Is the City of Leicester a dump?

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, SemperEadem said:

Hell of a blow to the centre a big anchor tenant like that going.

It’s a huge unit. Cant see even 50% of it being filled.

[SemperEadem]

3 minutes ago, Stadt said:

It’s a huge unit. Cant see even 50% of it being filled.

It’s a proper hammer blow to Leicester this.

 

[MattFox]

9 minutes ago, Stadt said:

It’s a huge unit. Cant see even 50% of it being filled.

They’ve been downsizing all their city centre stores so not surprised this is happening

 

I’d have expected them to keep a small unit though like they’ve done in Birmingham/Nottingham etc

[Stadt]

8 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

It’s a proper hammer blow to Leicester this.

 

Can’t ever lose John Lewis. 

[Paninistickers]

1 hour ago, SemperEadem said:

Hell of a blow to the centre a big anchor tenant like that going.

If ever a sign was needed for the city centre to have a radical rethink, this is it. Goodness knows they've had enough warnings. BHS, Fenwick's, Debenhams and Rackhams all down the karsi. 

 

The model of city centre high rent and business rates does not work. 

 

 

[Paninistickers]

1 hour ago, MattFox said:

Sad, was one of their most profitable stores in the not too distance past

 

That’s Debenhams, Fenwicks, House of Fraser and M&S gone in the last decade 

And BHS

[MattFox]

5 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

And BHS

They’ve redone the BHS unit pretty well tbf

[MPH]

Is Boots still there?   Any help but think they shared clientele…

[Babylon]

5 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Hell of a blow to the centre a big anchor tenant like that going.

Don’t worry, something good will take its place, like an American Candy store.

 

Once John Lewis goes, and it will go. It will be rats deserting a sinking ship with the rest. 

[Parafox]

11 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Hell of a blow to the centre a big anchor tenant like that going.

 

Death knell for the centre.

 

And M&S Fosse Park is not "nearby", as the report suggests.

Edited 2 May by Parafox

[davieG]

9 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

If ever a sign was needed for the city centre to have a radical rethink, this is it. Goodness knows they've had enough warnings. BHS, Fenwick's, Debenhams and Rackhams all down the karsi. 

 

The model of city centre high rent and business rates does not work. 

 

 

plus Marshall & Snelgrove’s (formally Adderleys), Joseph Johnsons (later Fenwicks), Simpkin & James not forgetting Woolworths.

[westernpark]

M&S is the only reason I go down Humberstone Gate or Gallowtree Gate, both have become intense swamps of human miserableness. I just hope they can look at keeping a small food only store somewhere in the city centre. I hate Fosse Park with a passion, it’s soulless, too clean and there are no pubs(although I have started walking to the beer hall now when my partner goes there), and those are the very reasons why city centre stores like m&s are closing down. As notorious town planner Konrad Smigielski said, well to paraphrase him at least, ‘cities need edge and vice to be cities’, I might enjoy a bit of liveliness in town but it has to be improved for others, whether that’s through improving its convenience or a greater clean up in areas, to counter Fosse Park’s impact.

[Lako42]

It will become a deliveroo rider recharge hub and indoor tent city. 

 

Might even be a woman with three boobs inside 

[Paninistickers]

Interesting and defiant words from a guy who's MD of Lumbers in town. 

 

Criticising marks and sparks for looking tired (it did), criticism for punters bemoaning the loss of Fenwick despite not shopping there for years (true) and laying into the perception of easy access at fosse park as opposed to the reality of traffic chaos (also true) 

 

We need some businesses to champion town, champion the fact there's independents there (as opposed to the soul destroying corporate monsters at fosse park) and someone to help the amount of scum wandering the streets (I paraphrase that part tbf) 

 

 

[Parafox]

Annoying thing is, Coventry M&S stays open in what is possibly the worst city centre in the Midlands.

[Dr The Singh]

Just now, Parafox said:

Annoying thing is, Coventry M&S stays open in what is possibly the worst city centre in the Midlands.

Coventry even have a Brewdog, Leicester's is now a chav pub

[Paninistickers]

1 minute ago, Parafox said:

Annoying thing is, Coventry M&S stays open in what is possibly the worst city centre in the Midlands.

I suspect m&s just took the view Leicester punters can go to Fosse Park. That said, so can Cov people 

[Parafox]

9 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I suspect m&s just took the view Leicester punters can go to Fosse Park. That said, so can Cov people 

 

If I ever go to Fosse Park it's out of necessity rather than desire. Horrible place. As are probably all out of town shopping centres.

[Wymsey]

12 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

If I ever go to Fosse Park it's out of necessity rather than desire. Horrible place. As are probably all out of town shopping centres.

Lost count over how many people I've heard over the years say that another driver scratched their car there etc..

 

Hard to navigate around the site, as the roads around the parking bays are very tight.

 

At least the new food court looks great, compared to the old one.

Edited 2 May by Wymsey

[Parafox]

Just now, Wymsey said:

Lost count ove4 how many people I've heard over the years say that another driver scratched their car etc..

 

Hard to navigate around the site, as the roads around the parking bay are very tight.

 

At least the new food court looked great, compared to the old one.

 It looks better as they ditched that awful central seating area and made it more of a "street" but it's still the same chain outlets, by and large, just more than just McDonalds, Subway, KFC and another which I can't remember, in the old place

 

It still has a soulless, feel eating on the concourse looking out at mobile phone repairers or doughnut stands as people walk about on their way to Primark, whilst trying to avoid other people walking about on their way to Next.

 

Nah. Not for me. 

[Paninistickers]

8 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Lost count over how many people I've heard over the years say that another driver scratched their car there etc..

 

Hard to navigate around the site, as the roads around the parking bays are very tight.

 

At least the new food court looked great, compared to the old one.

Yet, I know colleagues from North Derbyshire and Coventry who come over to fosse park as if it is some kind of destination experience. 

 

The myth far far outweighs the reality 

[Parafox]

5 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Yet, I know colleagues from North Derbyshire and Coventry who come over to fosse park as if it is some kind of destination experience. 

 

The myth far far outweighs the reality 

 

I don't get it. People travel for miles to go to the Bicester designer outlet centre. We went a few years back just to see what the fuss was about. It's just a cattle market of people queuing for discounted names and even then they're not that cheap. They even have door staff allowing a certain number of people into the stores, like it's some kind of exclusive club.

 

People are sheep. Never again.

[Paninistickers]

I'm sure it's out there, but who the fck owns all the city centre real estate? Not just here, but any old town or city centre? 

 

Must be some kind of lizard thing. Duke of Devonshire/Marlborough/Duchy of Cornwall thing. 

 

I'd love to nationalise these fcking properties and have some kind of a municipal, co-operative run centre 

 

Edit; answering my own question, ING Bank owns the Haymarket. So, yep, Dutch Heineken family lizards. 

 

Would be interesting to see who owns the buildings on the woeful gallowtree gate. Google search starts now

Edited 2 May by Paninistickers

[Dr The Singh]

14 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Yet, I know colleagues from North Derbyshire and Coventry who come over to fosse park as if it is some kind of destination experience. 

 

The myth far far outweighs the reality 

I have peeps from Notts, Leics, sheepshagger land come to local pub, and they wax lyrical.  To be fair I would never go there house for dinner, lunch or poo.

 

I dont go to my local, its shit.

[Parafox]

Just now, Dr The Singh said:

I have peeps from Notts, Leics, sheepshagger land come to local pub, and they wax lyrical.  To be fair I would never go there house for dinner, lunch or poo.

 

I dont go to my local, its shit.

 

What is you local, I need to avoid it on my pub crawl of Britain.