Thursday, April 8, 2010

What's happening to Angel Walk....

What is it with Angel Walk shopping arcade in Tonbridge. The Pavilion, which is not more than 100 metres away, seems to be thriving with a full quota of shops boasting Jessops and Boots among others. Yet Angel Walk which, on the face of it is pretty much the same, is going downhill in an ever decreasing spiral. There are already four empty units in the mini precinct and there's soon to be another closure when Holland and Barrat move onto the High Street into a smaller unit. Is the landlord of Angel Walk charging too much? Is the Pavilion doing something better to market its retail units; or is it just that businesses get the jitters when their close neighbours start an exodus? Any thoughts?...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Toy shop has gone. The prices they're charging, Jessops can't be far behind.

Paul Bailey said...

Angel Walk ought to be a prime site given the footfall from people passing through between Sainsburys and the High Street. Instead, like you say TB, it's dyimg on it's feet.

Sign of the times, I'm afraid. Extortionate rents, charged by city spivs (sorry insurance companies), and greedy property companies. Perhaps the owners of Angel Walk might get the message when there are no shops left in their rather tired-looking development.

Anonymous said...

It is ignorant to blame insurance companies, who probably look after your pension I might add, and property companies for so-called extortionate rents. They can only let shops for what the open market is prepared to pay.

You will actually find that most landlords are now keener than ever to let vacant units given empty rates liabilities, one of many ridiculous legacies of the previous government.

In reality the scheme is suffering because of the economic downturn, not because of "city spivs" or greedy landlords.