Business on the up in Wantage (From The Oxford Times)
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Business on the up in Wantage
1:25pm Tuesday 2nd March 2010 in
BUSINESS leaders say trade in Wantage is on the way up after it was revealed every empty shop in the Market Place has been filled.
This time last year there were five empty premises as traders struggled to cope with the global economic crisis.
But the arrival of furniture retailer Cargo last week means every shop is now occupied and trading.
Cargo has taken over the former Woolworths store, creating 10 jobs.
Wantage Chamber of Commerce said it was “cautiously optimistic” about the town’s business economy.
Chairman John Naish said: “The arrival of Cargo is great for the town and good news for businesses.
“Wantage is doing well and it now means every store in the Market Place is full, which is of course a good sign.
“What is also very heartening is that another of the new businesses is a butcher’s, which is the type of store which would only launch in an area where there was a demand for independent traders.”
Mr Naish added: “I don’t think the problem was ever quite as bad as was painted.”
Comments(9)
Nonse Hater
says...
6:05pm Tue 2 Mar 10
RICHYRICH09 wrote:Could not agree more look at the market how small that has got over the years due to the council reaming the stall holders come 4pm all the 3 stalls are packing up going back 6 years or so the whole square was near enough full look at the empty units still at the new development near Sainsburys there must be at least 3 vacant units take a look down Mill street also Wantage is a sinking ship Wantage is on the up because of a new furnature shop and soon Costa coffe wow
Wow lets get all excited !!! Yes the majority of the shops are now filled by one trade or another. But lets get real Do we have a delicatessen ? No… Do we have traditional bakers? No… Do we have good clothes shops? No …and the list goes on. Wantage has truly lost its identity and could just be any town anywhere in the country. It use to be a top notch market town. Great to see a proper butcher back in town. While things are “On the up” it would be really exciting to see all the pot holes filled up. Fat chance.
Victor's_friend
says...
9:21am Wed 3 Mar 10
So the new Cargo opened and I see that most of the goods had substantial discount stickers. On closer inspection they were cheap goods with high original prices.
Guess the new butcher gets business from those well heeled or people who have been told that butchers are best. Waitrose and Sainsbury sell best Scotch/Aberdeen Angus beef, English or New Zealand best lamb, probably at reasonable, but not cheap, prices, but probably much less than the butcher. So is the butcher making a mint from his customers; probably as I was not impressed.
Wait till Waitrose expands, hopefully without a cafe, but more food space. That will hopefully ramp up the other Wantage stores in terms of quality, selection and price.
I think most shoppers in town tolerate the shops for frequent shops but go elsewhere for the big shop.
flynn77
says...
11:22am Wed 3 Mar 10
Wow, what stunning revolation with the good people at the Herald bring us next?
How about
It was revealed that seven weeks is quite a long time to replace 6 traffic lights!
Hardly need the freedom of information act on these scoops
Moonstorm
says...
12:49pm Wed 3 Mar 10
It’s nice to have a traditional butcher back again!
ColP
says...
3:29pm Wed 3 Mar 10
Waitrose and Sainsbury sell best Scotch/Aberdeen Angus beef, English or New Zealand best lamb, probably at reasonable, but not cheap, prices, but probably much less than the butcher. So is the butcher making a mint from his customers;
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So you think Waitrose and Sainsbury's are not making a profit also? Sometimes it's better to think before you post your thoughts.
Victor's_friend
says...
3:51pm Wed 3 Mar 10
Waitrose Wantage sells an excellent range of fresh meat at reasonable prices considering its quality. So in this case I don't think that Waitrose is the cause of butchers going bust, but that customers prefer a one stop for all their shopping.
The butcher can argue that he has to charge more than a good supermarket due to his reduced buying power/law of economics. However, he can source local producers such that the big supermarkets are not interested in, or he could use an independent meat broker. So he justifies the high prices for personal service, being a master butcher and a trade that older generations used. Show the wad!
Anyway I find that butcher strange because he thought it unreasonable that he could not park his vehicle in the market place all day and his customers likewise. Plus why is his shopfront not black with gold signwriting like most of the other premises in the Post Office Vaults and Regent Mall? And he's doing a long and crap job with it.
Lutra80
says...
5:11pm Thu 4 Mar 10
Yup, then Wantage will be complete at last.
flynn77
says...
11:50am Sun 7 Mar 10
You have to look at the growing demographics.... Wantage needs more fast food outlets, pubs, bookmakers and a somewhere convenient people can sign on.
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RICHYRICH09 says...
4:24pm Tue 2 Mar 10
Yes the majority of the shops are now filled by one trade or another. But lets get real Do we have a delicatessen ? No… Do we have traditional bakers? No… Do we have good clothes shops? No …and the list goes on.
Wantage has truly lost its identity and could just be any town anywhere in the country. It use to be a top notch market town.
Great to see a proper butcher back in town.
While things are “On the up” it would be really exciting to see all the pot holes filled up.
Fat chance.