Retail issues in Sunderland city centre

Brett

Brett

Striker
We now are facing having the 4 biggest units in town all currently unoccupied.

Debenhams
Wilkos
M&S
Cinrma complex

Big retailers are massively struggling and the council really need to come up with a plan to help the landlords fill these units .

I think the only way is to split them down into smaller spaces
 


Brett said:
We now are facing having the 4 biggest units in town all currently unoccupied.

Debenhams
Wilkos
M&S
Cinrma complex

Big retailers are massively struggling and the council really need to come up with a plan to help the landlords fill these units .

I think the only way is to split them down into smaller spaces
Click to expand...
Didn’t realise Marks and Spencer had closed
Edit . Just seen your other thread @Brett
 
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Brett said:
We now are facing having the 4 biggest units in town all currently unoccupied.

Debenhams
Wilkos
M&S
Cinrma complex

Big retailers are massively struggling and the council really need to come up with a plan to help the landlords fill these units .

I think the only way is to split them down into smaller spaces
Click to expand...

I would also add the Tesco unit inside of the Bridges too. Unless that's occupied now? Haven't been to the city centre for shopping since last summer.
 
They'd be better off opening something like a food court in the Debenhams unit. Biggest problem is there isn't much to entice people to go Sunderland centre shopping wise.

The council really need to consider offering free parking for a period of time to test whether it improves people shopping in the centre which could attract more shops to open. The galleries is always packed probably because of free parking.
 
Sunderland is too big, it needs made smaller by getting arid of some of the retail core and preferably turning it into housing. Sunniside would be the obvious choice and build a smaller cinema somewhere nearer the centre, and shift the bowling alley etc elsewhere - Debenhams unit maybe?

Stockton have done it pretty much by creating a park.
 
Howard92 said:
They'd be better off opening something like a food court in the Debenhams unit. Biggest problem is there isn't much to entice people to go Sunderland centre shopping wise.

The council really need to consider offering free parking for a period of time to test whether it improves people shopping in the centre which could attract more shops to open. The galleries is always packed probably because of free parking.
Click to expand...

It was insane trying to park up at the Galleries leading up to Christmas. Free parking is clearly a winner.
 
Brett said:
We now are facing having the 4 biggest units in town all currently unoccupied.

Debenhams
Wilkos
M&S
Cinrma complex

Big retailers are massively struggling and the council really need to come up with a plan to help the landlords fill these units .

I think the only way is to split them down into smaller spaces
Click to expand...
The council have said they're in talks for someone to take over the cinema. It needs some modernising though, it's been left behind.

That end of town looks done. Apart from Nando's all the former restaurant units along there are empty now. New bars are coming into Keel Square and Rio Steakhouse are opening up under the Travelodge instead of their initial plan to go into where Frankie and Benny's was.

As mentioned in the other thread though it's a case of whether the council own buildings or units. I think they do along that Sunniside bit, but I'm not so sure on M&S, Debenhams or Wilko's. If not and the owner is happy to see them unoccupied the council have little say in getting people into them.
 
HorsePills said:
The council have said they're in talks for someone to take over the cinema. It needs some modernising though, it's been left behind.

That end of town looks done. Apart from Nando's all the former restaurant units along there are empty now. New bars are coming into Keel Square and Rio Steakhouse are opening up under the Travelodge instead of their initial plan to go into where Frankie and Benny's was.

As mentioned in the other thread though it's a case of whether the council own buildings or units. I think they do along that Sunniside bit, but I'm not so sure on M&S, Debenhams or Wilko's. If not and the owner is happy to see them unoccupied the council have little say in getting people into them.
Click to expand...
Should CPO the ones that have empty for prolonged time. If the actual owners can be traced.
 
HorsePills said:
The council have said they're in talks for someone to take over the cinema. It needs some modernising though, it's been left behind.

That end of town looks done. Apart from Nando's all the former restaurant units along there are empty now. New bars are coming into Keel Square and Rio Steakhouse are opening up under the Travelodge instead of their initial plan to go into where Frankie and Benny's was.

As mentioned in the other thread though it's a case of whether the council own buildings or units. I think they do along that Sunniside bit, but I'm not so sure on M&S, Debenhams or Wilko's. If not and the owner is happy to see them unoccupied the council have little say in getting people into them.
Click to expand...


Most of the properties in Fawcett Street are owned by London companies so I've heard.
 
Howard92 said:
They'd be better off opening something like a food court in the Debenhams unit. Biggest problem is there isn't much to entice people to go Sunderland centre shopping wise.

The council really need to consider offering free parking for a period of time to test whether it improves people shopping in the centre which could attract more shops to open. The galleries is always packed probably because of free parking.
Click to expand...
someone had the intention of opening a food court in the empty debenhams unit here in worcester....... enforcement notices went up today 🤷‍♂️
 
HorsePills said:
The council have said they're in talks for someone to take over the cinema. It needs some modernising though, it's been left behind.

That end of town looks done. Apart from Nando's all the former restaurant units along there are empty now. New bars are coming into Keel Square and Rio Steakhouse are opening up under the Travelodge instead of their initial plan to go into where Frankie and Benny's was.

As mentioned in the other thread though it's a case of whether the council own buildings or units. I think they do along that Sunniside bit, but I'm not so sure on M&S, Debenhams or Wilko's. If not and the owner is happy to see them unoccupied the council have little say in getting people into them.
Click to expand...

Debenhams is owned by the Bridges, M&S is council owned, Wilko's isn't not sure who owns that.
 

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