Marks and Spencer to leave Newport city centre in January 2013

11:30am Saturday 27th October 2012 in News

Marks and Spencer to leave Newport city centre in January 2013 Marks and Spencer to leave Newport city centre in January 2013

RETAIL giant Marks and Spencer will be moving out of Newport City Centre early next year.

The Commercial Street store will be closing on Wednesday, January 16, with a new store opening in Newport Retail Park, Spytty the following day.

President of Newport Chamber of Trade, Alan Edwards, who is a partner in Vacara’s fish and chip shop in the city centre said: "This is something we’ve known about for two years but Marks and Spencer have never said why they are closing the store.

"Representations have been made to its head office in Baker Street, but have been ignored.

"It’s disappointing as far as the city centre is concerned as the Government has been sending out the message that retailers should be supporting town and city centres.

"However, it is good news for Newport in general as it will be getting a brand new store which will stock A list goods.

"Hopefully this will stop people going to Cardiff or Cwmbran to buy the top of the range products which the city centre store did not stock.

"The news can be viewed as both bad and good. The Newport Chamber of Trade has to support Newport as a whole, both inner and outer areas.

"Regeneration plans will succeed with or without M&S. It will be a tough three years while the development is underway but it will be worth it in the end."

Former president for Newport Chamber of Trade Ken Ellis said it would be a devastating blow for the town when the news was first announced and would deprive the city centre of a key retail presence.

Mr Ellis, who was for many years prior to his retirement a manager at the city’s branch of British Home Stores said he feared the city centre was in danger of being killed off.

He said: "Throughout the country, Marks and Spencer is a very important presence on the High Street and this is devastating for Newport."

M&S announced that the Spytty store will be "significantly bigger" than its existing store, and will offer a wider range of goods. About 30 new jobs will be created, with its 70 city centre staff able to transfer there.

Comments(69)

VoiceOfDaPort says...
11:52am Sat 27 Oct 12

Keeping a store in Newport is good news, as it will help keep people who live in Newport East away from Cwmbran, but not really for people who live in Newport West, as Cwmbrans closer.

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Bobevans says...
11:57am Sat 27 Oct 12

An attempt at dressing up bad news

Newport is no longer the prime shopping centre. It has move to Newport Retail Park. That is where people want to shop. It has the large stores and good parking that the City centre can never have. Which is why it is growing fast and attracting ever more shoppers

Whilst M&S is not the draw it once was it is still a key store and it's moving from the city centre will reduce shopper numbers and will result in further store closures in Newport


The City Centre needs to be far smaller than now and have a far better mix of shops. Endless low end shops and chuggers and big issue sellers plus the wreck of a bus station do not help neither do the excess of charity shops

Probably the City Centre should consist of the Kingsway Centre, John Frost Square and the bit of commercial street between Stow Hill & the side entrance o the Kingsway centre

Having three bus station for the City Centre all remote from taaxis and the rail station is another thing that will helpfinish of the City Centre

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Bobevans says...
12:03pm Sat 27 Oct 12

VoiceOfDaPort wrote:
Keeping a store in Newport is good news, as it will help keep people who live in Newport East away from Cwmbran, but not really for people who live in Newport West, as Cwmbrans closer.
It would not be difficult to extend some of the buses from Newport West to the Newport retail park and it would be sensible to do that.

The R2 would be a logical route to extend although the Fernlea end of it might need to be split off into another route

The R2 could then run from Ty Sign to Tesco's Pontymister, Morrisons, Mount Pleasant, Newport Rail Station, Newport Retail Park.

Beside providing a service to the retail park it would also provide a direct service fromEast Newport to West Newport

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cath 872 says...
12:18pm Sat 27 Oct 12

what a sad story. I love M&S. Newport is dead. The city status should be removed. The town planners are useless, do they all sit in separate rooms? Do they never get together? I won't be able to go into my favourite shop on my way home from work anymore. I don't drive, so thats a £3 bus journey to Spytty, a horrible, bleak out of town place. I wish I could afford to move to Cwmbran or Cardiff.

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dereksboy says...
12:27pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Who wants to go to Spytty to shop it's RUF

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Cwmderi says...
12:39pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Having just read the massive development and expansion proposals by Cardiff City Council, it wouls appear that the M&S issue might not even arise as Neport could be swallowed up by Cardiff's proposals and just become a suburb of the capital city.

Had the misfortune to go on a shopping trip to Newport recently. What a total disappointment. Unless the powers that be get to grips with urgent regeneration of the city centre, then I agree with Cath. It does not deserve to carry City status.

