough Council are now free from 4pm. Councillors agreed the surprise initiative in light of the current economic pressures facing many of the town centre's businesses. It is hoped that having the free parking from 4pm will see more people make late shopping visits to the town, perhaps staying and eating in one of the many restaurants situated in and around the town centre, without being concerned about getting a parking ticket. The 99p shop opened its doors for the first time in Great Yarmouth this month as it replaced the former Clothing Direct unit on the Regent Road side of Market Gates shopping centre. Trade was particularly brisk on the first day as earlybird shoppers were rewarded with a number of special offers. The good news continues as, despite the economic gloom that pervades the country, Great Yarmouth is bucking the trend as more and more people are shopping the town centre compared to last year. The footfall counters have measured a 1% increase for the first three months of the year, whereas most town and city centres are experiencing significant decreases. And with Easter holidays this month and talk of 20% - 30% increases in summer bookings with the Borough's holiday parks and hotels, this trend could continue throughout the summer. It is important therefore that the town's shops, services and cafe's are prepared for what could turn out to be a bumper season for the town's tourism industry as the poor value of the pound encourages holidays ‘at home'. Town Centre retailers are already planning to open their doors longer on Wednesdays during the peak weeks of summer as the town embraces the influx of visitors. Late night shopping and events and entertainment in the town centre will be scheduled from July 22nd to August 26th if plans are agreed between retailers and the Town Centre Partnership for additional marketing to promote the shops being open until 8pm. The aim is to encourage greater use of the town centre after 4pm when car parking becomes free on council car parks with people being incentivised with special offers to stay longer, have a meal and do some extra shopping visiting the other attractions open late during the summer. Watch this space as plans unfold..... Tickets for the Great Yarmouth Beer and Cider Festival went on sale last month through the pages of the Yarmouth Mercury. The Festival is being held from May 21st to May 24th, more details are available on this site's events page. March 2009 With another store closing on Great Yarmouth Market Place, as Curry's Digital consolidate the number of stores they have nationally, there is a concern that the town will appear less attractive to both shoppers and potential new retailers. However, despite the withdrawal of this and two other high street shops in the last two months (Adams and Woolworths) Great Yarmouth is still in a much better position than many towns and cities affected by the economic downturn. Whilst plans for new shopping centres and town centre improvements are being shelved by developers up and down the country, Great Yarmouth was fortunate to have the Market Gates extension and it's new retailers secured ahead of the start of the ‘Credit Crunch' last year. The benefit this has brought to the existing town centre shops can be expressed by the number of additional shoppers the development has brought to the town, which continues to be up on last year, whereas nationally the average number of shoppers in town centres has continued to fall. And, whilst there are vacant units in the new area of Market Gates, agents for the landlords continue to market the shopping centre and Great Yarmouth to potential new retailers. Similarly, the landlords of Victoria Arcade, where the high number of empty units were already a problem before the economic downturn, and now serve to exaggerate the problem, have appointed new agents with instructions to increase the occupancy rate. To this end, some very favourable terms are being made available to potential tenants that should result in the reduction of empty shop units in the coming months. The role of the Town Centre Partnership in all this becomes more important than ever in promoting Great Yarmouth town centre as a clean, safe and friendly place to shop and visit. Crime and the perception of crime has been an issue for town centres for many years, ensuring that shoppers feel safe when visiting the town centre is vital. Retail crime, expected to increase as a result of the economic situation, is a big threat to small retailers as they try to cope with lower sales and reduced margins, the Partnership's ShopSafe scheme is well placed to assist traders to combat retail crime. Putting on events, such as the Italian Market on the 13th and 14th March, to attract additional visitors to the town is also much more important as shoppers look for added value when deciding where to visit. Raising awareness, sometimes by simply reminding visitors of the wealth of traders around them, is also key in assisting independent traders that occupy the streets off the Market Place. To this end, the Partnership has just replaced the weathered plastic covers and obsolete information boards with bright new signage to ‘announce' the town's unique traders in Market and Broad Rows and King Street. The Partnership's website, http://www.gytcp.co.uk/, which has information on coming events, news and shopping, also offers the towns smaller retailers a presence on the World Wide Web, guiding potential customers to their doors.
