Forum Message

Topic: Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening
Posted by: Tracie Dudley Craig
Date/Time: 09/02/25 18:05:00

I have to say that the news (unconfirmed?) that Holland & Barrett will be taking a space in the High Street had my jaw scraping the parquet.

Who - and I mean *who* - thinks to themselves ‘Oooh, I must pop to the High Street and get some digestive enzymes/collagen peptides/creatine monohydrate - we’re all out!’ - especially mid-morning on a rainy Tuesday in November? It’s really up there with the Top Ten Surreally Bad Ideas of Our Time, a game in which Brentford certainly has some skin.*

H&B has spent a huge amount of money on a rebrand to try and increase their relevance in the ‘wellness’ market. They still aren’t sexy and - more to the point - that particular market sector is overwhelmingly, much more sexily, web-dominated: the body-builders have their favoured stores, the diet and wellness fanatics have theirs. Everyone else gets their multivitamins with the weekly big shop or drops in to an H&B in their regular shopping centre.

Is there not some sort of moral obligation to let retailers (who have seldom carried out adequate, meaningful market research before choosing new sites) know that they will be standing at the top of a precipice, chucking bundles of twenties over the edge? For the retailer, it’s a mind-blowing hiding to nothing. For the developer, it’s a brow-wipe moment when a lease is signed.

And this leads us to the perennial problem: without useful anchor stores creating meaningful out-of-area footfall (including - especially - on weekdays), the independents don’t stand a chance. By the same token, AT THIS STAGE a dietary supplement shop in Brentford will do Sweet FA for anyone.

Could someone think about opening some useful shops? Perhaps a full-service pharmacy open on Saturdays and Sundays? Greater choice of quality groceries? John, the brilliant Brentford Cobbler in a space accessible to us and affordable to him? Things that we need and - conceivably - people in neighbouring areas might want too. Then the area will get the footfall, the retailers will get the revenue and we’ll get the vibrant High Street we deserve!

*See also: the space currently being developed in the Goddard’s building. Apparently it’s ‘luxury Italian kitchens’. Now… call me naīve, but don’t all those new flats come with freshly-fitted kitchens? Who, in their right mind, would come to Brentford to choose a kitchen? (Plus, if the mud-coloured, marbled laminate panels in the window are anything to go by, their concept of ‘luxury’ is… ahem… somewhat different to mine. It’s making 1980s MFI resemble something bespoke from Plain English.)


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 16:00:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 16:29:00 Simon Hayes
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 17:14:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 17:47:00 David Cook
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 18:32:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 19:11:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 20:38:00 Elizabeth Price
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:30:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 20:58:00 Anne England
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:15:00 Simon Hayes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:27:00 CE Combes
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:34:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:33:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening07/02/25 21:38:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 09:47:00 David Cook
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:03:00 Graham Cooper
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:34:00 Jim Lawes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 11:02:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 19:31:00 Anne England
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 10:53:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:32:00 Elizabeth Price
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:38:00 David Cook
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:47:00 Peter Evans
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 12:49:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 13:46:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 17:57:00 Philippa Bond
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 19:27:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening08/02/25 13:39:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 11:44:00 CE Combes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 13:29:00 Guy Lambert
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 19:34:00 Peter Evans
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 14:15:00 Sue Rowe
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 18:05:00 Tracie Dudley Craig
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 13:53:00 Chris Dakers
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening09/02/25 20:40:00 David Cook
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening13/02/25 17:32:00 Jeremy Parkinson
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 18:14:00 Rob Jones
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 20:18:00 Anne England
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/03/25 18:14:00 Rob Jones
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 00:23:00 Jim Lawes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 09:20:00 Guy Lambert
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 09:33:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 12:31:00 Jim Lawes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/03/25 17:34:00 Anne England
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening22/03/25 19:20:00 Raymond Havelock
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/03/25 17:51:00 Anne England
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 11:14:00 Raymond Havelock
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 12:28:00 Guy Lambert
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 17:18:00 Simon Hayes
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening02/04/25 09:14:00 Anne England
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening02/04/25 11:34:00 Simon Hayes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening27/03/25 10:54:00 Tim Henderson
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 19:55:00 Eric Baker
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/04/25 22:49:00 Anne England
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 17:18:00 Raymond Havelock
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 20:10:00 Tim Henderson
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 18:48:00 David Cook
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 19:49:00 Simon Hayes
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 20:48:00 Keith Iddon
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening03/04/25 23:32:00 David Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening04/04/25 18:00:00 Raymond Havelock
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 11:55:00 Guy Lambert
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 17:26:00 Simon Hayes
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening05/04/25 22:18:00 Anne England
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 14:19:00 Raymond Havelock
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 17:28:00 David Cook
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 19:12:00 Simon Hayes
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening14/04/25 23:16:00 David Cook
                                       Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 13:18:00 Guy Lambert
                                          Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 15:11:00 Simon Hayes
                                             Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening15/04/25 23:08:00 N V Brooks
                                                Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 00:23:00 Guy Lambert
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 07:40:00 Simon Hayes
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 12:18:00 N V Brooks
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening16/04/25 18:49:00 Jim Lawes
                                                            Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening17/04/25 07:39:00 David Cook
                                                               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening19/04/25 20:41:00 N V Brooks
                                                                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 13:12:00 David Cook
                                                                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 14:58:00 Guy Lambert
                                                                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening26/04/25 19:16:00 David Cook
   Re:Hewson Books not reopening29/04/25 08:42:00 Robert Ayres
      Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening29/04/25 09:18:00 Anne England
         Re:Re:Re:Hewson Books not reopening01/05/25 13:41:00 Jim Lawes

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