Growing excitement over Southport Indoor Market upgrade as “wonderful” traders reserve stalls
Jan 26 2012 by Joe Thomas, Southport Visiter
THE multi-million pound refurbishment of the Indoor Market is on target to be completed this summer. Builders are about to move onto the second phase of the £3m project, set to revitalise the iconic shopping area. And a host of “wonderful” new traders are looking to move in according to Quarterbridge, who are overseeing the upgrade.
It is already confirmed the new-look – and newly named – Market Quarter will have a fresh food area, which will be filled with retailers including butchers, greengrocers, a fishmonger, delicatessen, and a host of world foods.
Other businesses are also lining up to rent stalls and excitement over the new market is growing. Local entrepreneur Giles Gottig believes the improvements will be of great benefit to the town. Currently considering renting space in there he revealed the mood was positive among town traders and spaces were filling up.
He said: “I believe the refurbishment for the market is the right way to move ahead in the town.
“This was the only option in my eyes and what is positive is a number of people believe in it as space is filling already.”
Raymond Linch, managing director at Quarterbridge, said about two thirds of the refurbishment was complete, and phase two of the operation is about to start. This will see traders currently operating in the market moving over to the completed area, so builders can work on the remaining third.
Mr Linch said: “Things are going very well. We are delighted with how phase one is taking shape, which will be handed over in a few weeks. We are doing extremely well also in the lettings for the new traders.”
Blackburn wins Indoor Market of the Year at NABMA
Congratulations to Stallholders and Staff at Blackburn Market for winning the “Best Indoor Market of the Year” prize at January’s NABMA / ATCM conference. Blackburn’s new Market opened last June inside the refurbished Blackburn Shopping Centre – “and not a day too soon” according to many stallholders who experienced the dingy ‘60’s concrete hall it replaced fall down around them. The challenges of maintenance and falling occupancy were described by Council Head of Property, Andrew Bond in a presentation to delegates. He included lessons learnt the hard way such as controlling budgets for stall fit-outs, some of which had to be implemented before traders had signed their new leases.
Quarterbridge advised the Council throughout on the design, fit-out and lettings. Director Jonathan Owen said: “The Council took a bold decision to install display equipment for traders but it was crucial if the project was to be delivered on time. Open sightlines and quality displays are what shoppers expect nowadays but getting the right quality whilst meeting EU procurement rules was pretty demanding.”
The 60,000 sq ft Market now hosts some 120 stalls and a foodcourt, with direct links into the Blackburn shopping centre and 1200 space carpark. Follow-up surveys by consumer research company ROI Team have confirmed the food offer is the core attraction and a far younger shopper profile now use the market. Blackburn’s design has learnt from the competition and it’s paid off. Well done everyone – give yourselves a slap on the back!
More information on the market is available at www.blackburnmarket.com
Czech out the competition – Market Matters February 2012
Havelske Market: Handicrafts made on the stall
How was your Christmas trading? Good I hope – despite the long hours, discount competition and light fingers looking for a little something extra. Anecdotal evidence suggests Market sales held up pretty well in 2011 as shoppers looked for bargains. Mainstream retailers announced a mixed bag of results though. Like-for- like sales for multiples were up 2.2% but that was nothing to crow about in comparison to Christmas 2010 when sales fell 0.3% because of awful weather and the recession. Despite the continuing recession in 2011 the unseasonably good weather should have made Christmas 2010 easy to beat.