February 2009
Footfall figures released this month quantified the positive impact that the new store openings in Market Gates had on the town during the Christmas period. Whilst nationally the numbers of people shopping in town and city centres were down between 5 and 10 percent on last year, Great Yarmouth experienced 20% year on year increases during November and December. As we move into the much quieter months of the year it remains to be seen if this level of growth continues. In any case, I would hope that the extended retail offer the town now presents, better enables it to cope with the external pressures of the national economy.Retail is just one part of an economy that is under increasing pressure with people's jobs at risk in all sectors, and, as in any town, retail is likely to be affected if any jobs are lost in other industries. The national downturn has claimed a number of retailers since Christmas, Woolworths and Adams being two that have had stores close in Great Yarmouth. However, it's not all ‘doom and gloom', as a number of national retailers with shops in Great Yarmouth have announced Christmas sales above last year, including New Look, Poundland, JD Sports, Matalan, Game, and Peacocks, so despite the newspaper headlines, there is some room for optimism.
With so much focus in the press on national companies, it seems overlooked that our local retailers are as likely, if not more so, to be affected by the downturn. Without the backing of national resources and with working capital scarce, local businesses need all the support they can muster, and whilst we cannot always expect them to be as competitive, they will have other positive factors that set them apart from the nationals, e.g. local knowledge, local goods/products, customer service and wider choice. It is estimated that every pound spent with a local trader stays in the local economy for up to five further transactions.
January 2009
As many of us welcome the start of a new year I would like to spare a thought for the staff at Woolworths which closes its doors for the last time this month. Through no fault of their own the staff at the shop, which has been a part of the town centre for decades, are all being made redundant. We can only hope that a new occupier for the shop unit is quickly found that will both fill the void left by the departure of the Woolworths name from the British high street and bring as many jobs to the town as those now lost.
Great Yarmouth certainly presents an attractive proposition to retailers not already here as the much anticipated opening of Debenhams and Starbucks has undoubtedly added an extra dimension to the town centre and, if it were not for the global economic downturn, I am sure there would be a number of new stores queuing up for retail space in the town. However, the next few months, are likely to be unpredictable, and, many as many economists think, quite painful, for retailers in the U.K. Nevertheless, with the Outer Harbour opening imminent, a large Casino licence granted, 1st East Regeneration plans beginning to take shape and a likely increase in tourism numbers as holiday makers forgo foreign trips for holidays closer to home, Great Yarmouth will be on the ‘radar' of retailers that manage to weather the storm the financial forecasters predict.
Footfall and sales during the Christmas period have been fairly healthy according to a number of shops in the town centre; this was certainly assisted by the increased use of short term discounts and early pre-sale ‘Sales'. Another factor that tends to loom large during this time of the year is an increased level of shoplifting. I am pleased to report that, due in no small way to the increased uniformed patrols by Police during November and December, thefts during this period has been greatly reduced against previous years. Great Yarmouth Police are to be congratulated on their campaign to reduce shoplifting, not just with the more visible ‘bobbies on the beat' - as well as cardboard ones! - but also by embracing new initiatives such as Restorative Justice, where the offender meets with the victim to agree a suitable punishment in the form of a service or task that benefits the victim.
One area of crime that does threaten to become more common is purse snatches, a particularly nasty crime as the victims are generally older, vulnerable shoppers. One way of discouraging thieves from delving into handbags is by attaching a small clip with two bells to your purse. The aptly named ‘Purse Bells', have been made available by Norfolk Police in a number of town centre shops. For a small donation, which allows the stock to be replenished, the Purse Bells can be obtained from Palmers, Debenhams and Co-op Department Stores, Bon Marche and M&S.
December 2008
The town centre Christmas season is in full swing now with the lights switched on and shops tills busy. There are plenty of bargains to be had as retailers tempt shoppers with big price cuts for limited periods. Many led by national campaigns by the like of M&S and Boots, these short campaigns, supported by national press advertising, have certainly brought more shoppers in to the town centre.
