will consumers return to the town centre?

www.bournemouth.ac.uk The Retail Research Group

Will consumers return to the Town Centre?

Christine Harris


Castlepoint October 2003

• Largest and most successful retail parks

• Bournemouth, South of England

• 645,000 m2


Retail Offer

• Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury

• Asda• B&Q Warehouse• Next, Boots, Gap,

WH Smith, New Look, Top Shop and Clarks.


Closed 30th Nov 2005

Not expected to open before Christmas

Expected to take 50 million in the run-up to

Christmas


Christmas Trade

3,000 car

parking spaces

15,000-16,000 cars per day

Where did the shoppers go?


Methodology

• Impact on adjacent centres

• Observations

• Newspaper reports

• Visitor counts


Competing centres

Southampton

(30 miles East)

Castlepoint

Boscombe

BournemouthPoole


Retailers actions - Food

Sainsburys

Castlepoint

Tesco

Asda

Marks & Spencer


Retailer Actions – Clothing etc

Gap

H&MMarks & Spencer

Principles

Castlepoint


Bournemouth 7 point moving average 14 Nov-14 Dec

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

2004

2005


Poole 7 point moving average 14 Nov-14 Dec

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

2004

2005


2004-2005

Castle-point

15,000 -16,000

cars per day

Town Before After Gains per day

B’mouth -14,205 -9,124 5,018

Poole -9,110 -6,890 2,220


Reopening

• 12 December shops might open on 19 Dec• 20 December, 7 shops opened, no anchor stores• 21 December Boots opened• 5 January Sainsburys opened• 11 January Marks & Spencer opened• 15 January 9000 cars• 20 January remaining stores opened except

TKMaxx ( refit)


Conclusions

• Out of town losses not gained in town

• Best estimate 35-40%

will consumers return to the town centre?

Documents