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Oriel Bufton says...
2:51pm Sat 27 Oct 12

I live near Chepstow, and haven't shopped in Newport for over 20 years. Why would I want to? I would only go there at gun-point! I stopped shopping in Newport because the place was run down, filthy, and not a pleasant shopping experience generally. It was full of cheap shops, and fast food, estate agents, banks and building societies, no family run business seem to exist there any more, and don't get me started on parking! I go to Cardiff by train or Cwmbran by car to do my shopping. I also shop on-line which is a heck of a lot better than going to Newport - the place they have the cheek to call a 'City' Take a look in Clarissa Dickson-Wright's book, Rifling through my Drawers, and see what she thinks of Newport. She was totally lost when looking for St. Woolas Cathedral and was rescued by a pub owner in Clarence place, who took her there, and then they found that the venue she was to speak at was changed to Newport T. College, which he informed her she would never find on her own, so he drove her there in his own car. A true Irish Gentleman. She recommends that NO-ONE goes there! So I'm not in the least surprised that M&S are moving to Spytty Park, makes good common sense to me. My Husband, who was born and brought up in Newport, got lost 3 times, in the crazy traffic system the clots who run Newport Council think is a 'good idea' they haven't got a 'good idea' in their heads, and don't have a clue of how to run a town like Newport. They've spent vast sums of peoples' money in ruining what was once a lovely,pleasant town. Why people think that voting for the same idiots who've made a total mess of Newport is going to change anything I don't know. Doing the same thing repeatedly, hoping for different results is a sign of madness!

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arjwain says...
2:58pm Sat 27 Oct 12

spytty is great .but try finding a parking space , unless you're shopping at tesco .

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Bobevans says...
3:23pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Oriel Bufton wrote:
I live near Chepstow, and haven't shopped in Newport for over 20 years. Why would I want to? I would only go there at gun-point! I stopped shopping in Newport because the place was run down, filthy, and not a pleasant shopping experience generally. It was full of cheap shops, and fast food, estate agents, banks and building societies, no family run business seem to exist there any more, and don't get me started on parking! I go to Cardiff by train or Cwmbran by car to do my shopping. I also shop on-line which is a heck of a lot better than going to Newport - the place they have the cheek to call a 'City' Take a look in Clarissa Dickson-Wright's book, Rifling through my Drawers, and see what she thinks of Newport. She was totally lost when looking for St. Woolas Cathedral and was rescued by a pub owner in Clarence place, who took her there, and then they found that the venue she was to speak at was changed to Newport T. College, which he informed her she would never find on her own, so he drove her there in his own car. A true Irish Gentleman. She recommends that NO-ONE goes there! So I'm not in the least surprised that M&S are moving to Spytty Park, makes good common sense to me. My Husband, who was born and brought up in Newport, got lost 3 times, in the crazy traffic system the clots who run Newport Council think is a 'good idea' they haven't got a 'good idea' in their heads, and don't have a clue of how to run a town like Newport. They've spent vast sums of peoples' money in ruining what was once a lovely,pleasant town. Why people think that voting for the same idiots who've made a total mess of Newport is going to change anything I don't know. Doing the same thing repeatedly, hoping for different results is a sign of madness!
THe Councils crazy road schemes probably destroyed the Kings Hotel. Trying to get to the front of the hotel was a nightmare and trying to get to the car park even worse.

I cannot wait to see what their next daft schemes arewe already no about their crazy mutiple bus station one. I am sure the rest will be gems. Cwmbran, Cardiff & Bristol must be rubbing their hands with glee

Newport City Centre is a place best avoided

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chris227 says...
3:24pm Sat 27 Oct 12

I think that business rates are higher in the city centre as well plus there are way to many shops in newport for example Maindee (I think literally half are shut now if not more ) some have been vacant for years , . The town planners are absolutely useless literally clueless if they were in the private sector they would be in a disciplinary and sacked. when ever you mention newport to anyone outside the town they screw there face up and say "haven't been shopping there for years"

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cwmbran man says...
3:35pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Huge blow for Newport , it really is fast becoming Cwmbrans poor run down neighbour.

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Magor says...
3:47pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Once the new road is open through Llanwern it will be even easier for many to get to Spytty.The council have only themselves to blame for driving out the motorist and letting the place get so dirty.

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amandaajd1 says...
4:01pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Newport town is a shambles, who would pay to go there, never mind pay for parking, I go to spytty all the time, there is everything you need there, nice shops, always open, and you can get anything you need all in one place...plus free parking....we should not be a city, and cannot believe we were made one....

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chris227 says...
5:17pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Bob to be fair above all else the worst idea has got to be the tin shed train station (i took a taxi from there once and the driver told me during the ryder cup guests were asking when was the cover going to come off to reveal the train station underneath).

