Early Learning Centre in Bradford to close (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Early Learning Centre in Bradford to close
11:00am Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News
The Early Learning Centre in Market Street.
A long-standing city centre toy shop is set to close in another dent in Bradford's retail offering.
The Early Learning Centre, in Market Street, is advertising a closing down sale on a blackboard outside the branch, which has operated on the site for many years.
Early Learning Centre, which sells toys and games for babies and toddlers, opened its first store in the mid-1970s and now has 215 UK stores and more than 80 international stores in 19 countries .
Parent group Mothercare also has a store at the Forster Square retail park, which includes an Early Learning Centre Mothercare has announced plans to close 110 outlets and focus on out-of-town superstores after seeing profits plunge by 70 per cent last year.
The new focus will be on out-of-town Parenting Centres, which contain the Early Learning Centre brand. Most of the closures will be stores where the lease expires over the next two years.
The latest blow followed a report this week which claimed Bradford no longer ranks among the worst ten areas in the country for the number of empty shops, according to figures which show its vacancy rate has fallen to 21.6 per cent.
This time 12 months ago, Bradford had the fifth-highest shop vacancy rate of all large towns and cities in Great Britain, at 26.8 per cent. The half-yearly study, compiled by the Local Data Company, showed the national average vacancy rate for Great Britain was 14.6 per cent, which rose to 17.6 per cent in Yorkshire.
Bradford came out better than other large centres such as Nottingham, Walsall and Stockport, which had the highest vacancy rates.
Meanwhile, the owner of Johnson Cleaners revealed it has closed 103 branches. The move leaves two local branches at the Asda supermarket in Pudsey and at Guiseley . Almost a quarter of its 460-strong estate was lost as the dry cleaner stripped out loss-making stores.
Comments(25)
bradfordandbaffled
says...
11:35am Wed 5 Sep 12
Albion.
says...
11:55am Wed 5 Sep 12
stevion12
says...
12:01pm Wed 5 Sep 12
stevion12
says...
12:01pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Avro
says...
12:09pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Westfield have got a lot to answer for in bring the city centre to its knees!
The the majority of retailers around that site have steadily dwindled away!
How long is this shambolic situation going to be allowed to fester?
angry bradfordian
says...
1:04pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:I found it ironic the councillors were keen to welcome the results of the empty shop survey.
The spin of yesterdays good news which councillors were falling over themselves to comment about and comments were locked on here has been crushed and we are back to realility.
Anyone can see yesterdays stats about there being less empty shops in Bradford than before was mainly due to the hiding of facts that the T&A and councillors would rather have us not know about.
Empty shops might have slightly dropped but how many more payday loan shops, pawnbrokers, bookies and pound shops have sprung up, not really anything to be proud about.
Btw what the status on the illegal market in Lidget Green, still trading last I saw. With people coming in from outside Bradford to make a quick buck then disappearing again taking the money with them decimating local legal business and also effecting the City center. Why is this place still open when the council have known about it for over a year?
Last year I remember the results of the survey were attacked by the council as not being accurately compiled. Now they seem to be completely accurate when the news is good!
It's difficult to see where one in five of last year's empty shops have now been filled.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
1:19pm Wed 5 Sep 12
The news has been welcomed by deputy leader of Bradford Council Councillor Imran Hussain who made it clear that while the picture is improved, more still needs to be done.
“This is very welcome news and, along with recent announcements regarding Westfield ’s commitment to Bradford, it shows that business confidence in the city centre is moving in the right direction.
What recent announcements regarding Westfield, last I heard they were actively trying to sell the site.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
1:39pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Is this the recent anncouncement regarding Westfield's commitment Mr Hussain is refering too.
This bit made me laugh in yesterdays news item, The news has been welcomed by deputy leader of Bradford Council Councillor Imran Hussain who made it clear that while the picture is improved, more still needs to be done. “This is very welcome news and, along with recent announcements regarding Westfield ’s commitment to Bradford, it shows that business confidence in the city centre is moving in the right direction. What recent announcements regarding Westfield, last I heard they were actively trying to sell the site.
http://www.retail-we
ek.com/property/west
field-mulls-a-sale-o
f-its-bradford-site/
5039589.article?refe
rrer=RSS
You have to love the same excuse which is used, mothballed due to the recession, it was mothballed long before then, because it would have been completed prior to the recession if it had been on time.
Cunni1
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2:25pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Bradford needs to invest more in its cultural offering.
webess
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2:36pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Cunni1 wrote:Quite so, many posters seem to have overlooked the small fact that ELC are closing 110 stores across the country...
