John Lewis Sheffield to close

[River Don]

A big blow for Sheffield High Street this.

In all honesty a little further down the line, I can see JL taking units in Meadow Hall.

[redarmy82]

Similarly the loss of Debenhams is a massive blow for the Frenchgate

Its by far the biggest store in the place, and no other chains will take on a unit of that size, and from what I've been told by someone who works in the centre, it can't be split up like other empty stores have.

[MachoMadness]

Big loss for the high street there. I wouldn't be sure it'll come back, sadly. Just not enough money in physical stores these days, it seems.

Hopefully some independent shops will pop up to fill the void in the high street.

[River Don]

I expect the Debenham in Frenchgate can be divided into smaller units but probably not without a lot of money being spent on the architecture. It wouldn't be a bad area for a food hall for instance.

Difficult to justify without the demand for physical shops.

Sheffield Council have just paid JL £3.4 mil to remain in the city. They will be wanting that back I expect.

[godlike1]

JL has long been seen as the anchor of the regeneration for the city as well. Sheffield just does not have the same pull other cities have such as Leeds and Manchester

[BillyStubbsTears]

Sheffield city centre future is very much away from big store shopping. It's about leisure in somewhere that is actually pleasant to be, rather than the plastic and tat artificialty of Meadowhell. There's a long term re-orientation towards open spaces galleries, museums, cinemas etc as the draw to pull people into the city centre, where they use shops and spend in bars, cafes and restaurants and it generally works quite well.

It won't attract people whose idea of fun is browsing in shops, but I've genuinely never understood the sort of person who sees "shopping" as a leisure activity. For me, shopping is a military operation. Identify target, engage with it and leave as quickly as humanly possible. The thought of browsing aimlessly for ideas is horrific.

[River Don]

Hmmm. Beyond the prestige sites in London, Galleries and Museums have never been a massive draw.

And in the wake of the pandemic, is there much of a future for cinema and theatre?

I'd hope so but enclosed spaces with lots of people sat together, when there's a big telly and Netflix at home?

[BillyStubbsTears]

That was just a couple of examples RD. They have gigs and shows in the Peace Gardens, Big screens showing sporting events, a major rock climbing championship at Devonshire Green that attracts thousands, regular continental markets on Fargate, funfairs set in the city centre. In ordinary times, there's something happening pretty much every week to draw people into the city centre, where they will spend.

[River Don]

Continental markets work.

The one in Donny gets quite busy, taken together with the success of food halls the future of the High Street looks very much to be first and foremost about catering. Then it's stuff like hairdressing, nail bars, maybe pharmacies, tattoos, skincare and cosmetics. Services you don't get on the Internet and products that need to be sampled.

I think there has to be a shift away from taxing the High Street and towards warehouse space. That might rebalance things against t'interweb a bit.

[selby]

  Big sporting events Billy, I didn't realise they had Leeds and Barnsley matches on in the middle of Sheffield.

[redarmy82]

I expect the Debenham in Frenchgate can be divided into smaller units but probably not without a lot of money being spent on the architecture. It wouldn't be a bad area for a food hall for instance.

Difficult to justify without the demand for physical shops.

Sheffield Council have just paid JL £3.4 mil to remain in the city. They will be wanting that back I expect.

A few other big stores in the Frenchgate have their leases expiring shortly. One is to move to Priory Walk.

There is talk of mothballing around a third of the Frenchgate.

They had hoped to get a cinema in there, but with the new one opening at Waterdale, it fell through.

[River Don]

I guess the move to Priory Walk might be JD Sports. That would be a blow to Frenchgate.

Mike Ashley had plans for new stores there for sometime. A Flannels branch I think.

[Axholme Lion]

Last time i went to Sheffield  i was walking from the tram to Bramall Lane a couple of years back, i couldn't get over the number of dossers and beggars hanging around.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Problem is the rents and rates, massive.  Needs a full rethink really that whole taxation policy

[redarmy82]

I guess the move to Priory Walk might be JD Sports. That would be a blow to Frenchgate.

Mike Ashley had plans for new stores there for sometime. A Flannels branch I think.

Sports Direct.

Flannels have been on Priory Walk for a couple of years now.

[drfchound]

Sheffield city centre future is very much away from big store shopping. It's about leisure in somewhere that is actually pleasant to be, rather than the plastic and tat artificialty of Meadowhell. There's a long term re-orientation towards open spaces galleries, museums, cinemas etc as the draw to pull people into the city centre, where they use shops and spend in bars, cafes and restaurants and it generally works quite well.

It won't attract people whose idea of fun is browsing in shops, but I've genuinely never understood the sort of person who sees "shopping" as a leisure activity. For me, shopping is a military operation. Identify target, engage with it and leave as quickly as humanly possible. The thought of browsing aimlessly for ideas is horrific.

The way you shop is the same as the way I do, on the few occasions I go shopping.
I would imagine that most blokes prefer it.
However, women don’t.
They want to browse and look at stuff and usually go back to buy the first thing they saw.
Personally I am not a fan of buying clothes online because I like to try certain things on and feel the quality.
I couldn’t be arsed to order something online and if it wasn’t right, pack it up and send it back.
The trouble with town centre shopping though is the car parking charges.
Invariably I go to an outlet type of place where parking is free and more accessible.

[DonnyOsmond]

Sheffield city centre future is very much away from big store shopping. It's about leisure in somewhere that is actually pleasant to be, rather than the plastic and tat artificialty of Meadowhell. There's a long term re-orientation towards open spaces galleries, museums, cinemas etc as the draw to pull people into the city centre, where they use shops and spend in bars, cafes and restaurants and it generally works quite well.

It won't attract people whose idea of fun is browsing in shops, but I've genuinely never understood the sort of person who sees "shopping" as a leisure activity. For me, shopping is a military operation. Identify target, engage with it and leave as quickly as humanly possible. The thought of browsing aimlessly for ideas is horrific.

The way you shop is the same as the way I do, on the few occasions I go shopping.
I would imagine that most blokes prefer it.
However, women don’t.
They want to browse and look at stuff and usually go back to buy the first thing they saw.
Personally I am not a fan of buying clothes online because I like to try certain things on and feel the quality.
I couldn’t be arsed to order something online and if it wasn’t right, pack it up and send it back.
The trouble with town centre shopping though is the car parking charges.
Invariably I go to an outlet type of place where parking is free and more accessible.

Plus a lot less homeless folk at somewhere like the Lakeside and Wheatley Hall Road then in town in front of the Frenchgate and surrounding streets.

[keyser_soze]

JL pulled out of the Bullring in Birmingham last year, and it was the flagship store of the new Grand Central complex that included the train station.

[ravenrover]

The homeless and "beggars" will move to where the crowds are I would guess

[idler]

The homeless and "beggars" will move to where the crowds are I would guess

We should be safe at the Keepmoat then.