BHS Blackmail............

[mk1]

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/store-chain-bhs-plans-talks-to-stave-off-threat-of-closure-to-its-hartlepool-branch-1-7772881

I presume if they manages to win the 75% reduction we will see a photo of the SCABs outside  claiming it is another sign of confidence in their 'vision'!

[steveL]

Can't see it, myself. Middleton Grange may be dying on its feet but its management will let BHS close rather than reduce the rent. They'll be thinking that to do otherwise might lead to a stampede of similar requests.  H&M  will be watching this closely for one.

[mk1]

Perhaps the Council will step in and offer the Tin Shed as an alternative...................

[testing times]

Middleton Grange needs a radical rethink but I have serious doubts if the present management or the present council, for that matter, are capable of the necessary level of imagination. In my view, both are still living in the 70s and failing to recognise that retail has totally changed.

Reluctant as they may be to accept it, the simple fact that the retail parks and Supermarkets don't charge for parking means that the local council needs to drop parking charges at the Shopping Centre completely - and soon. Council tax is high enough without supplementing it by the back door.

The Shopping Centre Management, for their part, need to recognise that the present combination of rents and service charges are far, far too high for all retailers who are trying to compete with the retail parks as well as internet shopping. Such things barely existed when Middleton Grange was conceived. There are 30 plus empty units in Middleton Grange. It's insane to charge artificially high rents to existing stores rather than lower rents and see more stores open. This is something the council should be thinking seriously about in preparation for the changes in business rates set to come in. Empty units and the loss of potential business rates is going to impact on the council's finances much more in future. 

Rents and Charges should more accurately reflect footfall and it should be management's main task to see footfall increased.

A good start would be to move the council's Contact Centre into the Shopping Centre; even the Job Centre - anything to pull in more people to the centre.

I would also consider closing down the Indoor Market. In it's present form it's just a depressing, dowdy place full of empty stalls. Instead, I would set up the stalls in the middle of the wide WH Smith Mall and make the old market space available to Lidl or Aldi or even Sainsbury's.

[craig finton]

Does anyone go in the indoor market these days?

Some good ideas there TT. Enough to be worthy of thought anyway but the council will just see the shopping centre as a matter for the management and wash their hands of it. I suppose when the council are made responsible for generating their own business rates they will just blame the government again for changing how it works.

[mk1]

BHS have 'won' their rent reduction battle. Creditors agreed to the deal this morning. How will the other Middleton Grange shops feel about  paying more (3 times more?) that the biggest store?

[Username taken]

Agree. It's got to have a knock on effect for other stores. Tj Hughes, primark, new look.

SOS ...save our shopping  (s) centre!

It's just starting to look reasonable.