Wrexham Busy For Christmas
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As a regular shopper in Wrexham, I have one question to ask to those who won’t shop here for a variety of reasons and prefer to go to Broughton or Cheshire Oaks… why are you parking here now?
This question has been prompted by reading many comments by Wrexham.com readers, both on here, Facebook and Twitter about the extortionate parking charges and how people refuse point blank to pay them. Yet I walked passed the entrance to Eagles Meadow car park earlier and guess what? It was packed! So what’s changed? I realise that Christmas is on our doorstep, but what about this festive season has brought people to spend in the town instead of elsewhere? I don’t understand why it’s worth people shopping here now, if it wasn’t before?
The kingsmills road was tailbacked all the way to the Barracks this morning, with traffic trying to get into town, the buses were running extremely late because of all this traffic, yet any other day of the year, no one wants to know. Why now? What does Wrexham have to offer you today, that it didn’t have yesterday?
Don’t misunderstand me, I for one think it’s about time people started shopping here, I’m just simply asking what is different now?
JO a lot is necessity– although we all have 52 weeks to plan for Christmas as creatures of habit many people leave things till last minute hence the traffic congestion. Many of the people will also be doing food shopping which they would not do in Cheshire Oaks. The shopping offer has not changed just the urgency to shop rather than perhaps seeing a trip to Broughton and Cheshire Oaks as more of a social occasion.
The problem is that Wrexham then does not attract shoppers from further afield on the same basis to come to town. The net effect is an outward footfall drift rather than inward.@99DylanJones 17303 wrote:
JO a lot is necessity– although we all have 52 weeks to plan for Christmas as creatures of habit many people leave things till last minute hence the traffic congestion. Many of the people will also be doing food shopping which they would not do in Cheshire Oaks. The shopping offer has not changed just the urgency to shop rather than perhaps seeing a trip to Broughton and Cheshire Oaks as more of a social occasion.
The problem is that Wrexham then does not attract shoppers from further afield on the same basis to come to town. The net effect is an outward footfall drift rather than inward.Exactly this. The town limps along as it has a decent range of goods and services that people ‘need’ but doesn’t attract the social/leisure shopper for a variety of reasons as discussed on these forums and elsewhere..
This time of year it seems people are falling over themselves to buy things they perceive they ‘need’ wherever they can get hold of it. Which probably says more about Christmas than it does Wrexham…
of course people are doing their shopping and that can account for the traffic, but I don’t think people park in Eagles Meadow to go to do food shopping in Tesco.
Necessity or not, town has been busy for the last week or so and this does say a lot more about the season than about the town. However, those extortionate parking charges that people refused to pay a month ago and now being paid by those people. Why?
@justjojo2011 17328 wrote:
of course people are doing their shopping and that can account for the traffic, but I don’t think people park in Eagles Meadow to go to do food shopping in Tesco.
Necessity or not, town has been busy for the last week or so and this does say a lot more about the season than about the town. However, those extortionate parking charges that people refused to pay a month ago and now being paid by those people. Why?
Context is everything as Dylan explains.
People want food, Vouchers and presents……all at the same time. Go to Broughton and the frozen food melts. Many want fresh turkeys and are local Butcher driven….etc. There will be a thousand different reasons for behaviour patterns that involve using the town this week.
Oddly, a modern pattern includes a busier town but many non-“present” style shops losing trade. Whilst my customers buy for themselves all year, at Christmas they want the items in cellophane or shrink.
Personally, my main concern is the 48 weeks outside December and various contributors have touched on this throughout the year
@justjojo2011 17328 wrote:
of course people are doing their shopping and that can account for the traffic, but I don’t think people park in Eagles Meadow to go to do food shopping in Tesco.
Necessity or not, town has been busy for the last week or so and this does say a lot more about the season than about the town. However, those extortionate parking charges that people refused to pay a month ago and now being paid by those people. Why?
There is a Marks and Spencer’s on Eagles Meadow, and many people go there do their Xmas food shop.
Although many business do significant levels of trade in the few weeks around Christmas a business that operates for 52 weeks of the year needs all year round footfall even if it is only to raise the profile for those odd occasions when someone wants to make a purchase.
The other factor for any business is that they want repeat business — anyone can get someone through the door with an absolutely silly offer but the survival is based on regular shopping.
Good luck to all the independents in Wrexham in 2015- shoppers remember they need your regular customThis is exactly my point Jane. Wrexham needs these shoppers for 52 weeks of the year, not the last 3. Whilst some may want to make excuses as to why people are in certain places, the fact remains that ALL Wrexham carparks were full. Even Eagles Meadow, where people usually refuse to pay the £3.50 an hour charge.
I hope you all continue to contribute to the economy of OUR town rather than that of Merseyside and Flintshire.
@JaneJ 17339 wrote:
Although many business do significant levels of trade in the few weeks around Christmas a business that operates for 52 weeks of the year needs all year round footfall even if it is only to raise the profile for those odd occasions when someone wants to make a purchase.
The other factor for any business is that they want repeat business — anyone can get someone through the door with an absolutely silly offer but the survival is based on regular shopping.
Good luck to all the independents in Wrexham in 2015- shoppers remember they need your regular custom
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