Comments on: Why does Stockton have so many empty shops? BBC1 tonight at 7.30 might have some answers…

By: The high street and ecommerce: friends, foes or something in-between? | blog seo tips and tricks

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:15:02 +0000

[...] Extract image credit: Soults Retail View [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » There’s still time to enter Stockton Borough’s Town Centre Business Awards

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:04:49 +0000

[...] I’m more than happy to support and celebrate. From my previous posts, you’ll know that Stockton town centre is not without its challenges, including major competition from other retail centres, some prominent empty units, and a number of [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » From blogging to judging – celebrating retail with Stockton’s Town Centre Business Awards

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:49:49 +0000

[...] of empty shops – a figure getting on for 30%, according to LDC data, at the point when I covered the topic in detail back in December 2010. Filming with the BBC's Chris Jackson in Stockton High Street (22 Nov [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » 24,000 sq ft BHS to fill Hartlepool’s ex-Woolies site

Mon, 09 May 2011 19:16:44 +0000

[...] any town or city in the North East. Back in December, while filming in Hartlepool with the BBC, I flagged BHS as one of the obvious potential occupants for the site, and it’s great that the unit is being filled not only with a quality name, but with a 24,000 [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » B&M Bargains heads to Burton – but where next?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:54:00 +0000

[...] by mopping up space that would never normally have become available, including large units in Stockton town centre, Whitley Bay and Chester-le-Street and, most recently, a portion of the old Big W at [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » New Mountain Warehouse reaffirms Hexham’s status as a retail hotspot

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:19:42 +0000

[...] recent LDC research commissioned by the BBC’s Inside Out programme flagged Hexham as having the lowest proportion of vacant shops (just 5%) among the North East [...]

By: Soult's Retail View » Woolies spotting in Leeds

Soult's Retail View » Woolies spotting in Leeds — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:32:46 +0000

[...] I was filming with the BBC last year, I gained an equally positive impression of the smart and personable staff in Hartlepool’s [...]

By: Retrogadget

Retrogadget — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:01:06 +0000

Interesting reading, although my home town is Ashby de la Zouch in the Midlands. I (and my wife) have a fondness for the Redcar/ Teesside region and always aim to visit at least once a year, although we’ve been unable to do so this year due to a family illness. I’m a rare breed of man – one who loves shopping and have several ports of call when in the region. Apart from Redcar, where we first discovered Home Bargains, Middlesbrough, Guisborough and Darlington are definite places to call into. Been into Stockton a couple of times also. Like you I like its wide main street – Ashby is similar, although on a smaller scale as you may have noticed on your flying visit. Find Stockton’s a bit spread out though with ‘gaps’ between the shopping areas.
On our visit last year though my biggest disappointment was a trip to Hartlepool, on reading on a website that Hartlepool possessed one of the biggest shopping centres in the North-East, we set off for Middleton Grange. We found it to be one the most bland, depressing shopping centres we’ve ever been to. We were barely there a hour before we left – sorry Hartlepool, love your historic Quay development but not your shopping centre.
Last year we also ventured into Stanley – only because of the presence of one of the three Argos owned Clearance Bargains stores – the other two are down my end of the country at Corby and Walsall. Had a quick scout around the main street in Stanley before calling in to Chester Le Street on the way back.
Boyes is a store we ‘discovered’ in Teesside, always return home with at least a couple of bargains -usually with a plug on!- from Boyes. Darlington,Guisborough being my favourite branches. Boyes have opened a store in Leics. recently, at Melton Mowbray.
A stop off on the way home is the town of Northallerton -in my mind the jewel in the crown of North Yorkshire. Again, another wide main street with a good variety of independent stores -Maxwells elctrical a good example, a good market plus the usual chain stores.
Like Ripon, plus Harrogate too but there are only so many places the wife will let me call into!
Hope my observations of the North-East have been of some interest to you.