As well as the exceptional mark downs and special offers, the opening of Debenhams, Starbucks and Poundland in Market Gates is already attracting more shoppers to the town centre. A healthy increase is being seen in footfall compared to the same period last year, bucking the trend of the ‘Credit Crunch' affect on footfall over the last few months. During most of this year, as in most town and city centres, the number of people visiting the town centre has been down on 2007, however, during the first three weeks of November the average footfall for the town centre has been up more than 10%. And during the week of the Christmas Light Switch on and Christmas Fayre this exceeded 25%. Of course it doesn't necessarily follow that shoppers are spending more in the town, national figures suggest that this is far from the case, but I think most retailers will agree that having more shoppers spending in the town, is better than less. And from what I am being told by both our oldest and newest town centre Department stores, trade in the town centre has been pretty brisk lately.
According to national press, another effect of the ‘Credit Crunch' on the high street has been a sharp increase in retail theft that many of the national chains are reporting. This trend has encouraged a number of retailers to join the Town Centre Partnerships retail crime reduction scheme ‘ShopSafe'. Debenhams and Poundland signed up to the scheme as soon as they opened. Other retailers, already trading in the town centre, have also recently taken advantage of the combination of measures that have been accredited with the Home Office ‘Safer Business Award'. The scheme has contributed to reducing retail crime in the town centre by more than 20% in consecutive years since 2006. This has been achieved by close partnership working between Police, CCTV, Street Wardens and shop staff. Any businesses wanting to learn more about the scheme should contact John Pond, the Retail Crime Reduction Co-ordinator, on 01493 745828.
October 2008
With the part closure of Haven Bridge as part of the Hall Quay/South Quay road works removed, the worst of the traffic problems that has affected most people living and working in and around the town these last few weeks should be behind us. The road works to reinforce the roads in preparation for the additional volume of freight expected next year with the opening of the Outer Harbour, should be fully completed by the end of October.
The East Coast Run, part of the town's Charter 800 celebrations, started and finished in the Market Place on Sunday 26th October. The 10km race organised by the Great Yarmouth Road Runners had over 500 entries from all over the region and took in the Seafront and South Quay as part of its course. The Runners returned to the Market Place accompanied by live music from ‘The Collective', a live band who performed in the Market Square.
The ‘Out There' Festival comes to the town during half-term week with much of the programme taking place in and around the Market Place. On Wednesday a massive tent is being erected on the Market Square which will be the Festival ‘Village' where many of the events will be staged over the weekend. A wide range of cultural activities, performances and street art will take place from Thursday to Sunday all day and into the evening. The headlining act in the town centre will be Tightrope and Fire Show on Saturday evening. Starting at 6pm, world renowned tightrope walker Didier Pasquette's 50ft high walk from Palmers to Market Gates roofs will be followed by a spectacular firework finale, an event not to be missed!
The new Debenhams store in Market Gates opens its doors a week today next door to the new ‘New Look' store that opened last week. The new stores give the town centre a new attraction for shoppers and will hopefully increase footfall over the coming weeks, bringing welcome relief following the last month of disrupted trade caused by the aforementioned road works. And, with the Christmas shopping season almost upon - the Christmas Lights Switch - On November 26th and the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre opening for three days on Friday 28th November - town centre traders will be hoping that sales will pick up sooner rather than later.
September 2008
As the wet Summer turns into a what looks like a wetter Autumn, confirming the end of the main holiday season for Great Yarmouth, it is apparent that there exists an air of optimism in the future prosperity of Great Yarmouth amongst town centre retailers, despite the gloomy financial picture nationally.
