January 19th 2012

The bi-monthly Town Centre Partnership Board meeting was held last night; a good turnout with only one Director not present.  It was noted however that the representation of retailers on the board could be better. I know Great Yarmouth isn’t alone in there being reluctance amongst traders to make the commitment get involved in such meetings, and the pressures on businesses in the current economic climate – staff cut backs, reduced management teams etc - make this even more difficult. However it is these very challenging circumstances that make it even more important for traders to work together, contributing ideas and making suggestions for change/improvement to help tackle the issues facing our town centres. Our own Partnership Board is well represented in terms of local authority members and is a good opportunity for wider issues affecting town centre trade to be aired. In her review of the state of Britain’s High Streets, Mary Portas is very keen on the formation of what she describes as Town Teams - “A visionary, strategic and strong operational management structure for high streets”. The Town Centre Partnership Board in Great Yarmouth has for some years provided this strategic leadership but it is up to stakeholders to get involved and make the most of the opportunity that this forum provides. 

December 21st 2011

As we enter the last few days of Christmas shopping we are already seeing retailers roll out their ‘January’ Sales with huge discounts already available on most lines. With window banners proclaiming “50% off everything” and “1/2 Price Sale Now on!” is it any wonder that the canny shopper has left a good deal of their Christmas spending until the last minute? But is it too little, too late as the high street shops count their takings and calculate whether it has been a good or bad Christmas for them. It is no surprise that as the amount of spend on the internet goes up that there is less for the town centre shops to compete for, however sharply and early they cut their margins. So what is the future for a retail-led town centre? Well, according to retail guru Mary Portas, there isn’t one. Her much anticipated report on the future of Britain’s High Streets was published last week with 28 main recommendations to save our town centre’s as we know them. But not as we know them really, because to survive they will need to adapt to an increasingly internet savvy population that is more demanding than ever of experience, service and value. Ms Portas has laid down the challenge to central government, local government, national businesses, independent businesses, community organisations and yes, town centre managers. What she has stated is not rocket science and it is refreshing that she has taken a very holistic approach following extensive consultations with stakeholder groups and business organisations. Her list of 28 recommendations will resonate strongly with most place managers involved in town centre management, but ultimately she has confirmed a very simple rule of business; that to standstill is to go backwards and too many town centres have not delivered what the modern consumer has been demanding. It was never going to be so simple a solution as opening up town centre car parks for free. But for us in Great Yarmouth town centre events, cleaner/safer streets, marketing initiatives, collaboration amongst retailers and promoting a town centres first policy have all been the main aims of the Town Centre Partnership since it’s inception – we also manage a Business Improvement District; number two on her list. But if Mary Portas’ other suggestions come to fruition then local organisations such as the TCP can have greater control and influence over empty shop units, retail mix and the future of our town centre. For a copy of The Portas Review go to http://www.maryportas.com/wp-content/uploads/The_Portas_Review.pdf

November 23rd 2011

With the Christmas shopping season almost upon us the finishing touches are being made for the great number of festive events we have lined up in the town centre.  The traditional start to the town’s Christmas festivities is the Lights Switch-on that marks the first late night shopping opportunity in the town centre on November 30th. The tree is already in place but as yet unadorned, but I can guarantee that all will be ready on the night! Heart FM’s Rob and Chrissie will be there for the build up to the big switch-on by His Worship the Mayor of Great Yarmouth at 7.00pm which will be announced with a fireworks display followed by some great music from top band ‘The Collective’. The evening kicks off at 6.30pm with soloist Jessica Todd. Town centre shops are staying open until 8.30pm and council run car parks will be free from 4pm.

The festive feel continues into the weekend with the Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre being held from 2nd to 4th December in St. Nicholas Church, The Priory Centre and on the Market Place. The inaugural Tree and Crib Festival runs from December 7th to 10th and late night shopping continues on Wednesdays with the Lantern Parade on December 7th and The Beach road show and White Christmas fun night on the 14th December.

