Indoor market will transform Boscombe shopping unit (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Indoor market will transform Boscombe shopping unit
1:00pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News
Indoor market will transform Boscombe shopping unit
AN indoor market is set to move into Boscombe’s former TJ Hughes, with an ‘artist’s colony’ upstairs.
The unnamed operator, who runs an operation at Camden Market, would hopefully include a variety of quality stalls including a butchers shop more.
The plans for the unit in the Sovereign Centre were revealed at the October meeting of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade.
Chris Kelu, the council’s senior economic regeneration officer, said: “They have been marketing it very hard but there were very few enquiries.
“I started speaking to the potential applicant about six months ago. I had a meeting with him last week and we will be signing on the bottom line any time now.
“The ground floor will become an indoor market and the second floor an artist’s colony with subsidized studios and galleries.”
Boscombe already has an outdoor market and Mr Kelu said some of the traders had asked about opening a secondary stalls inside.
He added: “The statistics show indoor markets are the way forward.”
He hoped for more news in around six weeks time.
“We are looking for a good variety; food, cheese, a butchers, a little bit of everything,” he said.
TJ Hughes closed in August 2011 with the loss of around 45 jobs after the Liverpool-based chain went into administration.
Stephen Taylor, from King of the Kurtains in the Sovereign Centre, a former TJ Hughes worker, said visitor numbers had been hit since the summer murder investigation after the shooting in Roumelia Lane.
He added: “I don’t think an indoor market is going to be anything like Camden and anything like as big a draw as TJ Hughes was. It could end up looking very empty.”
Tim Clark, head of retail at letting agents Hughes Ellard, told October’s Boscombe Business Forum that there would be more news on the unit “in the next few weeks.”
He said that despite the closure footfall to the Sovereign Centre had remained steady at around 100,000 a week.
Entrepreneur Ruth Little opened an indoor market called the Boscombe Underground on the corner of Adeline Road in 2009 which was inspired by Camden Market.
It closed though several traders went on to open their own shops.
Comments(16)
Oldalbanian
says...
1:42pm Mon 15 Oct 12
It's a one way bet and that bet (unless it involves selling drugs or possibly stolen goods) is a losing one.
Mudefordman
says...
2:14pm Mon 15 Oct 12
Oldalbanian wrote:you missed "Alcohol" off your list
You have to question the business credibility of anyone considering investing in Boscombe.
It's a one way bet and that bet (unless it involves selling drugs or possibly stolen goods) is a losing one.
muscliffman
says...
2:56pm Mon 15 Oct 12
What do economic regenerators actually do?
There are more then one - if this one is senior?
Can we have details of their achievements please - that is things that would not have happened without one/them.
How many are there and what do WE pay them (including future pension) ?
Another day another pointless 'regeneration' non-job I fear.
However this move sounds spot on for Boscombe, tacky, dodgy, cheap and nasty and proven to have failed hopelessly in other far better parts of town.
djd
says...
4:49pm Mon 15 Oct 12
muscliffman wrote:Perhaps the 'senior' bit is something to do with hostage, or he is just having a 'senior' moment in thinking this might regenerate Boscombe.
Chris Kelu, the council’s senior economic regeneration officer, said.....
What do economic regenerators actually do?
There are more then one - if this one is senior?
Can we have details of their achievements please - that is things that would not have happened without one/them.
How many are there and what do WE pay them (including future pension) ?
Another day another pointless 'regeneration' non-job I fear.
However this move sounds spot on for Boscombe, tacky, dodgy, cheap and nasty and proven to have failed hopelessly in other far better parts of town.
ShuttleX
says...
5:28pm Mon 15 Oct 12
I wonder how many of those are just walking through from either the Bus Station, or from the car park? I would be more interested in how many of those people actually bought things in the centre? Footfall is meaningless in itself. What matters is tills ringing. Everything else is just hype.
BmthNewshound
says...
5:48pm Mon 15 Oct 12
.
It’ll be interesting to see what materialises.
BmthNewshound
says...
5:49pm Mon 15 Oct 12
.
It’ll be interesting to see what materialises.
Bournefre
says...
5:53pm Mon 15 Oct 12
jinglebell
says...
6:38pm Mon 15 Oct 12
This is a rather confusing statement as it assumes that footfall is equal to takings.
There are many units shut and shops in the High Street shut. What would be more useful to know, is whether takings have remained steady.
Overall, however, despite the spin put on this, this could be a good project. It would be interesting to know, however, where the money is coming from to subsidise the artists studios and gallery and for how long?
pugs0404
says...
7:01pm Mon 15 Oct 12
muscliffman
says...
7:14pm Mon 15 Oct 12
ShuttleX wrote:A footfall of around 100,000. OK, but how many are also the same individuals 'footfalling' in ever decreasing circles for the usual Boscombe products that are available there?
"He said that despite the closure footfall to the Sovereign Centre had remained steady at around 100,000 a week."
I wonder how many of those are just walking through from either the Bus Station, or from the car park? I would be more interested in how many of those people actually bought things in the centre? Footfall is meaningless in itself. What matters is tills ringing. Everything else is just hype.
Bournefre
says...
8:49pm Mon 15 Oct 12
pugs0404 wrote:You are helping to make the Sovereign centre busier, and a busy shopping centre is a profitable shopping centre - you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs!
got off the bus at the station, went throught the soverign centre to the high strret to sanatader , got some money out of cashpoint went back to my home, hay im one of the 100,000 a week foot fall, how is my contubition going to improve the shop sales
georgina dean
says...
9:18am Tue 16 Oct 12
BournemouthMum
says...
9:43am Tue 16 Oct 12
Mudefordman wrote:I remember the old Boscombe before the Sovereign Centre and pedestrianisation, a great place to go shopping - so vibrant. There was M&S, Co-op Living, clothes and shoe shops etc Now it has been transformed into a total dump attracting only the dregs of society with shops selling cheap garbage that no one wants and numerous coffee shops and charity shops. Such a shame. I can't see it ever changing though unfortunately and an indoor market will be the final nail in the coffin.
Oldalbanian wrote:you missed "Alcohol" off your list
You have to question the business credibility of anyone considering investing in Boscombe.
It's a one way bet and that bet (unless it involves selling drugs or possibly stolen goods) is a losing one.
HRH of Boscombe
says...
9:50am Tue 16 Oct 12
BmthNewshound wrote:Really?? Last time I walked through on a Saturday I was offered coke once and lost count of the times I was offered skunk.
Camden Market serves a very different market to Boscombe and who exactly will be subsidising the artist colony ? . It’ll be interesting to see what materialises.
aerolover says...
1:21pm Mon 15 Oct 12