Missed opportunity for town's shopkeepers

Dear Editor,

After following the story in the Leader over the past six months or so about the planned Tesco store at Bridgewater Retail Park then its subsequent rejection, I would like to add a few of my thoughts.

On New Years Day, Friday past it happened that my family were all doing other things and I found myself with the day to fill in.

I decided to go up the main street to do a bit of shopping/bargain hunting in the sales. When I got into town I was gutted to find that any of the shops I wanted to go into for clothes or household goods etc were all closed.

Just by driving up the street I could only see three shops plus the bingo hall and newsagents open.

I thought as it was a Friday and it being the holidays, the town would be doing a real good days trade.

I never stopped in the town as it was not worth while. I then took a chance and drove up to the Outlet thinking it would probably be the same situation.

To my surprise I could hardly get parked. All the units were open for trade and it was as busy as I have ever seen it.

My point in this. The town traders are doing everything in their power to block Tesco at Bridgewater Retail Park saying it will have a negative effect on their businesses and are pictured seemingly celebrating a great victory when the planning permission was turned down.

New Years Day was a great chance for the town shops to do a real good day’s trade. Plenty of customers were just a mile up the road at the Outlet, but sadly they had nothing to come into town for.

The traders in town need to have a good look at themselves at this sort of missed opportunity.

In my opinion a healthy Outlet which is getting customers from far and near would have an increase in numbers is the new Tesco were to go ahead.

This in turn I would hope would lead to more people coming into town for a look around, but only if the town has something to offer, which sadly it did not on New Year’s Day.

Town traders need to get people into the town centre itself. Work with Bridgewater and get advertisements up at the Outlet tempting people into town. At the moment there is no Tesco superstore and the town is hardly booming with trade.

Sell good clothes, shoes, merchandise that people want and they will come.

And above all be open, especially at times of year when people are about with money to spend!

Yours faithfully, Paul Wilson.