Changes affect shoppers in city

QUEEN Street and High Street/St Mary Street form an ‘L’ shape. For decades the principle shops in the centre of Cardiff, including Howell’s, prospered as they lay along the two legs of the ‘L.’

The impressive frontage of James Howell on St Mary Street led into a brightly-lit realm of cosmetics and perfume, with an escalator luring customers directly up to women’s fashions. Further along the same road stood David Morgan’s department store which was equally attractive to shoppers.

That’s changed. In 1982 the first phase of the St David’s development opened, in 2005 David Morgan’s closed, and since 2009 the second phase of St David’s, including John Lewis, has attracted millions of people. What used to be an area chiefly of small businesses, warehouses and housing is now a huge shopping centre. The ‘L’ formed by Queen Street and High Street/St Mary Street lies along the edges of this.

Queen Street was pedestrianised during the ‘70s and ‘80s, long before High Street and St Mary Street, so attracting crowds of shoppers on foot. Stores on the south side of Queen Street have linked up with St David’s by having two entrances, but that isn’t possible for shops on the north side of Queen Street nor for a store on St Mary Street like Howell’s.

Of course, the story is much more complicated than what I’ve outlined. There have been many other factors affecting shoppers in Cardiff’s city centre – including online retail which other people may think are more important.

M Kellett

Llandaff, Cardiff