So what? Shopping trends have changed. It's not the first high street casualty, and it won't be the last.
Bradford needs to invest more in its cultural offering.
Cunni1
says...
2:42pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Westfield will be a catalyst for good shopping in Bradford – whatever people might say, but until then we have other unique assets that we need to make the most of.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
2:49pm Wed 5 Sep 12
BD16
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3:27pm Wed 5 Sep 12
webess wrote:You both seem to have overlooked the fact the while Bradford flounders surrounding towns and cities don't. Leeds, Halifax and Keighley are three places that I have visited recently and all of them have a better offering, appearence and atmosphere than Bradford has.
Cunni1 wrote: So what? Shopping trends have changed. It's not the first high street casualty, and it won't be the last. Bradford needs to invest more in its cultural offering.Quite so, many posters seem to have overlooked the small fact that ELC are closing 110 stores across the country...
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
3:58pm Wed 5 Sep 12
BD16 wrote:Don't point out things like that, just like don't question what our councillors say even though they are proven rubbish. I'd like to know what exactly this commitment by Westfield is as I sure as hell ain't see it. The site was a hole six years ago and it's a hole today, thats great commitment isn't it. Just like the Odeon was an empty building 10 years ago and it's an empty building now.
webess wrote:You both seem to have overlooked the fact the while Bradford flounders surrounding towns and cities don't. Leeds, Halifax and Keighley are three places that I have visited recently and all of them have a better offering, appearence and atmosphere than Bradford has.Cunni1 wrote: So what? Shopping trends have changed. It's not the first high street casualty, and it won't be the last. Bradford needs to invest more in its cultural offering.Quite so, many posters seem to have overlooked the small fact that ELC are closing 110 stores across the country...
vikksy
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4:07pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Apollo
says...
4:34pm Wed 5 Sep 12
vikksy wrote:Bradford is a small town in retail terms.
There are many 'small towns' doing far better than Bradford.
Meerkat33
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5:06pm Wed 5 Sep 12
I noticed that another shop has shut up, Hein Gerrick on Westgate. Mind you even better news for Bradford is we now have a new pawn shop in the Kirkgate centre and Poundland has expanded into the Jane Norman store (yes I'm being sarcastic!!)
Wastefield will never get built, the Odeon will eventually fall down from neglect and the city park will become a public baths. Welcome to Bradford!!
Avro
says...
5:43pm Wed 5 Sep 12
webess wrote:Yes they are, but only the ones that have poor trading figures.
Cunni1 wrote:Quite so, many posters seem to have overlooked the small fact that ELC are closing 110 stores across the country...
So what? Shopping trends have changed. It's not the first high street casualty, and it won't be the last.
Bradford needs to invest more in its cultural offering.
What you dont do is shut a shop that is making good money, and lets face it, the only place making good money on Market St is the chav's favourite stop off... BrightHouse., the home of never ending debt!
mad matt
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5:54pm Wed 5 Sep 12
rachy strong
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8:30pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Joedavid
says...
8:42pm Wed 5 Sep 12
mad matt wrote:Why not invite them to the empty shops in Market Street along with Tradex.
We've still got the illegal markets in the Marlborough Cinema and Drummond Mills. Nothing seems to be done about them.
A few problems solved then.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
10:37pm Wed 5 Sep 12
idleone
says...
11:55pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Avro
says...
8:15am Thu 6 Sep 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Westfield have been trying to offload the project for quite sometime.
This commitment that the councillors keep talking about that Westfield is giving, where is it and where are the councillors opinions of Westfield actively trying to sell the site?
Very recently they tried to sell a 50% share to Bergman, who promptly walked away, and over a 10 year span, the scheme has consistently failed to attract enough retailers, to the point that this has dragged on for so long that the project is now almost unviable!
So the next realistic step for Westfield, is to put the land on the market and walk away after having carpet bombed our city centre.
Thee Voice of Reason says...
11:10am Wed 5 Sep 12
Anyone can see yesterdays stats about there being less empty shops in Bradford than before was mainly due to the hiding of facts that the T&A and councillors would rather have us not know about.
Empty shops might have slightly dropped but how many more payday loan shops, pawnbrokers, bookies and pound shops have sprung up, not really anything to be proud about.
Btw what the status on the illegal market in Lidget Green, still trading last I saw. With people coming in from outside Bradford to make a quick buck then disappearing again taking the money with them decimating local legal business and also effecting the City center. Why is this place still open when the council have known about it for over a year?