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pjwivell says...
6:13pm Sat 27 Oct 12

With reference to the closure of M & S, the council knew this back last year, and did nothing to keep them in the centre. One of the main reasons why the shops are becoming empty is because Newport City Council, are charging stupid rents. Most of the smaller shops are finding it hard to make a living, so when everyone heard that M & S, were moving out of the town, and along with most of the Passport Office Closing. It sent alarm bells throughout the City Centre, and it resulted with shop owners leaving the sinking ship. You only have to ask the store holders in the Newport Market, what the charges are there, even they are finding it very hard to earn a living. Plus with the increase of the chaves, and the drunks along with the other characters who think it's good to go around swearing, and idiots riding bikes around the centre, and not a policman in sight. The original plans for the Station was a smart new concourse with the bus station next to the railway station, a new hotel opposit the proposed bus station. Then the plans changed it was then proposed that Newport will have three bus stations. I would like to know what Town or City has three bus station instead of the one. I have lived all my life in Newport, and whatched as different Council Ministers slowly destroy a once proud Town that people came from miles around to shop. But like everyone is saying " Why bother to come to a place that is decaying due to lack of a good Council.

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chris227 says...
6:32pm Sat 27 Oct 12

AH now thats why they all wear tracksuits in the town centre its getting in training for all the walking due to the three train stations

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Limestonecowboy says...
6:39pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Unfortunately from a retail perspective Newports geographic makes it difficult to compete.

Neighbouring Cardiffs on-going development both business & retail, the Mall at Cribbs has applied for additional 25% retail space & Cwmbrans free parking etc.,

I would say a mistake has been made in granting too many out of town retail parks making it difficult to sustain for a place the size of Newport.

Emphasis should have placed more on its heritage, such as the victorian arcades & family run businesses so making it unique to stand out from the rest - instead of 'cloned' town centres we see more of today.

Getting new private businesses to move & invest, I would suggest, could make a difference in getting the pride back into the City (regardless on finish on the railstation!).

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rightsideup says...
7:33pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Bobevans wrote:
Oriel Bufton wrote:
I live near Chepstow, and haven't shopped in Newport for over 20 years. Why would I want to? I would only go there at gun-point! I stopped shopping in Newport because the place was run down, filthy, and not a pleasant shopping experience generally. It was full of cheap shops, and fast food, estate agents, banks and building societies, no family run business seem to exist there any more, and don't get me started on parking! I go to Cardiff by train or Cwmbran by car to do my shopping. I also shop on-line which is a heck of a lot better than going to Newport - the place they have the cheek to call a 'City' Take a look in Clarissa Dickson-Wright's book, Rifling through my Drawers, and see what she thinks of Newport. She was totally lost when looking for St. Woolas Cathedral and was rescued by a pub owner in Clarence place, who took her there, and then they found that the venue she was to speak at was changed to Newport T. College, which he informed her she would never find on her own, so he drove her there in his own car. A true Irish Gentleman. She recommends that NO-ONE goes there! So I'm not in the least surprised that M&S are moving to Spytty Park, makes good common sense to me. My Husband, who was born and brought up in Newport, got lost 3 times, in the crazy traffic system the clots who run Newport Council think is a 'good idea' they haven't got a 'good idea' in their heads, and don't have a clue of how to run a town like Newport. They've spent vast sums of peoples' money in ruining what was once a lovely,pleasant town. Why people think that voting for the same idiots who've made a total mess of Newport is going to change anything I don't know. Doing the same thing repeatedly, hoping for different results is a sign of madness!
THe Councils crazy road schemes probably destroyed the Kings Hotel. Trying to get to the front of the hotel was a nightmare and trying to get to the car park even worse.

I cannot wait to see what their next daft schemes arewe already no about their crazy mutiple bus station one. I am sure the rest will be gems. Cwmbran, Cardiff & Bristol must be rubbing their hands with glee

Newport City Centre is a place best avoided
Quite right.Newport's 'city' centre has become the most user unfriendly place.We must have more traffic lights and speed humps per square yard than any other town in the country!.Taxpayers money well spent?.

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33daverave says...
7:43pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Don`t forget that useless Information Station.A 10 minute visit to the Civic Centre with a query now takes an hour in that useless Information Station.It seems to be staffed by idiots,oh I forgot,it`s Newport Town Council.

Run by idiots.

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Dolieboy says...
7:48pm Sat 27 Oct 12

The only good thing left in Newport is the train station. Even Merthyr is now better than the boarded up "city centre". More shops in Cwmbran and that has only town status.

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digispamman says...
8:04pm Sat 27 Oct 12

this news is sure to finish the so called city centre. i would rather spend a day shopping in downtown mogadishu!

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PaulHalliday says...
8:57pm Sat 27 Oct 12

I would like to point out that the council don't set rent, or rates. The rent is set by the private property owner. The rates by central Goverment.

Also in the case of Marks and Spencer they left because there wasn't an appropriate space for them to move into. Their current shop wasn't fit for purpose, and when the previous Labour retail plan collapsed they couldn't wait any longer for an appropriate space to become available. In their minds they had no choice. Also the previous administration, along with many others, did all yet could to keep M&S in the city centre. Undortunetly they made a commercial decision and wouldn't change their mind.

