SOUTH WOODFORD: Shoppers urged to support local businesses (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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SOUTH WOODFORD: Shoppers urged to support local businesses
10:54am Friday 11th November 2011 in News By Joe Curtis
SHOPPERS are being encouraged to get behind their local high street in the run up to Christmas.
Suzanne Bennett, who owns children’s clothes shop Sid and Evie, in George Lane, South Woodford, says local businesses must act now if they are to have any chance of competing with shopping malls such as Westfield Stratford City.
She said: "A lot of people don’t want to say their business is feeling (the presence of Westfield) but I can’t see how traders aren’t noticing less people – there’s a definite lack of footfall.
“If people stop coming here it will all become charity shops and pound shops. It could take 60 years to recover.”
Mrs Bennett, 43, has had posters drawn up with a picture of Lord Kitchener, which say “Shop local, South Woodford. Your High Street Needs You!” The posters will be displayed in the windows of shops in George Lane.
She and many other George Lane businesses are also planning to slash their prices on December 3 to encourage people to return to their local shops.
The mother-of-two, who named her shop after her children, added: “Hopefully we’re all going to come together and offer discounts in our shops.
“I want to encourage people to come and visit us, so we’ll probably offer a sweeping discount across all our stock, but it really is down to the individual stores.
“We could call it ‘Saturday special’. I hope it will increase our footfall, but you never know until you try.”
More than 200,000 people visited Westfield Stratford City on its opening day, but the boom for the major retailers has led to gloom for local businesses.
Children’s clothing shop Knock Down Ginger, in Wanstead High Street, is closing down to become an online-only store after three years of trading.
Mrs Bennett, of Pelham Road, South Woodford, said: “We are almost all family-run and locals, so we all know our customers. We will bend over backwards to serve people.
“When you shop in those malls (such as Westfield Stratford City) they don’t really care if you spend your money or not, because they have so many people every day.”
She also called on the council to promote its Redbridge Card further, which offers special offers and discounts in around 400 local shops.
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Comments(28)
T. Watts
says...
2:13pm Fri 11 Nov 11
technojist wrote:More secure than what??? Oh yes, of course the dangerous crime hotspots of Wanstead High Street and George Lane!!!
People just want to go to Westfields as it is more secure their for a start.
technojist
says...
2:31pm Fri 11 Nov 11
T. Watts wrote:Yes, it is a hot spot there actually, numerous Bank robberies, muggings and so on in fact it was not that long ago that Police offered to escort pensioners to the cash till as security guards! At least at Westfields the Security is mob handed and will remain so in the run up to the Olympics. It is the same at canary Wharf, lovely place to shop.
technojist wrote:More secure than what??? Oh yes, of course the dangerous crime hotspots of Wanstead High Street and George Lane!!!
People just want to go to Westfields as it is more secure their for a start.
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
3:12pm Fri 11 Nov 11
technojist wrote:technojist - you are being a silly billy - South Woodford is lovely and has no incidents of ''bank robberies or muggings'' !!! Westfield is dreadful - over-priced, too busy, too hot and our local shops provide a far higher standard of customer service. Please stop writing untruths about a wonderful neighbourhood.
T. Watts wrote:Yes, it is a hot spot there actually, numerous Bank robberies, muggings and so on in fact it was not that long ago that Police offered to escort pensioners to the cash till as security guards! At least at Westfields the Security is mob handed and will remain so in the run up to the Olympics. It is the same at canary Wharf, lovely place to shop.technojist wrote: People just want to go to Westfields as it is more secure their for a start.More secure than what??? Oh yes, of course the dangerous crime hotspots of Wanstead High Street and George Lane!!!
technojist
says...
3:51pm Fri 11 Nov 11
WeLoveSouthWoodford wrote:You may be walking with your head in the clouds, but you can look at the crime statistics on the Metropolitan Police Website.
technojist wrote:technojist - you are being a silly billy - South Woodford is lovely and has no incidents of ''bank robberies or muggings'' !!! Westfield is dreadful - over-priced, too busy, too hot and our local shops provide a far higher standard of customer service. Please stop writing untruths about a wonderful neighbourhood.
