Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

This is going to be a really long starting post

I’ve just taken a walk the length of Union Road in Oswaldtwistle and done an audit of all of the shops that we have there. I have to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised in the variety but there are a number of obvious gaps in the market but I’ll get on to that later.

Firstly, here is a list of shops that we currently have. I’ve divided them up into three categories for clarity.

Category 1 - shops that we probably have plenty of.
There are two different types of criteria for this category – either we’re over saturated with them i.e. off licences, or they’re specialist shops that would struggle with competition i.e. the wool shop. So, this is not a reflection on the quality of any of the shops in this category.

8 Alcohol shops (that includes off licences and general stores like the Co-op)
7 Beauty salons (including tanning shops)
8 Hairdressers and 2 barbers
7 Sandwich shops (includes 2 that are also cafes)
3 Chinese takeaways (including Bamboo Gardens)
5 Pizza/kebab takeaways (including Franco’s)
2 Indian takeaways (including Reena’s)
3 Insurance shops
2 Pet grooming shops
2 Card and wrapping paper
2 Chemists
2 Florists
3 Chippies
5 Newsagents (includes general stores that also sell newspapers)
2 Butchers
3 Second hand (junk) shops
2 Launderettes
1 Fitness equipment shop
1 Fitness Gym
1 Sweet shop
1 Model aircraft
2 Kitchen appliance shops
1 Equestrian clobber centre
1 Loss Assessor
1 Tool Hire
1 Wool Shop
1 Vets
8 Pubs


Category 2. Larger stores – self explanatory.
Ossy Mills
1 large pet store
1 largish Co-op


Category 3. Shops that could possibly stand a bit of competition.

If Oswaldtwistle were a thriving town (I actually do think it’s on the up but not there yet), there would be more variety in this category. So you might think it odd that I’ve put the Ladies clothes shops in this category even though we do have five nice ones (there are a couple of very nice ones that have just sprung up) but I think it would be wonderful to be such a thriving town that we could sustain even more choice in this area.

There are also a couple of shops in this category that could do with the competition to make them pull their socks up i.e. they’re very run down or untidy.

1 Homecare
1 Furniture (second hand but high quality)
1 Glass/window
1 Book store (second hand but specialises in antique and rare books)
1 Car parts
1 Charity shop
2 Children’s clothes
1 Post Office
1 Mobile & Computer shop
1 Bank
1 Bookies
1 Estate Agents
1 Decorating shop
1 Funeral
1 Curtain Factory rejects
1 Carpet shop (off cuts only)
4 Ladies clothes shops (high quality) + 1 High Quality Dress Agency


Plus – 1 GUN SHOP – I haven’t put this in any category because if it was up to me it wouldn’t exist at all.
There are six empty shops.

So, what else do we need – I offer these as suggestions for discussion, I’m sure there are many other ideas out there.

Men’s clothes shops
Shoe shops – Adult and children
Video hire
More Ladies clothes shops
Book shop (new books)
Electricals – i.e. TV, videos etc
Gift shops
Pottery/plates/cups etc
Named stores – Next, Claire’s Accessories, Boots – I add this with a reservation, would we be appealing enough to attract a chain store?

What else have I missed????????


The other comments that I have are that we have few physical gaps in the street which restrict flow. We have Ossy Mills at one end but quite a gap before the shops start, then there’s another gap between the Tinker & Budget and the Golden Cross. Somehow we need to find ways to fill those physical gaps in the shopping street.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

There is a T.V. Repair shop near ossy mills, not tidy, not prominent but it's been there over 10 years so must be serving a purpose.

What else?

Doctors surgeries they are another form of business that must be bringing in some form of revenue.

Drug dealers, prostitutes, beggars all of which although not having to pay business rates operate at times in full public view!

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Yes, TV repair shop tucked at one end though never actually see anyone in it.

There are two medical centres and a dentist - suppose you're right, they perform a service so I suppose you could call them businesses. I hesitated about putting them on my list as I don't think they're essentials on a main road - they'd be just as successful slightly off set. They're not what I would call a retail business which is what I was looking at.