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chris227 says...
9:40pm Sat 27 Oct 12

not enough room what!!!!! quarter of all the shops in this town are now vacant i hope that the town centre dies it can now become a suburb of cardiff and the embarrassing name of newport can go for good

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Dee-Gee says...
10:48pm Sat 27 Oct 12

Good post PaulHalliday

Chris, chris, chris... Yes, there are lots of empty shops, but Marks and Spencer can't put the Big Shop they want to build into a bunch of small shops. It's not a pint of milk, chris, you can't just put it into any smaller containers you happen to have spare. It's more like a growing child's feet - you can't just lop off a few toes and keep them in a matchbox so the old trainers still fit.

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Bobevans says...
11:11pm Sat 27 Oct 12

PaulHalliday wrote:
I would like to point out that the council don't set rent, or rates. The rent is set by the private property owner. The rates by central Goverment.

Also in the case of Marks and Spencer they left because there wasn't an appropriate space for them to move into. Their current shop wasn't fit for purpose, and when the previous Labour retail plan collapsed they couldn't wait any longer for an appropriate space to become available. In their minds they had no choice. Also the previous administration, along with many others, did all yet could to keep M&S in the city centre. Undortunetly they made a commercial decision and wouldn't change their mind.
There was plenty of space. The stores next to it being empty.

The real reason they left is that Newport is not the environment M&S want to be in. They are a more up market retailer and the dirty rundown town centre full of charity shops, Big issuer sellers & chuggers was not what they wanted.

The rapid deline of Newport and the clear trend of their customers prefering the Newport Retail Park aras was the final deciding factor. Market research indicated that shooper numbers woyuuld continue to deline and that the new development should it happen would make little difference

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Bobevans says...
11:13pm Sat 27 Oct 12

chris227 wrote:
not enough room what!!!!! quarter of all the shops in this town are now vacant i hope that the town centre dies it can now become a suburb of cardiff and the embarrassing name of newport can go for good
The empty stores next to M7S could easily have been extended into but clearly an M&S does not really fit the demographics of Newport unless M&S moved into the Poundshop market

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rlewis says...
11:23pm Sat 27 Oct 12

arjwain wrote:
spytty is great .but try finding a parking space , unless you're shopping at tesco .
Too true. Why do they keep increasing the number of shops in Spytty, while the parking remains a nightmare ? I hate going there.

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Howie' says...
12:49am Sun 28 Oct 12

chris227 wrote:
AH now thats why they all wear tracksuits in the town centre its getting in training for all the walking due to the three train stations
I think you mean 'to the three BUS stations' Do try and keep up Chris.

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aevs74 says...
1:49am Sun 28 Oct 12

Reading on this site a few months ago the paper printed that debenhams had confirmed they will be opening a store by kingsway in a couple of years. Has that plan now changed? If debenhams don't go to newport you had might as well knock it down and build some houses and call it easy Cardiff or west cwmbran. Suits me my house price might go up

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snafu1 says...
7:22am Sun 28 Oct 12

Rip newport centre the last nail has gone in the lid ,where are the benefits from the ryder cup,bit like the kings new clothes eh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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CaptainB says...
7:51am Sun 28 Oct 12

This is Newport City Council's attempt to support HALLOWEEN....

By making the City a GHOST TOWN!!!!

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Bobevans says...
9:42am Sun 28 Oct 12

chris227 wrote:
Bob to be fair above all else the worst idea has got to be the tin shed train station (i took a taxi from there once and the driver told me during the ryder cup guests were asking when was the cover going to come off to reveal the train station underneath).
Yes Newport Council, Newport Unlimited and the WAG got stiched up like a kipper with that one

How an earthr can an inadequate tin hed in the wrong location be described as a state of the art facility and an improvent when the old facilities were far better and could have been further improved at a fraction of the cost

I gues improve the exsiting booking office would have created the wronmg image it would have looked somewhat upmarket.. THat though could easily have been fixed they could have included a charity shop & a downmarket bar and had a big issue seller and some chuggers.

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merlin44 says...
12:13pm Sun 28 Oct 12

We bacame a CITY and lost our TOWN.
Newport used to be a bustling town with lots of lovely shops . If you look back at photo's of old Newport you will see this. Now it looks just down and out , drab empty premises nothing to make people want to come here . The planners need to go back to the drawing board & start thinking about changing their tactics as all their plans & ideas have ruined the town . I am ashamed to look down high street to commercial street & see just what a mess they have made. Once M&S goes that end of town will look even more delapidated.Quite honestly the whole town shopping area is a shambles.Plus it's all very well to put these shops out of town what about the elderley & people who don't have transport to get to these places , how will they manage because the bus services are also a mess & very expensive as well. Just a tip, take a trip up to Abergavenny, Caerphilly or Cwmbran , they are not cities but my goodness they obviously know how to shape their town centres & care about providing towns centres to be proud of . They show towns as they were and should be now, bustling with lots of shops, plenty of choice , light bright & airey. Whichever one I visit I always come back having enjoyed the day shopping rather than feeling totally depressed when going in to newport centre. I cannot believe how these smaller towns can succeed so well where Newport has failed perhaps we need fresh blood at the top with better ideas & plans as we seem to be going from bad to worse. This may sound silly but maybe we need one of those makeover programmes to come along & revitalise our High Street as what our planners are doing is demotivating it.