The conductor of the Lardal Kantori Norwegian Choir emailed me this week to say how much his members were looking forward to their annual trip to Great Yarmouth. This will be the 9th year that the Choir has performed in the town as part of the Christmas Fayre. Tickets are still available on this website at the unchanged price of just £7 each which includes a post concert buffet kindly sponsored by local electrical firm Bowers and Barr.  

21st October 2011

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Town Centres at Westminster this week to hear Mary Portas give a summary of a her findings to date ahead of the publication of her 'Portas Review'  next month. I, as were a number of my TCM peers, impressed with how Mary has quickly grasped the challenges facing town centres when responding to questions and comments from M.P.'s representing towns and cities across the U.K. The discussions took in the powers of local authorities, complexities of business rates, encouraging start-ups, identifying financial support and making local authorities more proactive. One subject that was clearly seen as valuable to the future of Britains High Streets was the role to be played by Town Centre Management with speaker Ed Davey MP (Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs)and the groups Chairman Marcus Jones M.P. both extolling the virtues of good management for our town centres.

10th October 2011

The future of Britain’s High Streets is very much a hot topic these days and something our Government is keen to ‘fix’. The proliferation of empty shops can be been seen as a clear indication not just of the town centre economy but that of the country. The Prime Minister has turned to Retail Guru Mary Portas for advice and her report is due in November, which may be too late for many a retailer this year. However, It is fair to say that the bulk of her findings will be about encouraging us all to spend more time (and more money) on our own local high streets and town centres.  The importance of shopping locally cannot be underestimated as money spent locally stays in the local economy longer and helps other local businesses e.g. suppliers and producers, which in turn means local jobs.  Supporting local shops and businesses is not just helping the local economy but may also help you save money by spending less time and money on travel and also find more original and unique purchases along the way!

With summer and the tourism trade it brings with it behind us, Christmas is now the priority for most retailers. For many shops Christmas represents a large proportion of their annual turnover and getting this right will be crucial to their success and in some cases survival into next year. It is also a time when many shoppers choose to look further afield when looking for those important gifts, party clothes and festive food. However, it is worth considering more fully what is on your doorstep first and take the opportunity to explore what is available locally. So, whilst we aim to entertain you with events like the Christmas Lights Switch-on (November 30th), The Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre (2nd to 4th December) and late night shopping events on Wednesdays in December please take the time to venture beyond the Market Place and Market Gates and check out the great choice that is available to you as Great Yarmouth town centre has a higher proportion of independent shops and businesses than most towns and cities in East of England and the U.K.

September 2011

Not surprisingly much is being said about the state of retail in the media these days as the credit crunch followed by the acute downturn in the global economy has severely impacted consumer confidence and reduced spend on the high street. Nationally, retail sales in August were down 0.6% (Source Experian) compared to August 2010 (and that includes 2.5% increase in VAT!) whilst footfall on Britain’s High Streets (Springboard footfall counting systems) was down 1.5% year on year. A recent press release by the Local Data Company stated that the average percentage of vacant shops to be found in UK town centres was now 14.5% compared to 12% at the end of 2009.

Great Yarmouth town centre has followed the national trend of reduced footfall, spend and empty shop units, however recent figures suggest that the town is not suffering to the extent of some centres, e.g. Margate with over a third of its shops empty. The most recent survey completed by the Town Centre Partnership found that 43 of a total 408 business premises are currently vacant, a total of 10.5%. The amount of pedestrian traffic using the town centre during August and July was up a little over 1% on last year following a 12% increase in June, a tentative indication of improvement, particularly when compared to figures nationally. Despite this it is still very clear that customer spend is very, very cautious and any upward trends can be considered fragile at best. The footfall improvements may be due to in part to people spending longer shopping to ensure that they get the very best value for money, which, with its great choice of shops offering excellent value, is clearly a good reason to shop in Great Yarmouth.