The potential growth and investment that an Outer Harbour and an Urban Regeneration Company and a large casino licence and, more immediately, a new Debenhams store promises, is much of the reason for this optimism. This is borne out by a reduction in the number of vacant retail units over the last six months, for example there is currently not a single vacant shop unit in the Market Place, that hasn't been the case for more than five years. Similarly, the secondary shopping areas of King Street and Market and Broad Rows are relatively vibrant presently with few, if any, boarded up shop fronts. There are still some areas of concern; Victoria Arcade still has an unhealthy number of vacant units, however, with a £300k facelift just completed, owners Miller are offering very attractive deals to entice new tenants. Also, the stretch of King Street south of Yarmouth Way, an area in much need of some environmental 'TLC', is the subject of a bid for regeneration funding from CABE's £10m ‘Sea Change' scheme for coastal resorts. But the most immediate light on the horizon for hard pressed town centre retailers is the imminent completion of the £10m extension of Market Gates shopping centre, bringing with it the aforementioned Debenhams, Starbucks and an enlarged New Look store. Debenhams have set October 31st as their opening date and this will be accompanied by loud fanfare of marketing activity which will surely boost the town's footfall through to Christmas and the New Year Sales. That Market Gates will also embark on a marketing campaign to re-launch the shopping centre is likely to benefit the town centre as a whole.So, whilst analysts predict that regional and out of shopping centres will bear the brunt of the current decline in consumer spending on the high street, Great Yarmouth town centre, with its predominant value and discount retail offer coupled with a bus interchange on its doorstep, is already well placed to weather the twin threats of reduced disposable income and rising fuel costs. However, if you add to this the extension of Market Gates shopping centre, the most significant development in the town centre for over 20 years, the enriching of the town's retail mix about to be enhanced by the opening of Debenhams, Starbucks and an increased New Look, then optimism in the town centre should be expected.
Around Town, the monthly column by Town Centre Manager, Jonathan Newman, published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury - July 2008
Last week's Town Centre Music Festival was a great success and I would like to pay tribute to all the performers that took part, particularly those that played on during the heavy downpours that seem to be a feature of the festival every year. The importance of this now annual event to the hundreds of performers, young and old, taking part cannot be over estimated. Congratulations to Chris Anson, his helpers and sponsors, for making it happen. The opportunity to perform on a big outdoor stage in front of crowds provides a great new experience to many of those taking part. It was also great to see the EFX girls, soon to appear on the country's biggest stage for performers, the X-Factor, open the 9-day festival that they have performed at each time it has been held. This type of event is just the sort of experience our stars of tomorrow need to develop their talent.
Whilst on the subject of performers I am really keen to hear from local groups and individuals wishing to get involved in this years town centre Christmas activities. Whether you're a singing group, dance troupe, performing arts class or have a seasonal talent with which to entertain crowds of shoppers during the Christmas season. The Christmas Lights switch-on, late night shopping and the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre are some of the events for which that local groups and performers are being sought; please get in touch if you would like to know more.
More local talent will be on show in the market place on Sunday 10th July when ‘Yarmouth's Got Talent' competition takes place as part of the ‘Helping to Change Someone's Life Today' Charity Fun Day. This event will also include live music, stalls, fancy dress competitions, Star Wars characters, a Spot Kick Challenge, Face Painting, Clowns, Charity Auction and lots more. The Fun Day will also be the first chance to see the new Miss Great Yarmouth as the result of the public vote in the Mercury will be announced and the winner receive her Crown. All the activities taking place are to raise money for the Children in Need and Cancer Research UK charities.
Finally, I am delighted to report that three new eateries have opened in the town centre during the last few weeks. All three are new independent businesses and all offer something different. With ‘Woody's Café' on Broad Row providing a traditional café complete with outdoor seating, the ‘Town Fryer' on Market Gates road offering both take away and eat in fish and chips, and the newly opened ‘Mocha' on Regent Street with its selection of eat in and take away coffees and specialist teas combined with a range of freshly made sweet and savoury dishes, town centre workers and shoppers have even more choice for great places to eat. I wish all three owners and staff the very best in their ventures and hope that the confidence they have shown in opening their businesses in Great Yarmouth town centre is rewarded.
June 2008
Congratulations to all the Market traders and shops that joined in the Charter Market Weekend as part of the town's King John 800 Charter Year Celebrations earlier this month. The medieval themed market was a tremendous success with many of the traders dressed in traditional period costume for the occasion. The performing costumed characters and the medieval activities they re-enacted over the four days provided a different style of entertainment to that generally seen in the Market Place, and drew a large audience - particularly the fire-eater and jugglers! The additional funding provided by the Borough Council via the King John Charter Committee for the medieval entertainment certainly helped to enhance the weekend and create a festive atmosphere. The visit on the Monday by the Princess Royal was the icing on the cake for the town's festivities and a real treat for the crowds that gathered to see her. The event and the town was very well covered in the press and on television, with some great pictures of the town centre being beamed around the eastern region, which was altogether a fantastic advert for Great Yarmouth.
