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MARKET HARBOROUGH needs your help.

For the first time in many years the spectre of closed and boarded up shops has appeared in the town.

As the credit crunch bites across Britain, the plight of high street giants Marks & Spencer and Woolworths has sent an air of anxiety sweeping through our homes and businesses.

Until recently we have complacently thought of Market Harborough as a quietly prosperous town, somehow immune from the worst ravages of recession elsewhere.

But now our enviable mix of independent little shops, long-established family firms and top brand national chains is under threat.

And the best way for us all to preserve that mix – the very essence that makes Harborough so special – is to do as much of our shopping in the town as possible.

That is why the Harborough Mail has launched the Save Our Shops campaign.

Brian Dodds
Harborough Mail Editor



TRADERS have got behind the Mail's Save Our Shops campaign to help protect Harborough's special character.

The face of Harborough's High Street is changing as, for the first time in many years, shops sit vacant in the town centre.

Woolworths, in The Square, went just after Christmas and now, following last week's announcement, Marks and Spencer could soon join the list.

Other vacant units include the former site of Merlin's Dry Cleaners on The Square, which closed last month, Roseby's, in St Mary's Place, which has sat empty for several months, and Cardfair, also in St Mary's Place, which closed on Friday.

Traders are now backing the Mail's campaign to encourage people to support Harborough's shops.

Neil Holman, of George Halls Cycle Centre, in Northampton Road, has noticed a drop in footfall over the last two years.

He said opening small retail units in vacant buildings such as the former Kwik Save site and Edinburgh House – Golden Wonder's former HQ in Abbey Street – and lowering rents would encourage more independent traders to start up.

Other ideas he suggested for improving the town centre include improved promotion of the Market Hall, more fun days such as last September's Egyptian themed event, and a summer version of the Late Night Shopping event.

Beverley Bradley, who owns the 7th Heaven fashion store in Adam and Eve Street, has had to lay off two part-time members of staff.

She added: "For me it's absolutely dead at the moment. It's very worrying and unless something changes soon I'm going to have a rethink. Even though I have a sale on, people aren't even coming in to see what we've got. People just don't seem to have the money at the moment.

"It's a shame because I've lived in Harborough all my life and I'd like to run my business here. I always get really good comments from customers about the shop and our standard of service. I'd encourage visitors to Harborough to have a look in all the little shops and just see what it has to offer."

Suzi Jenkins, owner of Solutions gift shop, in Manor Walk, has not noticed much difference in levels of trade since the credit crunch but fears shops in Manor Walk may suffer if the proposed M&S closure goes ahead.

She said: "It will be sad if we lose M&S because I shop there a lot and quite often pop in to get a nice sandwich for lunch. But from a financial point of view it won't be good for us if it closes. People park in the Commons and walk through here to get into town before returning to M&S to do their shopping. It's the sort of shop that encourages people to come into the town.

"For us, Christmas was a bit slower than the previous year but other than that we've not really noticed a change. We are lucky to have a lot of loyal, regular customers. And people are always going to have birthdays!"

Husband and wife David and Wendy Ray run Blend Coffee Shop, in Manor Walk.

They called on Harborough District Council to do more to encourage independent traders to move into the town.