T. Watts wrote:Yes, it is a hot spot there actually, numerous Bank robberies, muggings and so on in fact it was not that long ago that Police offered to escort pensioners to the cash till as security guards! At least at Westfields the Security is mob handed and will remain so in the run up to the Olympics. It is the same at canary Wharf, lovely place to shop.technojist wrote: People just want to go to Westfields as it is more secure their for a start.More secure than what??? Oh yes, of course the dangerous crime hotspots of Wanstead High Street and George Lane!!!
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
4:32pm Fri 11 Nov 11
picture_this
says...
4:51pm Fri 11 Nov 11
Hot Red Man
says...
10:29am Sat 12 Nov 11
But in reality I live beside South Wood ford and hardly ever visit the shops there, to be honest I cannot tell when last when. I may have gone to the Sainsbury's there earlier in the year. Or stop by one of the cash points about 2 months ago. None of the shops there has much appeal to me, Id rather go Westfield. Also for a start the parking in South Woodford is a turn off. Wouldnt bother to take the chance to park up pay overpriced parking charges.
I still visit a few shops in Wanstead, but that is only because parking around there is still free at times. Only way you can park for free in South Woodford is in Sainsburys.
technojist
says...
2:51pm Sat 12 Nov 11
technojist
says...
2:51pm Sat 12 Nov 11
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
9:35pm Sat 12 Nov 11
No one is saying 'dont go to Westfield' - my point is that we should be supporting local businesses ASWELL - like the trader in this article - as surely being a resident you like the area? do you want South Woodford to go the way of many High Streets the length & breadth of this country with many independent traders forced to close. You would soon notice the pound shops and charity shops creeping in - a rapid decline in the 'quality' of the area would soon ensue. Be proud of where you live. Support your local community. SHOP LOCAL - SOUTH WOODFORD - YOUR HIGH ST NEEDS YOU.
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
9:43pm Sat 12 Nov 11
techiebabe
says...
6:13pm Sun 13 Nov 11
techiebabe
says...
6:13pm Sun 13 Nov 11
technojist
says...
9:10pm Sun 13 Nov 11
techiebabe wrote:I agree and i would rather live there than anywhere in Waltham forest as it is just turning into a dump these days with 24 hour Off Licences (thanks to Labour), trashy take-away outlets, Cash converting pawn shops, **** shops, Bookmakers on every main junction like Bakers Arms, Charity shops and oddities like butcher shops selling meat in one part of the store and mobile phones and international phone cards at the the other end. The area is the absolute pits these days especially Bakers Arms and Lower Leytonstone. Property prices in Redbridge are far higher and this is the only reason I cannot move there at present.
South Woodford is lovely, so is Wanstead, but I can actually get a parking space in Westfield, the disabled access is better, the M&S and Waitrose are bigger, and I can get other things there too. So I'm afraid that instead of driving north for ten minutes to South Woodford I now drive south for ten minutes to Westfield. In order to compete, the shops will have to put forward something truly new and different. Shouldn't be too hard as they are competing with faceless large organisations, they just have to be unique and offer great customer service - oh, and somewhere to park.
technojist
says...
2:50pm Mon 14 Nov 11
getting really rough around there. I am definitely sticking to Westfields!
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
12:28am Tue 15 Nov 11
technojist
says...
2:03pm Tue 15 Nov 11
WeLoveSouthWoodford wrote:Am just stating the facts which you seem to be ignoring. The place is not as wonderful as you pretend it is.