Next month TCMF3, the third annual town centre music festival, returns to the Market Place for a full 9 days of musical entertainment. The Festival will look to repeat last year's success when some 900 performers took part. The professional stage and sound equipment being used at the festival makes the experience for the performers, as well as the audience, very special. For a lot of groups and individuals, the music festival is a first taste of performing live to a large audience, on a stage, and with the support of professional sound engineers. Thanks the event's funder's, Comeunity, Norfolk County Council, Town Centre Partnership and Eastern Music Underground, the entertainment can all be seen for free. TCMF3 opens on Saturday 12th July and runs until Sunday 20th July.
The extension of the Market Gates Shopping centre continues to take shape as Iceland move to their new premises on the corner of South Market road. The freeing up their old store has allowed builders to start on a new mall that will provide the frontages for the new stores including Debenhams, New Look and Starbucks. During this phase the shopping centre's toilets will also be completely refurbished as the works are completed by October for the new retailers to be in and open for Christmas. One new shop already in is the ‘Store 21' fashion retailer that opened in the former Mothercare unit last month. The new format store has traded very strongly and has created further interest from other retailers in the extra units that the extension will create. Coming to completion in just a few weeks time will be the refurbishment of both entrances to Victoria Arcade. In the wake of the £200k investment in the centre it is anticipated that the landlords will be very keen to attract new businesses into the vacant units with some very attractive rates. Hopefully this will help the Arcade again become the thriving, vibrant centre it once was.
May 2008
This month marks the 7th anniversary of the launch of the Great Yarmouth CCTV system, originally installed with 27 cameras mainly covering the town centre and seafront. Since April 2001 the system has been extended to a total of 61 cameras, bringing CCTV coverage to additional areas including Cobholm, Middlegate, St. Peters Road, The Beach Coach Station, Greenacre School, Pasteur Road and the Gapton Hall and Thamesfield way retail parks. Additional cameras have also been located along the Esplanade to cover the seafront and beach and on King Street, Market and Broad Rows, The Conge and Fullers Hill as extensions to the town centre coverage. The unique way in which the CCTV is funded and managed by The Community Safety Company as a public/private partnership between the Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the Town Centre Partnership and the Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority has ensured that the system has been effectively used. Of course the main users of the system, with 2 out of every 3 incidents involving CCTV being instigated by them, are the Police. However, with over 130 businesses linked to the CCTV control room by radio, members of the Town Centre Partnership and Tourist Authority are certainly utilising the facility to help combat business crime and anti-social behaviour. Add to this the Street Wardens, Car Park Attendants, Police and Police Community Support Officers also included in the radio-link then you have a very large network of "eyes and ears" all supporting each other in making the town a safer place to live, work and visit. Overall, during the last seven years the operators monitoring the network of CCTV cameras, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week have assisted in the identification of and response to, over 22,000 incidents ranging from public order offences and criminal activity to missing person searches and assistance for ill or injured persons.
The 2008 Great Yarmouth Beer and Cider Festival opens its doors at the Priory Centre today with the first session starting at 4pm (open ‘til 11pm). With two sessions each on Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 11pm, and a final bumper session on Bank Holiday Monday, 11am to 4pm, there is ample opportunity for real ale and cider enthusiasts to select from over 80 different beers and 15 different ciders during the Holiday weekend. A special Charter Ale, brewed by organiser Blackfriars Brewery, will be one of the much-anticipated beers available.
Next month a special Charter Market is being held to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the granting of the town's first Charter by King John in 1208. The Market is being held over the weekend June 6th to June 9th and will feature stallholders in medieval costume and entertainment including musicians, performers, dancing, displays, re-enactments and the opportunity to pelt unfortunate wretches with wet sponges in the stocks! The Market and entertainment will run for all four days culminating in the visit to the town centre by HRH The Princess Royal on Monday 9th June to unveil a plaque commemorating the Charter at St.Nicholas Church.
