On 15/04/2013 14:03, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:00:36 +0100, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:10:46 +0100, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

Landlord deal saves B&Q's Athlone store

B&Q Ireland's Athlone store has been given a reprieve after the company
managed to negotiate a better rent deal with its landlord.

http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=16516

Big gripe here is upward-only rent reviews, and recently some of the
larger players have been saying 'no'. The small man with a small unit
doesn't have the financial muscle to tell the landlord to get stuffed.

Which sounds like a recipe for a vicious spiral ...

One mall near to us has over 1 in 4 units empty. Presumably they have to
recover the same money from fewer tenants, so put the rents up for them.
They can't afford and move (or go under).

Rinse and repeat.

Really it's (Kingfisher in Redditch) a microcosm of the country.

Since 2005:

Alders - went bust. Of a 3 storey unit, ground floor (finally) let to
Primark. 1st and basement unlet.
Woolworths - went bust. Unit was empty for 2 years before Superdrug moved
in.

Unlet (presently empty) units
Jessops - gone
Past Times - gone
Millets -gone
Peacocks - gone
T.J. Hughes (2 storey unit) - gone
Julian Graves - gone.
Textiles direct - gone
Clarks - closed that branch

Plus another 6 or 7 units that have been unused for years

All that's left are card shops, and mobile phone shops ....

As far as I know Julian Graves got taken over by Holland & Barrett - and
our one became a body-builders muscle-milk-powder-and-supplement shop
(can't remember branding but think they are subsidiary of H&B).

--
Rod