Another empty shop in Penicuik

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

There is a planning application in now to change the former bookies in Edinburgh Road (in the Tesco car park) to a hot-food take-away. Just what Penicuik needs as we have so few of them in the town lol!

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

Another shop becomes vacant in the new units as the Otimeyes optician relocates to the insurance shop (formerly the fruit shop) near the Royal Bank. Easy to guess why they moved with the ridiculous rental rates that LJR charge - at this rate they will end up with only charity shops and the job centre left!
Good to see that the former Neuk cafe in Lamb's Pend is open again as Hogg's Cafe so hopefully they will succeed.

gonzo · Number of posts: 63 Registration date: 2008-02-12

I see Penicuik has yet another victim, I heard it on the news tonight that Rileys snooker club has gone into administrator with some 200 jobs being lost. I had a look on their website and it says that the Penicuik club is now closed. Feel sorry for the people employed there but on the plus side for the residents, at least we can get parked in our own street again.

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

So yet another place closes down - I wonder what is going to happen with all the empty buildings around the town (Crystal warehouse, Jackson St School, etc etc)?
The other big question is what will happen with the new "retail units" currently under construction in the precinct and how long will they sit around for

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

I heard recently that we are going to get yet another empty shop as Farmfoods are due to close sometime next month due to the competition from Lidl. It just does not seem to get any better there and no one seems to be doing anything about it.

gonzo · Number of posts: 63 Registration date: 2008-02-12

yeah, I heard before christmas that Farmfoods were suppose to be closing but nothing ever came of it. Apparently Lidl is due to be open by July but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one as it was suppose to be open in February!

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

Another empty shop!!! L'Amitie cafe is closing down from Monday 4th May for the usual reason - high rent and rates. When will the property owners and the council see sense and realise that businesses cannot survive when paying £50,000 + just to be there

musicman · Number of posts: 125 Registration date: 2007-08-29

Quote:

Farmfoods are due to close sometime next month due to the competition from Lidl

Would it not make sense to see if people do abandon Farmfoods instead of going to Lidl instead of closing in anticipation? Never been in a Lidl but I know that Farmfoods do have good pricing on some goods, far cheaper than the likes of Tesco..

musicman · Number of posts: 125 Registration date: 2007-08-29

Quote:

I think we should be encouraging people to come in to the town

The words of Adam Montgomery in the Advertiser refering to the new takeaway planned for the Square.
He is of course right, if it wasn't for takeaways there would be even more empty units.

rubbereye · Number of posts: 57 Registration date: 2008-02-13

SamTyler wrote:

Another empty shop!!! L'Amitie cafe is closing down from Monday 4th May for the usual reason - high rent and rates. When will the property owners and the council see sense and realise that businesses cannot survive when paying £50,000 + just to be there

Did a bit of snooping and sniffing today. L'amitie's rent was nothing remotely like £50,000 pa. Not even a wee bit remotely. (Precise details and name of "horse's mouth" withheld....... But I promise ye...... £50,000? - dinnae be silly!)

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

rubbereye wrote:

Did a bit of snooping and sniffing today. L'amitie's rent was nothing remotely like £50,000 pa. Not even a wee bit remotely. (Precise details and name of "horse's mouth" withheld....... But I promise ye...... £50,000? - dinnae be silly!)

Yes, their rent was not £50k but when you add up the cost of rent, rates, fuel, insurance then it is a huge chunk of money which you have to pay before you even start making any profit to pay important things like wages. You only need to check the websites for the various properties in Penicuik to see how much they are asking (eg. newsagents £30k, new units £32 - £35k and all with regular increases written in to the leases)

gonzo · Number of posts: 63 Registration date: 2008-02-12

I also see the Sibsons Butcher has also now closed due to the economic downturn. It seems crazy to keep building retail unit upon retail unit for them all to sit empty.

rubbereye · Number of posts: 57 Registration date: 2008-02-13

Well, it's probably all my fault........ and your's!

I always meant to buy meat there, but Sainsbury's and Tesco's always won..... easier parking.

Sorry to see you go, Brian! Everyone always said your stuff was rxcellent.

SamTyler · Number of posts: 226 Registration date: 2008-03-17

Very sad to see yet another small business closed down by the ever-greedy landlords. It is time the government took some action so that rents were forced down to reasonable levels and the quarterly payment of rent in advance was abolished. If the companies who own retail units had to pay full rates plus taxes on the full advertised rent for any empty properties then perhaps they would do something to get them occupied instead of just sitting back.
The High Street now has four large empty premises (Clydesdale Bank, Sibsons plus the two former Scotmid ones) which hardly makes Penicuik look appealing to shoppers.

musicman · Number of posts: 125 Registration date: 2007-08-29

We can keep blaming the greed of landlords, surely the root problem though is the lack of custom and everyone on this board will be guilty of just heading to a supermarket and getting everything they want under one roof (regardless of quality!). The days of local shops in Penicuik are gone and we can whine and moan but unless they are supported by the masses they are stuffed. Yes the rents are unbelievable and you’d imagine that it is better to get some rent from a tenant instead of units lying empty but that seems to be the way of things the length and breadth of the land.