CAMPBELTOWN SHOPPING

[UP THE ROAD]

I was on holiday for a few days in Campbeltown last week. It was my first trip since the summer of last year and decided to go down the town shopping. I lasted 5 minutes as there are hardly any decent shops left with loads of shops closed- hardly spent anything as there was nothing to buy-a different town now-what a shame. I went down the front to go for a cuppa but the cafe was closed. It was depressing and made me nostalgic for the Italian cafes and the Copper Kettle where you used to be able to get lovely home baking.I hope that next time I visit things will have changed, not only for me but for the tourists. Southend and Machrihanish were well worth the visit as the beaches are still as lovely as ever, and there's nothing better than a good walk in the fresh air with a lovely sea breeze.

[Kevin Mc]

We always have trouble finding somewhere to eat / get a cuppa when we're in the town. Usually end up at the Kinloch diner (don't know the proper name).

We try to spend some hard earned when we're in the town, but less shops we'll struggle!

My mum and dad were up in the town last week, and even they commented on the centre looking drab..

[dr-sanchez]

there's nothing more depressing than empty shop fronts!

[EMDEE]

You can blame the supermarkets!

[Ship called Dignity]

What did you expect? Breahead?

I'd agree about the Palm Bistro - prime site and such a waste but there are a few shops worth a browse - Morrisons, Courier Centre, Fresh Connection, Treehouse, Kintyre Crafts, Surf Shop, Oystercatcher, Newgrove, McMillans, Bookshop, Photographers, Springbank etc etc - all well maintained shops. Perhaps not the trip down memory lane you expected.......

A number of shops are looking better since the CARS scheme but hasn't impacted the way I would have hoped by now - perhaps it is just slow....

Heard a couple of new shops are opening soon. Perhaps the best thing that can happen is Woolworths is knocked down and the local traders get a share of their trade?

I was in Dunoon in December and it is probably worse. Helensburgh also has a number of shops closed which surprised me. Dumbarton High Street is horrendous and if you want to try Paisley you'll see the affects there too.

[Bobh]

Since i've not been up (or down) to Campbeltown since last September and reading previous posts i take it things don't look good about the town.

I realise Woolworths will be closed but was unaware Palm Bistro had also closed. Although i enjoy popping into the 'toon' for an hour or so and enjoy the small town atmosphere i just hope things improve. Any more updates please.

[sooze]

Like many places shops have closed and this has always been a problem in the town - new ones open as others close. Although the Palm Bistro has closed there is still Ceann Loch Diner, Gallery 10, Fresh Bites and Mussel Ebb, Argyll and White Hart in the town centre for a cuppa and bite to eat. More than 10 years ago.

Some of the problems about doing up the shops are to do with getting the achitectural details and planning right, ownership of various places and even a willingness to 'go for it'.

Why blame the supermarkets who are big employers for this area and if either or both closed then unemployment would rise and people would move because they couldn't buy their shopping - the smaller stores would not be able to carry the goods needed. Do those who 'blame the supermarkets' not shop in them?

Sooze

[EMDEE]

It is an established fact that the rise of the supermarket has destroyed town centres throughout the country. They now have a stranglehold on the retail sector in most places with many town centres looking like ghost towns. Local businesses cannot compete with them on either price or range of goods offered and they have to close. Regarding the employment position, granted, they are major employers in towns, but in creating this employment they have also destroyed employment within locally owned businesses. The other point here is that the profits from these companies are taken out of the local area thereby depleting the local economy still further.

The sad fact of all this is that it is customer led. The supermarkets are there because people want their products and prices, and we are all guilty. However, we can’t have this and also have a thriving locally owned retail sector. The two things are mutually exclusive. Supermarkets are here for the foreseeable future, and that is the way things have gone. We can all reminisce about the personal service we used to get in the wee shops where the customer came first and you could buy four ounces of something if that is all you needed, but that is almost completely a thing of the past.

I personally don’t know how some of the remaining local butchers, bakers etc. that are still operating in small towns are managing to survive.

[sooze]

It is not just the supermarkets but online shopping which takes business away from the town (and other towns too) but all that is part of evolution. We all want more than can be bought in the town - we all see more on TV etc than we did in the past, we travel more than we did, less growing of own food and we all have more and different tastes.

While profits may leave the town, both the CO-op and Tesco provide employment and these people can spend their money in the town - but do they? Both also help various charities here so do put back to the area.

The origin of the original post et al were pointing out that
1. There were many closed shops - yes but also new ones opening
2. Said nowhere to have a cuppa - yes there is and more than in the fairly recent past
3. Shops being done up were not going fast enough - I pointed out some of the reasons for this

We can blame lots of things - car travel and parking, free bus journeys for 60+, buses getting you to the town in time for lunch hour and shops closing, difficulty getting into shops because of steps and narrow doorways, the internet and TV, the credit crunch, politics, life in fact anything we like.

Sooze

[EMDEE]

I appreciate there are a lot of other factors involved as well as the advent of the supermarket. As you say, greater communications have made people more aspirational and cosmopolitan in their tastes, something that the local market probably wouldn't completely serve. The other negative aspect here is that this trend has helped to increase the carbon footprint of the average individual.

Why have I always got to be negative?

[maxmix]

Everything is Tesco's fault !

And if it gets bigger ! It will get worse !

maxmix

[Bobh]

I don't think you can blame Tesco. I personally think a bigger Tesco in the Toon would be helpful, selling goods and other products. When on holiday you sometime need 'throw away' clothes. Tesco offers pretty cheap clothing that kids for instance can wear, and if they have been in the burn or sea you can then through the clothes out.

[numberplease]

Is Gallery 10 open then? I seem to recall it being for sale in last summer when we were up there.

[maxmix]

Is Gallery 10 open then? I seem to recall it being for sale in last summer when we were up there.

Gallery 10 is still open and yes the food as good as ever inc the baking...

Yes... It is also for sale, Around £79,999 (Check Argyll Properties) I'm sure it's still on their website

maxmix

[numberplease]

I was surprised to see it for sale, it seemed such a popular place.