I’ve been wondering what was happening to the old Miss London shop which has been empty for months. It occupies a prime site on the corner of the Uxbridge Road and Singapore Road. Now I know, it’s going to be a 97p shop and will sell alcohol along with its many other products.
We seem to be battling against a tide of betting shops, money lending shops and 99p or, in this case, 97p shops. The West Ealing shopping centre needs a balance so that our high street isn’t simply defined by budget shopping. Otherwise, a whole swathe of local residents have little reason to shop locally and their money goes out of the local economy. We need to find a way to strike a balance and I just don’t think it can be just left to market forces.
I despair! Who grants these shops leases to open? West Ealing is a nightmare. I know everyone loves a bargain but really? It’s depressing…
It was a Pizza Hut restaurant when I moved to West Ealing. I had lunch in there with a friend one day. How things change. The Chinese restaurant down the West end of the Broadway has recently closed down and the word is that it will become a pizza business, presumably with an eat-in option, given its size. There are a couple of good-sized units available that Marks And Spencer could set up a mini version in, including the recently-closed Pure Life furniture shop.
cant wait 97p store is better than £1 store and 99p store
It depends on what they stock. I have no loyalty to any of these shops but I do go between them looking for the best products when I need them. Cheaper isn’t always better, but it’s good to have cheap options. I’ve gotten to appreciate Poundland recently because they seem to have a more adventurous buying strategy, which means they get remaindered lots, so potentially something good could unexpectedly turn up rather than the same old low value stock. For instance I recently bought 17 of a series of Soviet era die-cast vehicles made by De Agostini for the Russian market. Very nicely detailed model cars at a fraction of their original price.