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cath 872 says...
1:21pm Sun 28 Oct 12

aevs74 - personally I think that there's more chance of Brad Pitt turning up at my house than there is of Debenhams opening a store in town. I came across as quite negative in my post yesterday, but it seems most people here feel the same about the state of Newport. I live right in the town, sorry, 'city', and yet I have to get on a bus/train to get anything, as I'm too ashamed to 'shop' locally, as the place offers nothing. I personally don't know anybody else who lives in one city but has to travel to another one to shop!

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rightsideup says...
4:48pm Sun 28 Oct 12

merlin44 wrote:
We bacame a CITY and lost our TOWN.
Newport used to be a bustling town with lots of lovely shops . If you look back at photo's of old Newport you will see this. Now it looks just down and out , drab empty premises nothing to make people want to come here . The planners need to go back to the drawing board & start thinking about changing their tactics as all their plans & ideas have ruined the town . I am ashamed to look down high street to commercial street & see just what a mess they have made. Once M&S goes that end of town will look even more delapidated.Quite honestly the whole town shopping area is a shambles.Plus it's all very well to put these shops out of town what about the elderley & people who don't have transport to get to these places , how will they manage because the bus services are also a mess & very expensive as well. Just a tip, take a trip up to Abergavenny, Caerphilly or Cwmbran , they are not cities but my goodness they obviously know how to shape their town centres & care about providing towns centres to be proud of . They show towns as they were and should be now, bustling with lots of shops, plenty of choice , light bright & airey. Whichever one I visit I always come back having enjoyed the day shopping rather than feeling totally depressed when going in to newport centre. I cannot believe how these smaller towns can succeed so well where Newport has failed perhaps we need fresh blood at the top with better ideas & plans as we seem to be going from bad to worse. This may sound silly but maybe we need one of those makeover programmes to come along & revitalise our High Street as what our planners are doing is demotivating it.
Very well said!.

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Bobevans says...
5:50pm Sun 28 Oct 12

What shops would come to Newport if the new development went ahead? Those already in Newport want to leave.

I suspect Argos will go.The current store is in a poor location and their business model has changed, The catalogue is being phased out and they are now mainkly an Internet annd Teleshoping business. Less than 25% of their business comes from High Street shoppers

They get about 30% currebntly from clickand collect and that needs stores with good nearbye parking.

I suspect Argos are on the look out for premises in Newport retail park

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chris227 says...
5:55pm Sun 28 Oct 12

I think that Newport residents should get some sort of shame allowance off the WAG, when you come back on the train from bristol the shocking state of the town can be clearly seen the comments i have heard from my fellow passengers are not repeatable I get my bag and run off the train quickly

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Strider says...
8:27pm Sun 28 Oct 12

Surprised the Argus ran this story, I suppose 'Bobby Bright' can blame 'Marks' when they don't secure that 70 % funding!!

M&S has no vacant shop to move too, its all empty shops!!

Newport has become a dump full of foul mouthed chav scum, and why do they so called adults insist on riding tiny Power Ranger and Barbie bikes up and down town swearing..

What really brings me out in a cold sweat is the proposed 10 new Restaurants which will all probably be owned by Iffy and aimed at the Chav's.. As Nando's is now going to Spytty..

Passport Office going, Marks going, River Island going, WH Smiths Allegedly going!! Demolition of Cambrian car park put back again..

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Independentvoter says...
7:52am Mon 29 Oct 12

I havent been in to 'town' shopping for many years. Why bother ? Have you got a fag mate ? have you got 20p for the bus mate when you know its for crack really, thats all you hear then you got the charity brigade collecting for their own hourly bonus. We desperately need an independent council made up of real people living in a real world, not mainstream party councillors who are told what to say by their own chief whip in London. (party rules) Why not google how many independent councillors there are in the UK the number is growing and growing. People are fed up of mainstream politicians, look at what they have done to Newport. They couldnt give a **** if m+s leave. They wont miss a nights sleep over it. And guess what people will still vote them in to ruin whats left of Newport. I think its time to get The Newport Alliance Party back up and running with local people from local communities.

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Independentvoter says...
7:57am Mon 29 Oct 12

'They couldnt give a **** if m+s leave'
I havent typed any offensive language Mr Editor. So why use stars?????????

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Baseball67 says...
8:49am Mon 29 Oct 12

just visited Newport after 13years away, I have to agree that the centre is pretty depressing.
But why is it that people constantly whine about how bad the council is instead of actually putting themselves forward at the local elections?