April 2008
April is the start of a new financial year for many businesses as it is for the town centre Business Improvement District (gyBID) that commences its third year of operation this month. The gyBID was proposed by the Town Centre Partnership and was agreed following a successful ballot of businesses in 2006. Nearly 200 businesses in the town centre are now funding the cost of a range of initiatives to promote the viability of the town centre via an annual ‘BID levy'. The levy is only applied to businesses with a ratable value of over £8,000 leaving the town centre's smaller traders the option of voluntarily contributing to the scheme, which is spent on projects to improve the trading environment of the town centre. Last year the total BID levy collected was spent in the following way; Street Wardens (44%), town centre CCTV funding (24%), Retail Crime reduction coordinator (14%), Events and Marketing (15%). The remainder of the BID levy is added to contributions from Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk Constabulary to support town centre management and administration costs. Additional funding was also secured for other projects and events, including the Town Centre Enterprise training initiative and the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre.
Reductions in retail crime and anti-social behaviour are very much the priorities for gyBID. The BID funded town centre wardens have worked closely with the Retail Crime reduction manager, retailers, police and CCTV operators to achieve big reductions in shoplifting and minor crime in the town centre. During the last six months of 2007 official police statistics show a 44% drop in recorded retail crime in the town centre. Anti-social behaviour, including street drinking, was another area that has seen significant improvement with a 51% reduction. The street wardens are also tasked with monitoring the cleanliness and state of repair of the streetscape with daily inspections and reporting to the responsible agency when shortfalls are found, this has resulted in a further 36% reduction in incidents of fly-tipping, fly-posting, criminal damage and dog litter, when compared to the first year of the BID.
Encouraging people to visit the town centre through marketing and events is another main element of gyBID. The range of events including Family Fun days, Arts Festivals, Music Festivals, Christmas entertainment and Continental Markets, including our first Italian Market last month - which attracted shoppers from as far as Kings Lynn and Peterborough - when combined with increased advertising and marketing, has, at the very least, slowed the decline on footfall being experienced in many town and city centres across the U.K. The addition of new events such as the Italian Market or the Great Yarmouth Beer and Cider Festival, are crucial to improving the perception of the town centre as a vibrant place to visit and enjoy.
On the subject of the Beer Festival, which is only a month away now, advance tickets are being snapped up very quickly with many people planning their visit to the festival to sample a great range of beers and ciders that aren't readily available in pubs and supermarkets. The event is made possible with the help of volunteers to pour the beers and offer advice on what is available. Last year the event proved to be as much fun for those serving the beer as those drinking it, anyone interested in helping out for a few hours at this years festival, all for a free t-shirt, a free meal during your shift and the chance to taste a few of the beers can contact me for more information.
Around Town from April 2008 It's a busy month ahead as the Town's celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the granting of Charter to the Borough by King John are launched on Sunday 16th March. A special service is being held at St.Nicholas Church at 3.00pm and will be preceded by a civic procession from the Town Hall, as part of the ceremonies a copy of the Charter will be delivered to the church on horseback. The Easter Fair returns on Thursday 27th March, the traditional post Easter weekend event has been extended by an extra day to include Sunay and will also feature additional activities to celebrate the Charter Anniversary.
Recent figures released by Norfolk Police confirmed that Great Yarmouth town centre shops are winning the battle against retail crime. Members of the Town Centre Partnership's ‘ShopSafe' scheme, a retail crime reduction initiative, were presented with figures comparing the shop thefts in 2007 to 2006 at a meeting earlier this month. A total of 96 fewer shop thefts were recorded by Police between July and December 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, an incredible reduction of 44%. In December, historically the busiest month for retail crime, recorded shop thefts were down over 60%. In contrast the first six months, January to June 2007, saw an increase of 40% in reported shop thefts.
Cynics may suggest the more recent drop in ‘recorded' thefts may be down to more thefts going undetected, however the people close to this subject, the owners, managers and staff of the shops at risk from criminals know different. Early last year the Police increased their presence in the town centre, particularly during retail trading hours, creating a higher visibility of patrols of dedicated ‘Town Centre' Police Officers, Special Constables and Police Community Support Officers in the town centre. This in itself will have helped but with each of the officers carrying with them a ‘ShopSafe' radio that links them with the majority of town centre shops, Street Wardens and the CCTV Control room, the result was an increase in the detection, and arrest, of shoplifters.
