A VIRAL video in which a social media personality found over 70 empty shops in Kidderminster town centre has sparked a debate about what he feels is the ‘death of the high street.’
Entrepreneur, property investor, author and social media personality Rick Gannon was encouraged to visit Kidderminster after he produced a similar video bemoaning the state of Worcester’s high street.
His video travelling through Kidderminster town centre saw him find 73 closed units, prompting him to say the area was on another level to anything he had seen in Worcester.
He said: “I didn’t think it would be this bad- what is happening in Kidderminster? Because this is unreal.”
“Almost every other shop was closed. Not a couple of empty units, every other one.
“It’s not one thing causing this; it’s everything at once.
“Retail parks built on the edge of town pulling shoppers away from the centre.
“No parking or parking that costs more than the shopping trip is worth.
“Business rates and rents that small independent shops simply cannot survive on. And online shopping taking the rest.
“I don’t think there’s one fix. Cut the rates, sort the parking, and give small businesses a reason to take the risk again. Easier said than done, but something has to give.
“Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for what I found.
“This isn’t a one-off problem in one town. It’s happening up and down the country.
“I don’t want to ridicule any town at all; I’m sure there are still some amazing places you can go to in Kidderminster.”
In the video, titled ‘death of the high street’, Mr Gannon said he had spoken to someone from the local council, and they put it down to business rates going up and shopping habits changing.
Mr Gannon did say that the side of town by the canal looked much more vibrant, however.
The video, which was seen by Mr Gannon’s 648,000 Facebook subscribers, sparked hundreds of comments online about Kidderminster’s shops.
One said that when the carpet factories began to close, Kidderminster began to die, while others described it as a ghost town.
Another resident blamed the rise of online shopping as the reason for the massive downturn in open shops.
Coun Dan Morehead, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration Planning and the Green Agenda at Wyre Forest District Council, has said he wants to do an in-person walkabout in Kidderminster Town Centre with Mr Gannon.
In this walkabout, he said he would explain what the council is doing to address the trends in retail, particularly on the high street.
Swan Shopping Centre have been contacted for comment.
WHAT do you think of Kidderminster town centre? What do you think should be done to improve it? What shops would you like to see coming to Kidderminster? Email: [email protected] with your views.