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ncfcr says...
9:35am Mon 29 Oct 12

Baseball67 wrote:
just visited Newport after 13years away, I have to agree that the centre is pretty depressing.
But why is it that people constantly whine about how bad the council is instead of actually putting themselves forward at the local elections?
Why would you do that? If your builder done a bad job at doing your extension, would you put yourself through a course and do it yourself?

Of course not.

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Oriel Bufton says...
11:05am Mon 29 Oct 12

CaptainB - your comment was hilarious! and so appropriate!
As for difficulty parking at Spytty Park, I go there at different times of day, and have never had a problem parking. Nando's moving there? great!

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Lucha Libre says...
11:06am Mon 29 Oct 12

Bobevans wrote:
What shops would come to Newport if the new development went ahead? Those already in Newport want to leave.

I suspect Argos will go.The current store is in a poor location and their business model has changed, The catalogue is being phased out and they are now mainkly an Internet annd Teleshoping business. Less than 25% of their business comes from High Street shoppers

They get about 30% currebntly from clickand collect and that needs stores with good nearbye parking.

I suspect Argos are on the look out for premises in Newport retail park
Mainkly?
Teleshoping?
Currebntly?
Nearbye?

Go go super speller.. In this day and age of spell check you have no excuses!!

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Oriel Bufton says...
11:08am Mon 29 Oct 12

Oh - and by the way - I never, ever shop at Tesco - never have, never will.

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james jackson says...
2:33pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Despite the fact that people knew Marks and Spencer would leave the town centre in 2013, it is still a shock to the many customers who hoped there'd be a change of heart.
The fact is, that M & S have decided as a national policy, to move some of their premises to out-of-town sites.
It is correct, as Paul Halliday has said, that NCC does not control rents and rates for shops in town.
Despite the criticisms by almost everyone on this board, I'd sooner shop in a town centre than a cold, nondescript retail parks that have no cafes or meeting places. In and out as quickly as possible; jump into a car and home a short while later.
In town, one is likely to meet people one knows; there are places to eat and have a cup of coffee. One can linger and appreciate the beauty of the Victorian landscape and one can catch a bus afterwards.
There's a type of "herd" mentality at the moment. One shop goes, another follows. But decisions are made at corporate HQs and the reason Newport is suffering is because the previous Friars Walk development was grandiose, far too big for a town the size of Newport, totally unrealistic and massively expensive. If the Labour council had managed to ever get it off the ground, we wouldn't be seeing this exodus now. However, that's history now. We can only hope the development goes ahead, but heaven knows which other shops will come on board. They're all down at Spytty!

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Independentvoter says...
5:12pm Mon 29 Oct 12

We could of had our own Newport Bay with designer restaurants and shops opposite Newport Castle but the silly councillors decided to build a cheap Charter style housing estate there instead. Its too late now... what an eyesore !

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nodnyl says...
7:35pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Would the last person out please turn the lights off

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SizzlerTrainers says...
10:07pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Boutique town centre is the only way we could reinvent the town centre, that along with more evening entertainment as Cwmbran and Spytty are hardly bursting at the seams with anything apart from shops. There's not even a bowling alley in Newport, maybe these things could be the way forward, a new Cinema, bowling alley, an Art-house cinema like Chapter to tap into the student market, more restaurants and music/comedy venues, these I believe would reinvigorate the town (at night at least).

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j19901 says...
2:32am Tue 30 Oct 12

just realised someone said river island is going which correct me if im wrong but that leaves males with 0 shops to shop in? oh sorry apart from that pointless shop in kingsway! that only sell clothes for people 7ft onwards, i work in the so called city centre and its just a shambles we have no customers only ones passing by to leave newport! this city is just a pure joke

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Cymru Am Beth says...
8:31am Tue 30 Oct 12

cwmbran man wrote:
Huge blow for Newport , it really is fast becoming Cwmbrans poor run down neighbour.
Agree.
But Cwmbran is pretty dreadful also.
I would go to Cardiff or Bristol if I wanted to visit some nice shops.
Otherwise shop online.

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Cymru Am Beth says...
8:41am Tue 30 Oct 12

Bobevans wrote:
PaulHalliday wrote: I would like to point out that the council don't set rent, or rates. The rent is set by the private property owner. The rates by central Goverment. Also in the case of Marks and Spencer they left because there wasn't an appropriate space for them to move into. Their current shop wasn't fit for purpose, and when the previous Labour retail plan collapsed they couldn't wait any longer for an appropriate space to become available. In their minds they had no choice. Also the previous administration, along with many others, did all yet could to keep M&S in the city centre. Undortunetly they made a commercial decision and wouldn't change their mind.
There was plenty of space. The stores next to it being empty. The real reason they left is that Newport is not the environment M&S want to be in. They are a more up market retailer and the dirty rundown town centre full of charity shops, Big issuer sellers & chuggers was not what they wanted. The rapid deline of Newport and the clear trend of their customers prefering the Newport Retail Park aras was the final deciding factor. Market research indicated that shooper numbers woyuuld continue to deline and that the new development should it happen would make little difference
I agree.
The Town, sorry City Centre, is not a place where M&S want to be.
I think that a much scaled down centre is now the only way forward.
However, they would have to get rid of the drug abusers, drunks and other low-life from the area to make it desirable.

