Easy to see why shoppers are deserting Wolverhampton
Tuesday 30th August 2011, 9:57AM BST.
Another deserted Bank Holiday in Wolverhampton centre as shoppers desert the city, writes Charlie Cashdan.
I had to visit a client in Wolverhampton yesterday and was shocked by how deserted and lifeless the main shopping area was. It was worse than I had ever seen it before.
Despite free parking and most of the shops being open, no-one had come to spend money. It was so quiet that I could cross the roads without even bothering to check if any cars were coming.
I walked past the adult shops, charity shops, ‘Cash my Gold’, fried food outlets, and wondered what on earth has happened to the busy little town I grew up in.
Clearly no-one comes to Wolverhampton unless they have to. People come to work, the post office, the bank and when these things are closed the place is deserted. People don’t come to Wolverhampton for a day out, for a treat, or to spend money. It’s necessities only, leaving the rest to Birmingham and Merry Hill. And frankly, I don’t blame them.
Where are the quirky independent shops selling exclusive one-offs that you can’t get anywhere else? Wolverhampton should be offering things Birmingham can’t. How about letting some fashion students take over the empty shops and sell hand-made clothes? What about art shops to compliment the city’s fantastic art gallery or unique jewellers? At least a few nice tea shops would be a start, somewhere to buy a home-made cupcake or two.
The only busy part of the city was the platform at the station as the train to Birmingham pulled in. The train filled up with excited shoppers all eager to spend their money somewhere else.
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We used to go and do all our shopping in Wolvo, but in last few months all the shops have closed, nothing new replacing them and the amount of buskers, people trying to sell stuff out of bags and companies harrassing as we shop, means we dont bother to go round the town now.
I go to HMV, Sainsburys and M&S then back home, I have been forced to internet shopping NOT because of prices but because I dont want to be hassled and I want some choice.
Wolverhampton Council said they were doing something about the buskers, but it’s got worse.
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Totally agree with the blog and val on the state of wolverhampton city centre,it used to be a great place to shop but these days its fully of buskers,companies stopping you and trying to sell useless things and charties fundraisers who do not know the meaning of the words no thanks.i will only go to the city centre if i only have to.
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there is nothing anymore to entice anyone to wolverhampton woolworths empty Tj hughes has gone and House of fraser have done first class job of ruining beatties.
I just go up there to the bank but are considering closing my account and moving to a bank that has branch nearby
dudley st used to be a hive of activity not any more
now it like the land that time forgot
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I totally agree with the fund raisers. A day does not go by when a new batch of them appear on the streets. People dont stop and look in windows for fear of being targeted by them. As for the shops that are left, the big national chains have sold the same things for years, and you can buy all of their stock online. The only shops that seem to be busy are the charity shops. I don’t think they are really any cheaper but have a different range of stock.
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as a wolvo boy its sad to see the town like this
but which ever town you are in they are the same be it wolverhampton/bristol/walsall
we need to reinvent local shops not chains
have shops that are only in w/ton or shops that are only in walsall
i have been to stratford last week no shops closed there but not many chain shops nice local shops that has to be the way to go to save our town centre
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chris,totally agree, not unique to wolverhampton. This a national thing its the same in every town and city. dont suppose its anything to do with companies borrowing money based on projected growth and not using real money ? tis the end of consumerism hoorah!
bring back the corner shop, the local business and kick the corporate scum back into the gutter where they belong. does corporate mean greed?
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It’s the ‘charity muggers’ that put me off .. always following you down Dudley St … i stay out of the town centre now mainly for that reason!
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Well how about the fact the city centre is full of immigrants… no thanks, would rather go to Telford myself.
IF you think its due to the choice of shops you are naive beyond help.
The place is rough as hell and feels more like a third world war zone than a nice place to visit.
And you thank our politicians for that.
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WE HAD TWO STORES IN WOLVERHAMPTON 1960-1966 ONE IN MARKET ST THE SECOND SALOP ST CALLED TOP TWENTY FASHIONS – MY WIFE & I DEVELOPED A REGULAR CUSTOMER BASE UNTIL C & A ARRIVED – OUR LONDON SUPPLIERS CONTACTED US TO SAY SORRY NO MORE DELIVERIES AS C & A IS A HUGE BUYER – HERE IN THE USA THAT IS NOT ALLOWED CALLED RESTRICTION OF TRADE- WE IMMIGRATED TO THE STATES IN 1966 I RETURNED TO COLLEGE GRADUATING IN JOURNALISM AND BROADCASTING WAS EMPLOYED BY THE MANCHESTER ABC AFFILIATE RADIO STATION FOUND MYSELF ON AIR SIX DAYS A WEEK OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD WAS PROMOTED TO GENERAL MANAGER OF THE RADIO STATION. LEFT RADIO TO START OUR OWN ADVERTISING AGENCY WITH SIX SHOPPING MALLS AS CLIENTS – NOW IN OUR EIGHTIES WE SOLD OUR BUSINESS TO ENJOY QUALITY TIME IN RETIREMENT. READING THE UPDATE ON BUSINESS IN THE CITY CENTER IT IS A SHOCK TO HEAR HOW IT HAS CHANGED.THAT WAS A GREAT DECISION TO IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA – OPPORTUNITIES ARE HERE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK – I SERVED TWO TERMS ON THE BLOOMFIELD TOWN COUNCIL IN THE EIGHTIES NOW IN RETIREMENT A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.WE KEEP UP TO DATE READING EXPRESS & STAR ONLINE.
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