Cirencester’s ex-Woolworths: a window on the rise of discounters
Tags: Cirencester, House of Fraser, Mountain Warehouse, Poundland, Woolworths
Former Woolworths (now Poundland and Mountain Warehouse), Cirencester (13 Nov 2011)
I often talk about how the fate of ex-Woolworths stores provides a fascinating ‘window’ on the changing high street, and the ex-Woolies in Cirencester (store #394) – which opened on 26 April 1930, 82 years ago today – is no exception.
Looking at the new occupants of former Woolworths gives us a flavour of the retail market dynamic in particular towns, as well as a snapshot of many of the retailers that are expanding and doing well in the current economic climate.
Former Woolworths (now Poundland and Mountain Warehouse), Cirencester (13 Nov 2011)
Two of those aggressively expanding chains are represented in Cirencester’s former Woolworths at 9-11 Cricklade Street: the discount outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse and the single-price variety store chain Poundland, both of which opened in the attractive Gloucestershire town at the end of 2010.
Both businesses’ recent rise is remarkable. In 2008 – the year that Woolworths went bust – Mountain Warehouse had just 39 stores and Poundland 167. Today, they have 147 and over 350 stores respectively, meaning that the two chains have added 300 shops between them in four years – quite an achievement at a time when the high street is so often reported (wrongly, I would argue) to be on its last legs. As with other expanding discounters that I’ve often written about before – such as Store Twenty One and B&M – good-quality but affordable space freed up by Woolies’ demise seems to have been a significant driver of this growth.
Former Woolworths (now Poundland and Mountain Warehouse), Cirencester (13 Nov 2011)
The building, meanwhile, looks exactly like a 1930s Woolworths – with all the familiar architectural features that regular readers will recognise by now – though its odd lack of symmetry is, I believe, the result of a 1950s extension in the same style. From an aesthetic point of view, however, it’s perhaps a pity that the building couldn’t have been subdivided in a way that paid more heed to the symmetry of the original five-bay section.
Cirencester shops (13 Nov 2011)
Still, that’s a minor quibble, and the important thing is that the large ex-Woolies site has been brought back into active use. Given that Cirencester is not only the gateway to the Cotswolds but is also packed with character, delightful independent shops, and a quirkily higgledy piggledy House of Fraser, it’s little wonder that two of the UK’s fastest-growing chains were keen for a piece of the action.
Will Ryles said:
May 08, 12 at 13:34You have to wonder if the future of the high street is cheap high volume product.
My worry is, by focusing on this lower end of the market are our city centers going to become more associated with “cheap and nasty” thus driving away the big spenders and encouraging the middle classes into retail parks or online?!
Soult's Retail View » Fleetwood’s former and phantom Woolworths said:
May 15, 12 at 22:01[...] is remarkably similar to other 1930s Woolworths that I’ve blogged about before, such as the store from a few years earlier in Cirencester or the one not far from here in Bishop Auckland. Former Woolworths (now BrightHouse), Fleetwood [...]
Soult's Retail View » “Stores are still an absolute”: Retailer Q&A with Outdoor World Direct said:
Jul 02, 12 at 15:19[...] in the sector, however, the picture is quite different. As I reported in April, the discounter Mountain Warehouse is thriving, having added more than 100 high-street stores in [...]
Ian Spittle said:
Aug 21, 12 at 18:17The Cirencester store had a further extension to the rear, and a yard/garden centre, which were demolished as part of the subdivision work. A fee has been agreed prior to autumn 2008 for the return of these parts to the landlord, who also own the King’s Head hotel, which is still undergoing renovation. We took alot of money from gardening products, even when the buyers decided not to range things like spades and fertiliser.
Prior to Poundland, it had been announced that M & Co would take over the larger unit, and they had even submitted extensive renovation plans, including a second sales floor, but I’ve never found out why, or when that fell through.
Since you visited, Clintons, Game and Millets all closed following their administrations, whilst Thorntons and Stead & Simpson currently have store closing signs up. All while the council is introducing overnight and Sunday parking charges, and plans appear to be slowly developing for more out of town shopping, possibly includinh Aldi and Home Bargains.
Graham Soult said:
Aug 21, 12 at 18:33Thanks Ian – most interesting! Did I hear somewhere that Next has moved back, though?
Cirencester.co.uk said:
Dec 06, 12 at 09:04No sign of Next moving back to Cirencester yet Graham.
Though an Apple shop (in the form of Western Computers) has opened in the premises vacated by GAME and Joules has opened in the Market Place – so things could be on the up?
Empty retail units continue to be occupied quite quickly in Cirencester, which is encouraging, but it remains to be seen whether the shops moving in are what the shoppers of Cirencester want and need.
But there are units which remain empty such as those vacated by Clinton Cards, Blacks and Thorntons.
The Cirencester Shopping website (http://www.cirencestershopping.co.uk) keeps people up-to-date with the changing face of retail in Cirencester and independent shops such as M.A.D.E., Jungle and R Scott have grasped the opportunity to promote their shops through one central website, but many businesses and shoppers continue to complain that parking charges are causing people to think twice about visiting the town centre.