Fake storefronts aim to revive depleted U.K. town
There are a myriad of ways to cope with the recession.
Some of us reel in spending. Others pay more attention to their investments. Or, there are the people like Nicolas Cage, who will do just about anything for a paycheque.
But how can an entire city put on a good face when it’s been ravaged by the downturn, an economic disaster that’s chased away vendors and left key business areas looking like ghost towns?
Well, if you’re like one U.K. borough, you fake it.
BBC News reports that North Tyneside, a hamlet just outside Newcastle, has taken to plastering fake storefronts over vacant retail spots in a bid to keep shopping areas “as vibrant as possible.”
According to the story, the town’s council bosses signed off on the idea as a cost-effective means to help attract new investment to the struggling region. The faux storefronts, which come in a variety of styles, are either taped or screwed into the empty store’s front windows.
“We need to ensure that the remaining businesses continue to survive and that means ensuring our high streets look attractive,” said the North Tyneside Council’s deputy mayor.
As crazy as it sounds, this little U.K. village might be onto something.
There are 140 empty shops in North Tyneside which, as the BBC suggests, are an eye sore dragging down the town’s image.
The government-funded fake storefronts are recyclable, reusable and cost only about $2,300 a pop. The first sham façade has “revived” its area of the retail district, and more empty shops in nearby regions have been greenlit for the same makeover.
So, if this apparently works in the U.K., would it succeed here, too?
Take a drive through any hard-hit town – like, say, Oshawa, Ont., where GM’s contraction has resulted in many abandoned storefronts – and you can begin to see where showing the world your retail potential has discernible value. What investors are going to be inspired by boarded-up windows and the faded signs of vendors past?
Could taxpayer cash in this regard be better used going to people without work? Maybe. That’d be a worthy cause, sure.
But where long-term growth is concerned, you’d have to say North Tyneside at least sees the big picture. And for foresight, if nothing else, you have to applaud them.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Nikolai W | Mar 12, 2022 4:56:14 PM
Some people in my hometown of Thunder Bay, ON have been looking to revitalize the downtown south core, and they don't seem to have come up with much yet. I like this idea by putting up fake storefronts for the time being. Perhaps it will enourage some people to put up real ones in their places.
Posted by: BJ Alaumary | Mar 12, 2022 5:47:27 PM
I don't think such idea or even any other idea will work to revive the depressed towns and street stores here in Canada. The effect of the job losses is very minor, the major problem in retail is in the complete inability of the independent business owners to compete in the market place. For example when an independent retailer buys a piece of clothing from a wholesaler for $20 and offer it at his store for $40, meanwhile there are at least 10 large retail chains offering the same if not a better quality piece at their stores at $15 (retail) since they are manufacturing their goods in olarge quantities in the far east and china and bringing them directly to their stores, so their cost would be at most $5! The same talken applies also on any other item whether in food or electronics or FURNITURE etc..
THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT BY OPENING THE DOOR WIDE OPEN OM IMPORTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE WTO AGREEMENTS HAS IN THE SAME TIME DECLARED THE GRADUAL BUT FAST EXTINCTION OF THE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS IN THE COUNTRY.
THE US GOVERNMENT HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM 6 MONTHS AFTER THE LIFTING OF THE QUOTAS AND TOOK IMMEDIATE MEASURES TO PUT ALL KIND OF RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN IMPORTS WHICH HELPED FEW NATIONAL INDUSTRIES TO SURVIVE, BESIDES HELPING A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THE INDEPENDENT RETAIL BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE AND SURVIVE.
This is a very wide subject and has many aspects, I have just tried to shed some lights on the real reasons behind the gradual extinction of the independent's retail businesses.
Posted by: JR Peterson | Mar 12, 2022 9:55:35 PM
Downtown Oshawa was a dirty gungy place well before GM started to lay people off. Fake store fronts will do little to fix the many, many other problems that Oshawa has.
Posted by: Gill | Mar 13, 2022 12:02:35 AM
lol - "North Tyneside" isn't what I'd call a hamlet or a village - its more like a small county with a population of tens of thousands of people. Part of it has some really deprived areas with high unemployment but there are also some affluent bits and it is prime "commuter" territory for the city. Unfortunately it is only 10mins from Newcastle-upon-Tyne which is where all of the shops tend to want to be as there's more trade.
still, I suppose its a better idea than empty shop windows which tend to get covered with posters and graffitti in that area . . .I used to live about 30mins from there but now live in Miramichi area, NB.
Posted by: donna | Mar 18, 2022 11:46:53 AM
j peterson
How right you are. When we had a flourishing economy and General Motors workers were pumping in the tax dollars to Oshawa...what did they do with it. Oshawa has to be one of the the dumpiest cities ever...If you look at surrounding areas they are all lovely. Down town Oshawa is a place no one would want to go...They are developing the north end. but, basically box stores.....
The down town has no one to blame but them selves....has it ever been nice\\???