The shopping pendulum is on the move... (From Bournemouth Echo)

The shopping pendulum is on the move...

7:00am Saturday 4th July 2009 in

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THE pendulum of shopping power is swinging in Bournemouth.

Commercial Road had 17 per cent more shoppers than Old Christchurch Road during May and June.

Two years ago those figures would have been reversed.

During June alone, the number of shoppers was 13 per cent up in Commercial Road, and 33 per cent down in Old Christchurch Road.

Major private investment in new chain stores like H&M, Zara and Tesco have drawn people up towards Poole Hill.

Some Old Christchurch Road traders feel neglected and pleaded for cheaper car parking and an overhaul of the street furniture.

Luke Dennison, from Ashes menswear, said: “We feel like we have been forgotten. We’ve never known business fall off a cliff like this.”

Beales boss Tony Brown suggested converting Beale Place into an area for street cafes.

Deputy leader of the council Cllr John Beesley said: “The pendulum swings from time to time but the investment in Commercial Road was before the recession.

“In the Town Centre Master Vision we’re looking at the whole town centre including Old Christchurch Road.

“We are doing work in The Triangle specifically because we believe it probably needs investment more urgently.

“We can’t do everything at once because we don’t have the money.”

Nigel Hedges from Bournemouth Chamber of Trade, said: “The two sides of the town are completely different.

“Commercial Road has the chain retailers, whereas the Old Christchurch Road has specialist operators.”

Overall town centre footfall was up four per in May but fell in June.

Town centre manager Roger Parker said: “The retail environment is probably the most unpredictable I have known it in short the time I have been here.”