Is Chester UK still ‘top of the shops’ in the Northwest?

Chester has always been hailed as an excellent place to visit for shopping. In the city centre you can shop in well known high street stores or peruse the more interesting and speciality shops within Chester Market, the Rows and the other fascinating streets.

Even if you don’t like city centre shopping and prefer the retail centre style layout Chester is not short of options for you. Only a short way from the city centre you can explore the smaller retail parks or the slightly larger Broughton Park Shopping Centre. For the designer clothes connoisseur the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Village is approximately fifteen minutes drive from Chester.

It is a concern during the current recession that cities such as Chester will be dropping off the shopping ‘hotspots’ list creating a viscious circle of job losses, poor local economy and further retail unit closures.

Something needs to be done to protect Chester’s shops from falling into a decline from which it will be a struggle to recover from.

The British Retail Consortium published a report yesterday (21st June 2009) stating that the ‘Future of the high streets cannot be left to chance’ and has included Chester alongside 19 other cities as the focus of its plans to help save the economy. Also reported on in the Liverpool Daily Post the report explains that three times as many city centre shops are without traders as compared with autumn 2008, now 12% of units, this report cannot have come too soon.

Douglas Fraser of the BBC the long term possibities and effects of the recession on retail in city and town centres mentioning Chester’s ‘free after three’ scheme which aims to get more locals and visitors using the city centre for their shopping.

This news is followed by the announcement in the Liverpool Daily Post that a one million pound investment programme for Chester City centre has been launched. The boost for the city centre will be aimed at increasing CCTV cameras, cleaning up the appearance of Chester and making the environment safer for locals and visitors to visit.

One problem for Chester shoppers and workers in the city centre could be the public transport system. Reported this week in the Ellesmere Port Standard is just one worker’s campaign for improvements to bus services into Chester city centre.

One can only assume that she is not alone in her experiences but the one brave enough to come forward, highlight the issue and ask for something to be done.

What are your thoughts on the shopping in Chester UK?

Is it still your shopping paradise or have you watched your favourite stores closedown or move elsewhere?
What does the future hold for Chester’s shops? Do you think the new proposal to spend one million pounds cleaning up Chester is what is needed?

Leave your comments below or email Your Chester views to support@directoryofchester.net to see them here at the Directory of Chester.

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