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Cymru Am Beth says...
8:49am Tue 30 Oct 12

SizzlerTrainers wrote:
Boutique town centre is the only way we could reinvent the town centre, that along with more evening entertainment as Cwmbran and Spytty are hardly bursting at the seams with anything apart from shops. There's not even a bowling alley in Newport, maybe these things could be the way forward, a new Cinema, bowling alley, an Art-house cinema like Chapter to tap into the student market, more restaurants and music/comedy venues, these I believe would reinvigorate the town (at night at least).
Worth a try.

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Bobevans says...
9:33am Tue 30 Oct 12

To stand any chance Newport needs to be a smaller shopping centre. Shopping habits have changed and Newport faces strong competition from centres with better locations and who simply do it a lot better.
Newport Unlimited and Newport Council have further caused irreparable damage with their endless ill-conceived and failed schemes. Even the simply road widening and layout changes they managed to drag on for several years driving people out of the town. They compounded it with their desire to hound motorists out of the town.
They have allowed the bus station to deteriorate into a dirty unpleasant unkempt dive and allowed endless downmarket pubs, clubs and bars to open in the town centre as well as endless charity shops.
Anyone shopping they have to face a barrage of harassment from endless chiggers and big issue sellers and beggars.
A smaller more upmarket centre based around the Kingsway Centre & John Frost Square might work but the customers this would attract have long left Newport and shop elsewhere. Whether you could attract them back I doubt. Newport is too far gone in my view
The core market Newport has are chav’s, drunks, beggars, those on benefits and pensioners who find the out of town areas more difficult to get to... You can see this by the shops in Newport. Charity shops, pound stores, mobile phone shops, cash for gold shops, cheap takeaways & piecing and tattoo parlours plus the down market pubs, clubs & bars

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Bobevans says...
9:33am Tue 30 Oct 12

To stand any chance Newport needs to be a smaller shopping centre. Shopping habits have changed and Newport faces strong competition from centres with better locations and who simply do it a lot better.
Newport Unlimited and Newport Council have further caused irreparable damage with their endless ill-conceived and failed schemes. Even the simply road widening and layout changes they managed to drag on for several years driving people out of the town. They compounded it with their desire to hound motorists out of the town.
They have allowed the bus station to deteriorate into a dirty unpleasant unkempt dive and allowed endless downmarket pubs, clubs and bars to open in the town centre as well as endless charity shops.
Anyone shopping they have to face a barrage of harassment from endless chiggers and big issue sellers and beggars.
A smaller more upmarket centre based around the Kingsway Centre & John Frost Square might work but the customers this would attract have long left Newport and shop elsewhere. Whether you could attract them back I doubt. Newport is too far gone in my view
The core market Newport has are chav’s, drunks, beggars, those on benefits and pensioners who find the out of town areas more difficult to get to... You can see this by the shops in Newport. Charity shops, pound stores, mobile phone shops, cash for gold shops, cheap takeaways & piecing and tattoo parlours plus the down market pubs, clubs & bars

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Howie' says...
10:25am Tue 30 Oct 12

Dolieboy wrote:
The only good thing left in Newport is the train station. Even Merthyr is now better than the boarded up "city centre". More shops in Cwmbran and that has only town status.
Funny you should say that, I did a walk with some friends a few months ago on the 'Trevithick Trail' from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon. We caught the train from Taffs Well to Merthyr and had to walk through the town centre to the start of the walk. First time in Merthyr for about 30 years and was expecting to see somewhere that was really run down but the reverse was true, it has a lively commercial centre in which I felt a lot more comfortable walking around than I do in Newport. There were several of us and everyone commented on the difference to Newport.

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gadget says...
12:31pm Tue 30 Oct 12

why are they leaving ? Answer because the bussiness rates on high street are diguistingly high . Will the council lower them to invigorate the city centres . Answer Not on your life . Greed Greed Greed !

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james jackson says...
2:03pm Tue 30 Oct 12

The Council doesn't set, or control business rates.

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Bobevans says...
2:49pm Tue 30 Oct 12

gadget wrote:
why are they leaving ? Answer because the bussiness rates on high street are diguistingly high . Will the council lower them to invigorate the city centres . Answer Not on your life . Greed Greed Greed !
Business rates come under the assembly.

The problem Newpot has ia council that does not have the capabilities to manage a redevelopment. A city centre that is badly located and cannot easilly meet modern needs it has also been allowed to migrate down market. So its main customer base is chav's and pensioners with everyone else shopping elsewhere

Newport is now beyond reccovery and will continue to decline

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the dork says...
6:21pm Tue 30 Oct 12

What are the stock losses like in the city centre?