As for the other suggestions - they tend to stay off the main road but I'm sure we have our fair share already.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Two of the sandwiches shops you counted are also bakeries, and have been there for over 110 years between them. Trade is mainly lunchtime takeaways, as most people buy bread at the supermarkets nowadays.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Men’s clothes shops
Shoe shops – Adult and children
Video hire
More Ladies clothes shops
Book shop (new books)
Electricals – i.e. TV, videos etc
Gift shops
Pottery/plates/cups etc
Named stores – Next, Claire’s Accessories, Boots

Good luck to anyone who opens any of the above. We recently had a very nice aromatherapists shop open, it lasted a month.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Yes, that's why I counted them under sandwich shops. I think the fact that they're bakeries is really good and the fact that they're individual does benefit the street. It's a shame that most people (myself included) buy the plastic bread that they sell at supermarkets.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

The thing is that thousands of people come to shop in Ossy each week - at Ossy Mills - we have to get people visiting the rest of the town!

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

No problem, I just thought there should be a distincion that's all. The other sandwich shops buy their bread in, my brother's and the other shop, bake their own, thus employing about fifteen more people.

My other post isn't being defeatist as well. I love Ossy, and thought about starting a business here when I moved back, but with day time trade being so quite it just wasn't a viable option. My mum let a shop for the last thirty years to a florist/fancy goods shop, which sadly closed last year because trade was so bad.

People want to live in Ossy it seems, but not shop here. See the carpark at ASDA for the answer.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Ossy Mills is a great success, though I do think it used to be better about ten years ago, when Mile's Mum was the buyer. It had the same merchandise as Harvey Nicks, but at a fraction of London price.

Sadly there is very little benefit to the rest of the town, even in the immediate vicinity, because people get back in their cars/coaches without venturing any further.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

I know! I shop at Asda myself but I justify that by the fact that it's employing a lot of people in the Hyndburn area (plus my Brother In Law who works for the head office in Leeds). I do also try to use local shops as often as possible but I'm not usually around these days to frequent the sandwich shops as often as I'd like to.

Ossy doesn't get much passing trade so must be hard for businesses to survive. That's why it needs a reason for people to leave the confines of Ossy Mills and potter up the main road. They'll only have that reason if there's enough for them to want to look at.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

I think you've just highlighted another problem, most people who live in Ossy don't work here.

The days of Dad goes to work, Mum walks to the local shops daily, are long gone. Most people work and drive, and the supermarkets offer busy people convienience. Without that core customer base, most business can't rely on passing trade to survive, even if they got the occasional footfall from Ossy Mills.

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

Another problem is parking. There's a real problem in Ossy already. On the one hand you have the two 'attractions' Ossy Mills and the Civic Theatre needing lots of parking but on the other hand you have residents who can't park outside their own houses. Passing trade for the shops needs somewhere to park as well.

It's a bit like catch 22. You want people to travel in to Ossy to shop to keep the shops alive but when they do there's nowhere to park or they upset the residents by parking in front of their houses. The residents want resident only parking but if the shops died then the town really would be ghost town. I need to get my head around this before offering any suggestions - it's huge!

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

At the top of Ossy there is land being used as a carpark that is on the site of the old Co-op buildings. The council had the opportunity to purchase it to make a carpark, but decided against it. It was bought by a church, who have kindly let people park there whilst they raise money to build their church. Sadly though they are due to start building soon and parking is going to become even more of a problem, especially as this is the part of the town with our one remaining post office.

Great leaflet by the way Gayle that you just leafleted.:)

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

I know, I thought it was a disaster when the Council wouldn't buy that land. It's a complete lack of foresight, isn't it?

Glad you like the leaflet - one person said they'd vote for me on the strength of the picture alone! I'm a bit wet now though - what a rotten day for doing this!

Re: Oswaldtwistle Shops
 

The council tried to buy the land at the side of the civic theatre to knock the empty buildings down and make a car park. It is Lancashire County Council land and they would not sell it for what Hyndburn was offering. Thanks LCC for helping us out. A car park next to the Theatre would be much more usefull than those horrible empty buildings.