A wave of shop closures has hit Bournemouth, leaving behind a lot of empty and to let shops in Bournemouth high street. Raising the question of is Bournemouth a seasonal trade city?
“The business rate is very expensive, in some cases nearly as much as the yearly rent” said Dean White, partner in Christopher Shaw real estate agency. Mr White said: “A lot of businesses misinterpret the market, causing them to close.” Also, business-makers face additional costs such as advertising and taxes. He added no one would walk in to your shop unless they know about it. “Empty shops are a horrible thing for Bournemouth, because the visitors are always looking for a variety of shops and restaurants when they visit a town.”
“Some landlords seem to think we are like Knightsbridge”, said Ashes Mens Wear company director. He added that landlords push the price high to drive local or small business out of the high street. These empty shops don’t provide welcoming and opening environment for visitors, however most of the shops in the high street tend to have customers daily. He said some shops were closed due to major change like Pizza Hut and Bella Italia. Also, we are lucky since Bournemouth is considered to be a flashy economic city.
“It is deeply disappointing,” said Dave Lee, a Bournemouth resident, who tried to open a coffee shop recently. He added the small businesses are suffering from high rents, and are affected by seasonal fluctuations in visitors. Also, a lot of businesses tend to trade online because it is much cheaper, and they can save some costs like taxes and rent.
