Bradford

Yeah i get Broadway is little more than a McMall, but i think it is marginally better than the offerings in Wakefield and Huddersfield.
The point i was making is that the centre is too fragmented and that Broadway is the closest we have to a 'anchor' destination. To be fair the immediate vicinity looks smarter than it did pre Broadway and hopefully this will gradually spread towards Ivegate/ Tyrell St in due course.
The council has plans to move the market to Darley street so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of footfall.

We need to forget 'competing' with Leeds and devise our own strategy.
The writing was on the wall in the 90s. The moment the government chose to build the new NHS executive on the site of the old Quarry Hill council estate it was clear who the regional 'winner' was going to be.

One thing i think Bradford suffers from is the chronic lack of investment in public transport in relation to the size of its population. The city feels choked at the best of times.

 

All city centres will be dead in five years.

Perhaps the answer to BRADFORD city centre is to form a central hub of art and entertainment and accept the commercial and retail activities will be web based.

A virtual reality shopping centre is the way forward.

 

No they won't.

They will be regional retail winners where people go to shop, eat and drink. Locally Leeds will thrive, York will be fine and Hull ok because if you live there where else would you shop?

 

It is too big and fragmented, not just retail, but the bars, Market St bars, North Parade a good slog away and the tunnels stranded, and I'd put sq/ft actual occupancy of the centre at less than 20%!

I don't believe chain retail will save the centre, but the market moving is step in the right direction, I'd pave North Parade and have no retail above the Kirkgate centre, squash it up, make it look busy.

 

I think he's suggesting that the continuing rise of internet shopping will kill retail centres.
There's no doubt that it's having a big impact. All the big stores like John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser etc are struggling. I certainly do most of my shopping online now; it makes buying Christmas presents much quicker and easier.

I think you're right that big regional centres will probably survive because they offer food, drink and social life as well as shopping. But many town centres are dying on their feet and it's hard to see that trend reversing.

 

And the councils new plan for redevelopment of the city centre.

Wonder how long it will take between demolishing and building

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/17324302.city-centre-buildings-to-be-flattened-to-make-way-for-new-public-square/

 

On the face of it that seems a reasonable plan. There's too big a disconnect between the Broadway areas and the top of the city centre. Moving the market further down and creating linking features in between seems sensible.
But it all has the feel of shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic, unfortunately. It's damage limitation at best. The horse has bolted to Leeds and isn't coming back, I fear.

 

The horse bolted about 20 years ago so it is always going to be damage limitation now.

It does look a good idea IF and it is a massive IF it is implemented swiftly.

 

I agree with those proposals, it makes sense but as others think....it's all too late. But what can the council do now?

If HMV and Debenhams go pop then that is a big hole in the mall which is slightly less useful than the big hole it filled.

 

Yes, if Debenhams goes it will be a massive hit for Broadway. Do people still use HMV? I'm still surprised Superdry has lasted, never really see people buying in there.

 

Noticed a report in the press that major town and city mall owners have been offering the councils the opportunity to buy them as an investment opportunity, The market usually knows best and if the major mall investors want out then long term the centres are in trouble.

 

The whole shopping experience just does nothing for me, folk buying stuff they don't need and can't afford , in the future it's doomed to fail...

 

Yes, that was scary reading, councils gambling huge sums of tax payers money on failing malls! Malls closing has happened all over the US & here will be no different unless your city is the regional hub with the drink/food/leisure add ons to keep visitors all day, the weekend party people starting off before noon in Leeds on "bottomless brunches" and the 1000's arrving at the station later, dressed up to the nines, are not going shopping.....

The future retail & current Debenhams & HMV problems are not Bradford specific but show just how vulnerable Bradford is. Leeds can lose both tomorrow and it'd have just about zero impact, but Bradford would lose 1 of it's two mall (city centre) anchor tenants and leave a huge % of mall space empty.

@jpaul81 said "We need to forget 'competing' with Leeds and devise our own strategy". I totally agree but we'd probably disagree about how it should be done as I think he was pro-mall which will prove to be a negative thing as it was decades too late, too small, in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Any strategy needs to be non-chain retail or we are flogging a dead horse.

 

In the US i think the issue is that older provincial malls can't compete with the newer regional supermalls.

In the UK, with the convenience of online shopping, the high street needs to offer an experience people can't get online.

Having said that, i'm personally not a huge fan of online shopping.
I've had some appalling experiences with some of the so-called courier companies.
In fact i tend to use click and collect where possible so i'm not waiting in or fannying about chasing orders because the courier couldn't be arsed delivering it.
If i need something i tend to just go out and buy it.
If it is clothing or a big ticket item (a luxury watch for instance) i would never buy it without seeing it first and trying it. Same with groceries, i wouldn't trust someone else to pick my shopping.
I think the issue is more with the younger generation who've grown up with online everything and are normalised to it.

I think the Broadway was always about addressing a basic retail under-provision rather than competing with Leeds, bringing Bradford back into line with the likes of Wakefield and Huddersfield.
If Debenhams loses stores, i think the older small town branches will be most at risk.
As an anchor tenant, i'm sure they'll be a getting a favourable deal with the Broadway.
Losing HMV wouldn't be a major loss IMO.

I would like to see something like London's Borough Market used as inspiration for the new food market, just with more sensible pricing and an emphasis on 'world cuisine' to reflect the city's multi-cultural heritage.

 

Oh dear.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/17330794.two-bradford-city-centre-rail-station-refurbishment-projects-will-be-delayed/

 

Braver than me.

 

Funnily enough HMV and Waterstones are the only shops that draw me to Bradford
Spend quite a bit of money each year in HMV, Bradford, and always have. Friendliest and most helpful retail staff I have ever come across, so I for one, will really miss HMV if they close down

 

Very rare visitor to the centre of Bradford these days, but after a very enjoyable visit to the new Light cinema to see the excellent Stan & Ollie, we had a walk to the top of town.
Oh dear, even though Tuesday is always going to be quiet, the walk up Darley St. would depress even the most ardent of Bradfordians.
The few shops around town that were open were devoid of any customers, and it is tragic that it has come to this.
Don't know what the solutions are, it seems too far gone to me.

 

What was the cinema like? Is it like the one in Trinity, super cushioned seats and wine/beer coolers? I'd like to see that film this weekend.