Technojist - I presume you work for Westfield in some capacity as it seems rather odd that you seem intent on running South Woodford into the ground. Do you scour the internet for South Woodford related stories? Very strange. Firstly, the shooting was in Woodford Green, not South Woodford. Secondly, if its that ''rough'', why are you always here? Thirdly, Westfield is a prime target for terrorist attacks, especially in the run up to Xmas so you will need to be extra vigilant. Fourthly, you have to pay for parking at W'field. Fifthly, South Woodfords' traders will be offering all customers a discount in the very near future. Sixthly, the local high quality customer-friendly service and 'not over-crowded' environment make for a far more pleasurable shopping experience in South Woodford. Good luck shopping in the ''boring, bland & uninspiring W'field''. Clearly uniqueness is not one of your traits. Plough a different path oh follower.
My children go to school in South Woodford so I am naturally concerned about their welfare.
technojist
says...
2:04pm Tue 15 Nov 11
My children go to school in South Woodford so I am naturally concerned about their welfare. It is in Woodford Green by a few inches by the way!
Bernard 87
says...
2:17pm Tue 15 Nov 11
South Woodford is still a very decent part of London/Essex and I'll certainly be turning up to 'a super Saturday' event!
Domspur
says...
3:10pm Tue 15 Nov 11
(With regard to "discounts", this article has an unfortunate typo in the final paragraph...)
dukes of hazzard
says...
10:49pm Tue 15 Nov 11
fabster
says...
10:06am Wed 16 Nov 11
Westfield operates a 2hr free parking - I have been 3 times and each time had sufficient time to pop into a couple of shops and had a meal without rushing and needing to pay for parking. On the contrast I have been to SWoodford shopping 4 times, and twice have got a parking ticket for overstaying for 7 mins & 8 mins. Says it all really for me. Over zealous wardens make local areas no go zones! I've even got a parking ticket while shopping at Waitrose, but upon proof of receipt, that was cancelled as I could show that I had a coffee break at their Costa (at the start) and my til receipt for my shopping (at the end) which satisfied the manager that I had been in their store all along.
fabster
says...
10:07am Wed 16 Nov 11
Westfield operates a 2hr free parking - I have been 3 times and each time had sufficient time to pop into a couple of shops and had a meal without rushing and needing to pay for parking.
On the contrast I have been to SthWoodford shopping 4 times, and twice have got a parking ticket for overstaying for 7 mins & 8 mins. Says it all really for me. Over-zealous wardens make local areas no go zones!
I've even got a parking ticket while shopping at Waitrose, but upon proof of receipt, that was cancelled as I could show that I had a coffee break at their Costa (at the start) and my til receipt for my shopping (at the end) which satisfied the manager that I had been in their store all along.
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
12:51am Thu 17 Nov 11
ndependents.com
PS) ''fabster'' - you can park for FREE in Sainsburys, M&S and Waitrose with plenty of parking spaces
Domspur
says...
8:26am Thu 17 Nov 11
WeLoveSouthWoodford wrote:Is "support-your-local-
correction ''dukes of hazzard'' - East is Best, West is messed. There is a place for shopping malls but its hardly individual with faceless brands at the forefront, poor service, high prices and an overcrowded environment - all the sheep following the crowd - how yawnsome it must be to live in your myopic world. Grow a pair - support your local community - SHOP LOCAL South Woodford. You can find me at support-your-local-i ndependents.com PS) ''fabster'' - you can park for FREE in Sainsburys, M&S and Waitrose with plenty of parking spaces
independents.com" a real website? Even Google can't find it for me... the closest I've found is "http://supportyourl
ocal.org/"
Domspur
says...
12:29pm Thu 17 Nov 11
dukes of hazzard wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Westfield Stratford City still in East London?
So after the double shooting in south woodfood and the apparent hostage taking in wanstead are you folks going to apologize to those who actually know what's going on in your area. It's not all roses and sunshine and coffee for yummy mummies. It's east London so get over it. East is beast , west is best. So head on down to Westfield now and let the local shops close down or better still, become like hoe street, kebabs, pizza and estate agents.
WeLoveSouthWoodford
says...
1:56pm Thu 17 Nov 11
#SHOPLOCAL
technojist says...
2:09pm Fri 11 Nov 11