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davewales says...
9:19pm Tue 30 Oct 12

newport city council have killed newport city centre. How? They stopped full access to the town,stopped the buses running through the town, stopped the free parking and made all the streets residential, made the parking expensive, hiked up the rents and business rates of the shops when it became a city, made the centre a pedestrianised zone. newport council and the development team are greedy,incompetent and think they are actually doing a good job..The redevelopment team is incompetent,wasteful
l and need sacking. they have done nothng in 6 years and think we might have a shopping centre in 3 yrs time, whoopy do.The big shops moved out of the town because of this and created their own town centre. they have the power and money to do as they please and newport council cant do anything to stop them. my fear is it is too late for th city cente as a shopping attraction.

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merlin the silure says...
3:56pm Wed 31 Oct 12

If Newport City Council think that a Debenhams is going to solve sordid mess that is the city centre then they are even more deluded than I thought-if(and it still is an if) Debenhams do have a corporate rush of blood to the head and indeed open a store they will have to employ a battalion of the SAS to keep out our little chav darlings.
Would a Debenhams encourage me to visit the hell hole that is the city centre? NOT ON YOUR LIFE.

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chris227 says...
9:12pm Wed 31 Oct 12

if you want a good laugh (its not funny really that why you now have to pay over 1k in council tax a year) but look on the taxpayers alliance web site newport council has a managing director on £141,000 p.a, several more directors with some stupid job titles on 116k odd and the best laugh of all they have a CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT on 123k per annual (just regular salaries for newport) to manage to what now equates to a few pound shops a handful of charity shops and a bookies - nice work if you can get it.

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Howie' says...
12:47am Thu 1 Nov 12

chris227 wrote:
if you want a good laugh (its not funny really that why you now have to pay over 1k in council tax a year) but look on the taxpayers alliance web site newport council has a managing director on £141,000 p.a, several more directors with some stupid job titles on 116k odd and the best laugh of all they have a CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT on 123k per annual (just regular salaries for newport) to manage to what now equates to a few pound shops a handful of charity shops and a bookies - nice work if you can get it.
You obviously missed the worst figures.

MD for 2010/11 £141,479 but his salary the year before 2009/10 was £104,327 a 36% pay rise and the 'Corporate Director (Young People and Performance) increased over the same period from £43,843 to £116,639, a rise of 166% whilst everyone below that level has had their pay frozen for the last 3 years.......except Councillors who have had a rise every year.

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Cymru Am Beth says...
9:07am Thu 1 Nov 12

Bobevans wrote:
To stand any chance Newport needs to be a smaller shopping centre. Shopping habits have changed and Newport faces strong competition from centres with better locations and who simply do it a lot better. Newport Unlimited and Newport Council have further caused irreparable damage with their endless ill-conceived and failed schemes. Even the simply road widening and layout changes they managed to drag on for several years driving people out of the town. They compounded it with their desire to hound motorists out of the town. They have allowed the bus station to deteriorate into a dirty unpleasant unkempt dive and allowed endless downmarket pubs, clubs and bars to open in the town centre as well as endless charity shops. Anyone shopping they have to face a barrage of harassment from endless chiggers and big issue sellers and beggars. A smaller more upmarket centre based around the Kingsway Centre & John Frost Square might work but the customers this would attract have long left Newport and shop elsewhere. Whether you could attract them back I doubt. Newport is too far gone in my view The core market Newport has are chav’s, drunks, beggars, those on benefits and pensioners who find the out of town areas more difficult to get to... You can see this by the shops in Newport. Charity shops, pound stores, mobile phone shops, cash for gold shops, cheap takeaways & piecing and tattoo parlours plus the down market pubs, clubs & bars
Very unfortunate view of the state of Newport.
However, it is also unfortunate that it is the truth.

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emmaw86 says...
9:08pm Thu 1 Nov 12

As someone thats a relatively new shopper to Newport the most bizarre thing is the amount of Icelands in such a small area!? Also the road with the cash generators on...i don't think i've ever walked down a more depressing street in my life.

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Strider says...
2:42pm Fri 2 Nov 12

emmaw86 wrote:
As someone thats a relatively new shopper to Newport the most bizarre thing is the amount of Icelands in such a small area!? Also the road with the cash generators on...i don't think i've ever walked down a more depressing street in my life.
Agreed and the pub next to Cash Generator with the Police notice that Pub Patrons, are banned from drinking outside, swearing, threatening or Abusing the public or asking for money - says it all!!

My neighbour says the Argus reported that Marks is now closing Christmas Eve did this story make the website

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chris227 says...
8:28am Sat 3 Nov 12

there are lots of depressing streets in newport i think maindee now tops the most depressing literally half the shops are empty and the rest are just scruffy tips but it has stiff competition what about the street by the old are college with tj's on.

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chris227 says...
8:48am Sat 3 Nov 12

I remember when david cameron visited newport in dec 2010 and said "he didn't realise how hard the recession had hit newport"

Is that the eaton way of saying what a dump.

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