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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2013/may/23/high-street-blight-payday-lenders-pound-shops
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| High street blight: are pound shops better than empty shops? | High street blight: are pound shops better than empty shops? |
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| The north-west of England has the highest number of empty shop units in the UK, and as big retailers leave our town centres, the kind of businesses that thrive in hard times are moving in. | The north-west of England has the highest number of empty shop units in the UK, and as big retailers leave our town centres, the kind of businesses that thrive in hard times are moving in. |
| Town centres across the region are becoming swamped with payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pound shops. As our high streets become increasingly geared towards making money from people who don't have any, shoppers with disposable income are going elsewhere – and so are big name retailers. | Town centres across the region are becoming swamped with payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pound shops. As our high streets become increasingly geared towards making money from people who don't have any, shoppers with disposable income are going elsewhere – and so are big name retailers. |
| Things aren't looking good for my home town of Rochdale. Even McDonald's fled the high street in 2011 after "seeing trading patterns in the town centre change". Since then, many other big names have followed suit. | Things aren't looking good for my home town of Rochdale. Even McDonald's fled the high street in 2011 after "seeing trading patterns in the town centre change". Since then, many other big names have followed suit. |
| The shop unit where McDonald's once stood is still vacant. Next door a nameless discount store has sprung up, and B&M Bargains has opened up across the street. | The shop unit where McDonald's once stood is still vacant. Next door a nameless discount store has sprung up, and B&M Bargains has opened up across the street. |
| Nearby, a charity shop sits alongside a pawnbrokers. There's a Quicksilver arcade next door, followed by Pound Zone, with two more charity shops opposite. Further up, The Money Shop stands opposite Cash Generator, and most of the surrounding units are closed or vacant. | Nearby, a charity shop sits alongside a pawnbrokers. There's a Quicksilver arcade next door, followed by Pound Zone, with two more charity shops opposite. Further up, The Money Shop stands opposite Cash Generator, and most of the surrounding units are closed or vacant. |
| It's a bleak picture. Nearly one in five shops in the town now stand empty, according to the Local Data Company. | It's a bleak picture. Nearly one in five shops in the town now stand empty, according to the Local Data Company. |
| Though the 18.6% figure for Rochdale is lower than the regional average of 20.2%, many in the town expect the figure to increase as more shops face closure. | Though the 18.6% figure for Rochdale is lower than the regional average of 20.2%, many in the town expect the figure to increase as more shops face closure. |
| "High rent and business rates have now made trading unsustainable in Rochdale," local business owner and campaigner Paul Turner-Mitchell, stated last month, when announcing the closure of the town centre fashion boutique he and his wife Kelly had run for several years. "Footfall and spending power is nowhere near as strong as it used to be, and the town faces a big challenge to get people with disposable income … to come back into Rochdale. At the moment, for a variety of reasons, they're giving the town centre a wide berth." | "High rent and business rates have now made trading unsustainable in Rochdale," local business owner and campaigner Paul Turner-Mitchell, stated last month, when announcing the closure of the town centre fashion boutique he and his wife Kelly had run for several years. "Footfall and spending power is nowhere near as strong as it used to be, and the town faces a big challenge to get people with disposable income … to come back into Rochdale. At the moment, for a variety of reasons, they're giving the town centre a wide berth." |
| In the same month, the Rochdale branch of Mothercare closed its doors, saying they hoped customers would shop at its Bury store in future. Rochdale's HMV store, which closed in February this year, also asks customers to visit its Bury branch. Optical Express meanwhile redirected surprised customers to the Trafford Centre, almost 20 miles away, after its sudden closure last year. | In the same month, the Rochdale branch of Mothercare closed its doors, saying they hoped customers would shop at its Bury store in future. Rochdale's HMV store, which closed in February this year, also asks customers to visit its Bury branch. Optical Express meanwhile redirected surprised customers to the Trafford Centre, almost 20 miles away, after its sudden closure last year. |
| These units now stand empty, but others have been taken up by the kind of businesses that thrive in hard times, such as payday lenders. | These units now stand empty, but others have been taken up by the kind of businesses that thrive in hard times, such as payday lenders. |
| The Office of Fair Trading recently accused these companies of causing "misery and hardship" for many borrowers because of irresponsible and unlawful lending practices, saying these businesses often rely on borrowers not being able to pay back their original loans. | The Office of Fair Trading recently accused these companies of causing "misery and hardship" for many borrowers because of irresponsible and unlawful lending practices, saying these businesses often rely on borrowers not being able to pay back their original loans. |
| Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said last month that payday lenders are "taking advantage of the retail crisis to open businesses in town centres, tempting the unemployed and low-paid with loans at extortionate interest rates. In hard times it is no wonder people turn to them. But often they just engulf people in debts that they cannot pay. | Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said last month that payday lenders are "taking advantage of the retail crisis to open businesses in town centres, tempting the unemployed and low-paid with loans at extortionate interest rates. In hard times it is no wonder people turn to them. But often they just engulf people in debts that they cannot pay. |
| And here in Rochdale there are plenty of people on hard times, with unemployment rates in some deprived areas of the town centre at up to 72%. | And here in Rochdale there are plenty of people on hard times, with unemployment rates in some deprived areas of the town centre at up to 72%. |
| Payday lenders insist that, rather than taking advantage of people in desperate situations, they are providing a "credit lifeline". | Payday lenders insist that, rather than taking advantage of people in desperate situations, they are providing a "credit lifeline". |
| "Regulating supply will not regulate demand, and will force many people who currently use licensed lenders into the arms of loan sharks, who pose the most risk to consumers," said a spokesperson for the Consumer Finance Association, which represents companies like QuickQuid, Cash Converters, Cash Generator and The Money Shop. | "Regulating supply will not regulate demand, and will force many people who currently use licensed lenders into the arms of loan sharks, who pose the most risk to consumers," said a spokesperson for the Consumer Finance Association, which represents companies like QuickQuid, Cash Converters, Cash Generator and The Money Shop. |
| As the high street changes its focus towards making a profit from those with little or no money to spend, shoppers are getting fed up with the lack of quality and choice on offer. | As the high street changes its focus towards making a profit from those with little or no money to spend, shoppers are getting fed up with the lack of quality and choice on offer. |
| Becky Armstrong works at one of the town centre's bookmakers, William Hill, but shops in Bury because she says Rochdale is dull and "full of pound shops, bookmakers and phone shops." | Becky Armstrong works at one of the town centre's bookmakers, William Hill, but shops in Bury because she says Rochdale is dull and "full of pound shops, bookmakers and phone shops." |
| "There are no big name shops apart from River Island and New Look, but even those don't have all the stock like the bigger stores," she says, adding that there are few places to eat in the town centre, and no children's clothes shops left at all. | "There are no big name shops apart from River Island and New Look, but even those don't have all the stock like the bigger stores," she says, adding that there are few places to eat in the town centre, and no children's clothes shops left at all. |
| As unhappy shoppers flee to nearby Bury, retail bosses there say sales are up once again in sharp contrast to the latest gloomy national figures. | As unhappy shoppers flee to nearby Bury, retail bosses there say sales are up once again in sharp contrast to the latest gloomy national figures. |
| The director of the Rock shopping centre in Bury, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, told the Bury Times that the complex had "beaten the national figures each and every month" since last August, adding that the centre was now attracting people from Oldham, Rochdale and other areas of North Manchester. | The director of the Rock shopping centre in Bury, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, told the Bury Times that the complex had "beaten the national figures each and every month" since last August, adding that the centre was now attracting people from Oldham, Rochdale and other areas of North Manchester. |
| Oldham has one of the UK's highest shop vacancy rates at 28.7%. "Oldham is dying," said resident Vincent Blackburn, "I used to like Rochdale — it used to be a great place to eat, drink and shop, but I go to Manchester now." | Oldham has one of the UK's highest shop vacancy rates at 28.7%. "Oldham is dying," said resident Vincent Blackburn, "I used to like Rochdale — it used to be a great place to eat, drink and shop, but I go to Manchester now." |
| What can struggling high streets do to bring shoppers back? Free parking might be a start. Greg Couzens from the Rochdale High Street Foundation, points to the success of the town's "Free after Three" parking scheme. He says parking spaces in the centre are now very hard to find after 3pm, and more parking spaces are now planned. | What can struggling high streets do to bring shoppers back? Free parking might be a start. Greg Couzens from the Rochdale High Street Foundation, points to the success of the town's "Free after Three" parking scheme. He says parking spaces in the centre are now very hard to find after 3pm, and more parking spaces are now planned. |
| "Many towns up and down the country are considering free parking 24/7 but can't afford the loss of revenue," he says, "It should never have been revenue in the first place." | "Many towns up and down the country are considering free parking 24/7 but can't afford the loss of revenue," he says, "It should never have been revenue in the first place." |
| Greg says Rochdale town centre needs "more unique independent shops" and suggests that other things which could help bring the town centre back to life include the introduction of café bar culture and farmers markets, as well as a focus on local heritage. | Greg says Rochdale town centre needs "more unique independent shops" and suggests that other things which could help bring the town centre back to life include the introduction of café bar culture and farmers markets, as well as a focus on local heritage. |
| "Perception is the main problem in Rochdale," he says, adding that "Pound shops are better than empty shops." | "Perception is the main problem in Rochdale," he says, adding that "Pound shops are better than empty shops." |
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