Debenhams, JD Sports and Next all reported flat sales with some retailers like Blacks Leisure never even making it through the festive period. Tesco issued a profits warning which wiped the odd billion or two off their share price, but Sainsbury announced “their best Christmas ever”. Ocado and online sales were the big winners – up 20% or so. You know online marketing makes sense. Mainstream fashion retailers were stuck with furry coats in an Indian summer which prompted pre-Christmas sales earlier than ever with 25-50% discounts the norm. Buying departments were left with faces redder than Santa because you just can’t rely on the weather anymore, can you? Read more…
A Shout in your Ear! Market Matters December 2011
I’m no great fan of TV’s “Mary, Queen of Shops” but I have to say last month’s report by Mary Portas into “The Future of our High Streets” is a good read. She might be a bit too quick jumping onto a passing bandwagon for everyone’s tastes, but isn’t that what retailing is all about? At the start of 2011 MP was invited by the PM to suggest a cure for the UK’s declining High Streets. She published her report in December which can now be downloaded from www.maryportas.com. It contains some uncomfortable reading for retail businesses both large and small:
The Portas Report – an uncomfortable read for many retailers
“Expectations have been raised in terms of value and service which the average high street has simply failed to deliver. During the boom years many extremely mediocre businesses survived and flourished – Woolworths is a prime example”. Ouch. Read more…
The long awaited Autumn Statement
BOOM! … Shortly ensued by recession, borrowing, fiscal stimuli, borrowing, austerity, more austerity, more borrowing- the story continues.
-
Chancellor, George Osborne
“People know that promises of quick fixes and more spending this country can’t afford, at times like this, are like the promises of a quack doctor selling a miracle cure.
We do not offer that today. What we offer is a government that has a plan to deal with our nation’s debts to keep rates low; a government determined to support businesses and support jobs; a government committed to take Britain safely through the storm.
Leadership for tough times – that’s what we offer.”
-
Yesterday public sector workers expressed their dismay
On Tuesday, Chancellor George Osborne announced his eagerly awaited Autumn Statement. The Autumn Statement was published alongside the most recent forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent research subsidiary, which revealed a significantly gloomier picture than that painted in its previous report in March. Headline figures were the £111bn increase in government borrowing on top of what we will already be borrowing over the next five years, public debt to peak at 78% of GDP by 2014-2015, slashed growth forecasts with the economy flat-lining, and the controversial 1% pay cap on public sector wages for two years following the current pay freeze. The Autumn Statement was not all bad news though; the government announced it will underwrite £40bn worth of loans to small businesses with the aim to create jobs in the private sector (with public sector job losses forecasted at 710,000), the governments will increase state pension and basic working age benefits in line with inflation, and the government pledges to invest £5bn into infrastructure projects, to the delight of the Keynesians.
Since 1889 the kilogram has been defined as the weight of a cylinder of metal kept under guard at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris. To the bafflement of scientists they have discovered it’s weight is changing. Measurements confirm it’s mass has changed by about 50 microgrammes – the equivalent of a tiny grain of sand – over the last 100 years. “Actually, we’re not sure whether it has lost mass or gained it,” said Alain Picard, director of the Bureau. “The change may be to due to surface effects, loss of gas from the metal or a build-up of contaminant”.
Standard kilogram: Disappearing mystery
This is particularly irritating to the French authorities as the 99% platinum / 10% iridium cylinder was made in Britain and is the “base constant” of the metric weights and measures system. The International System of Units (SI) depends upon it remaining constant to provide a precise measurement standard for engineers, scientists and merchants. If a kilo of spuds is no longer the same as a kilo of spuds a hundred years ago that is an oddity, but if a kilo of diamonds in Paris is now different to a kilo of diamonds in Africa then that is a problem. Read more…
Southport Market Redevelopment Taking Shape
In recent months Southport market has transformed from a design into a reality. The build is progressing marvellously as the ceiling, floor and tiles have been put into place. With the walls taking shape one truly receives a remarkable impression of what the market will be like once opened in 2012; as clichéd as it sounds, this Edwardian building certainly has the “wow” factor and it delivers not only in aesthetic value, but also in practicality with a functional design.
Lettings for the sought after units remain well ahead of schedule and enquiries remain very strong for the last remaining stalls. There seems to be a buzz around Southport market as designs become reality going from 2d to 3d and within the community there is support and excitement- this has been epitomized in a very positive article in the Southport Visitor.
“It’s always nice seeing a development progress from plans on paper into something tangible; this project has all the hallmarks of something special”- Hayden Ferriby
Southport market is building up momentum towards a grand finale, surely to become Britain’s best market.
Large windows are being put into the market hall to increase natural light and create a nicer shopping experience
Tiles are unique to each unit giving the market a traditional yet modern feel
Units within the market are taking shape as the structure is near completion
