Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Save our high street
As Clintons becomes the latest household name to shut in Canterbury, the Gazette urges readers to support the high street to get the city back on its feet...
Some familiar high street names have gone missing from the city centre as it recovers from the economic fall-out of the coronavirus lockdown. While many city retailers rejoiced at finally being able to reopen this week, the crisis has pushed some already struggling big brands out of business, while others are seeking rescue packages to survive.
This week the lifting of ‘non essential’ retail restrictions saw queues of keen customers in Canterbury city centre (see pages 6-7).
But some outlets and restaurants will remain shut for good, including Monsoon and Accessorize, Carphone Warehouse, Cath Kidston, Oasis and Warehouse, Carluccio’s, Cafe Rouge, Pork & Co’s restaurant and now Clintons.
The card retailer confirmed yesterday it would be closing its store in Whitefrairs after reviewing the leases of its portfolio. A spokesman said: “We can confirm that the Gravel Walk store in Canterbury has closed as we were unable to agree commercial terms to support the long-term viability of the store. “In this case, the terms of the lease renewal for our Canterbury store were cost prohibitive and we have been forced to take the difficult decision to close the store.
“Our staff have been informed and we will make every effort to redeploy staff members wherever possible.”
The future of other city businesses are thought to be in the balance as they anxiously attempt to renegotiate leases with landlords to get better terms to keep them afloat. During lockdown, customers have also increasingly turned to online shopping, heaping even more pressure on those stores with a physical high street presence to pay for.
Experts say it has been a huge blow for the already struggling retail sector, which may never fully recover.
Yet investors are still backing two major retail redevelopments in the city centre on the former Debenhams and Nasons sites, where more than 20 shops and cafes are planned.
The boss of the Business Improvement District, Lisa Carlson, believes Canterbury has an ace up its sleeve as a destination city, which will continue to attract visitors because of its heritage.
“These are unprecedented times, but what is encouraging for me is that people are willing to come out,” she said. “I’m cautiously optimistic about what we’ve seen this week.
“But also, while walking around the city these past few weeks, I noticed shops are redecorating and investing in that way.
“Biggleston Yard at the former Nasons site is about to go to planning, and that’s positive as it shows investment in the city. “There is also a new sushi shop opening in the High Street. “There are still businesses and developers willing to invest in the city, and that’s a really pos
‘There are businesses and developers willing to invest in the city, and that’s a really positive sign’
itive sign.”
Mrs Carlson admits the high street “will probably look different” but says the city still has a lot to offer.
On the increasing number of empty units, she said: “What I know is that there’s already interest in some of the vacant units in Whitefriars and there’s still interest in the Curry’s site. “There’s still interest out there but there’s more churn these days than there used to be.”
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