It is not just the increased presence of dedicated town centre Police officers alone that has helped improve the crime figures, but the way they are actively working with the retailers, the security staff and street wardens. The radio link, monitored by the CCTV operator, helps to keep everyone aware of what is going on and engenders a feeling of community spirit amongst its users - knowing that you are not alone when facing up to thieves is a major factor. The overall effect is that known and would be shoplifters are finding it more and more difficult to operate in the town centre, hence the significant drop in retail crime.
Great Yarmouth town centre has much to be optimistic about. The work on the Market Gates 55,000sq. ft. extension continues and having a Debenhams in the town centre later this year will most certainly improve footfall for all town centre traders. Much needed improvement work on the ailing Victoria Arcade is planned to begin next month. Over £300,000 will be spent by its owners on repairing and improving the roof and both entrances to the covered Arcade. The investment is hoped to improve the fortunes of the shopping arcade, which has seen occupancy decline rapidly over the last few years. The small shop units are suited to independent retailers and with such an emphasis on small business and entrepreneur growth through the Enterprise GY initiative, take up in a revitalised Arcade should be encouraged.Around Town with Town Centre Manager Jonathan Newman, published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury December 2007.
As we look forward to welcoming in the New Year with the ‘January' Sales already in full swing, it is an apt time to review how the town centre has faired during 2007. For the town centre and its shops it has again been a challenging year with a start hampered by the introduction of residential parking between the town centre and seafront. The reluctance of people to use town centre car parks instead of the free parking they had long taken for granted certainly had an effect on trade, particularly for those stores in the outside the main centre. As March approached the town began to get busier with a French Market being held which was followed by a very busy Easter as the seasonally warm weather encouraged lots of day and short stay visitors trippers to the seaside, some of which joined in the Easter workshop, treasure hunt and parade that was held in the town centre Easter Monday. During this time, a few new shops opened including 25 Market Row re-opening as Avenue Fabrics after being boarded up for over 25 years, and with the start of extension works on Market Gates shopping centre imminent, the signs were that the town centre is on the up.In May, the town centre held it's first Beer Festival at the Priory Centre during the Spring bank holiday weekend, the latter part of which provided a very wet clue to the sort of weather we were to get during the Summer. However Great Yarmouth shone with a touch of glamour when Supermodel Caprice visited Palmers Department Store during its 170th anniversary celebrations this month. In July the second Town Centre Music Festival was held and the town centre changed into a live music venue with over 700 people taking part over the 9 days of the festival. The music festival preceded the start of the Great Yarmouth holiday season and the summer greeted holidaymakers with a wet welcome with weather more suited to shopping than sunbathing. The summer weather did improve eventually and in August the Town Centre Partnership held it's first "Help Change Someone's Life today" charity fun day for both the Cancer Research and Children in Need charities.
In September the Town Centre Partnership unveiled it's new look website that now has a directory of its members with each one being able to update their own page directly, even allowing them to advertise special offers and promotions. The first Town Centre Conference was held in October where members learned the latest on developments including Market Gates and Palace Casino. The forecasts for the Christmas season were not for the faint hearted and these started to look accurate as internet sales records were again broken as we got into December, However, with the help of events such as Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre, late night shopping events, free Sunday parking etc, the town has held its own and recovered very well in those all important last few shopping days before Christmas. Which leads me back to the present where I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2008!
Around Town with Town Centre Manager Jonathan Newman, published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury November 23rd 2007.
The traditional Great Yarmouth Christmas Tree, which was relocated back to the Market Square last year, was delivered to the town centre earlier this week, and it looks to be even bigger than last year's massive pine. Good news then that Great Yarmouth Borough Council has added to it's collection of tree lights ahead of next weeks Switch-On! Yes, the traditional switching on of the Christmas Lights takes place in the town centre on Wednesday November 28th, the first night of late night opening for most town centre shops. The Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Paul Garrod, will do the honours, assisted by Miss Great Yarmouth, Holly Smith, at 6pm. Radio Broadland Breakfast Show presenters Rob Chandler and Chrissie Jackson will start the countdown with the help of Pantomime Dame, Mark Hudson. Rob and Chrissie will also do a count down to a special fireworks display taking place from Market Gates roof at 7pm that evening. This will also be the first day that the Santa's Grotto will be open in the shopping centre. Parking in the Borough Council's town centre car parks will be free this and every late night shopping Wednesday from 4pm (and all day on Sundays) until Christmas.
The Christmas light switch-on is the annual curtain raiser to festive events in the town centre and is followed by the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre taking place over next weekend. Once again we welcome back the Norwegian crafters, who, along with the many home-grown art, crafts and specialist food and drinks stallholders taking part, make the Fayre a great place to start your Christmas shopping. As well as the many stalls selling their unique wares, most town centre shops are open all weekend, including Sunday, so you can do your high street and Christmas market shopping in one trip. The Christmas Fayre will be taking place across the entire Market Place and in St. Nicholas Church, which is where you will find the Norwegian stalls. The Fayre is free entry, with free entertainment going on throughout the weekend and even free parking on the Beach Coach Station car park - complete with a free Road Train ride at peak times. The Mayor will open the Fayre at 10am Friday morning and there will be a closing ceremony at 3.00pm on Sunday each starting with a Civic Parade from the Town Hall.
To further add to the festive atmosphere on the weekend two special concerts have been arranged for Friday and Saturday nights in St. Nicholas Church. Starting at 7.30pm on Friday, the Maria Myers players perform an alternative Nativity in ‘BC-AD', Whilst on Saturday at 7.30pm the Lardal Kantori return to Great Yarmouth to perform a collection of English and Norwegian Christmas Carols in an exclusive concert not performed anywhere else in the U.K. Doors open for both concerts at 7.00pm and tickets will be £6 on the door or £5 advance - see http://www.gytcp.co.uk/ for more details about these and the other events planned for Christmas in the town centre.
Around Town with Town Centre Manager Jonathan Newman, published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury October 26th 2007
With ghost's, goblin's, witches, pumpkin's and Bonfire night preventing shops being completely geared up for Christmas for another week I want to let you know about a Halloween workshop the Town Centre Partnership is sponsoring this Sunday in Market Gates. Jankie D's workshops are putting on the free Hat, Mask and Halloween Costume making workshop for children in Shopping Centre. The free workshop will take place between 11am and 3pm on the Mall floor between Iceland and F.Hinds, an adult must accompany any children wishing to take part.Having been concerned for some months now that an outbreak of foot and mouth disease would prevent the annual Christmas visit by the Cairngorm Reindeer, it was the little midges carrying the Bluetongue infection that has caused the trip to be cancelled. But not to worry, we shall still have Reindeer for Christmas in Great Yarmouth. The lovely people at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park have come to the rescue with their reindeer. So we will be now having Reedham reindeer taking part in the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre and Town Centre Christmas Parade this year.
The Christmas Fayre is taking place from Friday 30th November to Sunday December 2nd, a major change to previous years when the Fayre has been held from Sunday to Tuesday. This change has been made possible with the permission of Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the cooperation of the Great Yarmouth Market Traders. With the Fayre on for a full weekend, including marquee's on the market full of Christmas food, craft and gifts stalls, a large range of special hand made crafts in St. Nicholas Church, the Norwegian crafters again returning to Yarmouth and many of the town's market traders participating with their own stalls as well, the Fayre looks set to be bigger than ever this year. As well as the party of Norwegian crafters participating in the Christmas Fayre weekend, the Norwegian Choir, Lardal Kantori, will be putting on a Christmas Carol Concert in St.Nicholas Church on the evening of Saturday December 1st.
The Town Centre Christmas Light switch on takes place on the first late night shopping evening on November 28th. Radio Broadland breakfast show presenters Rob and Chrissie will be assisting the Mayor with the countdown. All the Wednesdays in December will have shops open till late with special events going on also, including the Reindeers participating in a Christmas Lantern Parade on December 5th. Town Centre council car parks will be free to shoppers after 4pm on the late night shopping evenings, as th
