I READ Andrew Hitchon’s column of January 22 on the demise of two well-known high street traders and fully support his concerns.
The issue, however, is that these traders have not kept up to date with the market moves.
For example: Jessops’s concentration on the photographic niche was its downfall. The company coped with the switch to digital photography, but then tried to sell high-cost products to the masses; rather like trying to sell Rolls-Royces to the Honda community (and I drive a Honda).
After many years of Pentax SLRs, etc, I bought a digital camera. I did not give Jessops a thought but bought it from a high-street chain.
HMV: Oh, such bad management! This was a store ripe for concentrating what they were good at. But instead the management panicked and chose to diversify. I am a classical music fan and in 2000 I could select from a wide range of CDs; in 2009 (last time I was in) there were fewer than two racks of classical of CDs. Borders went the same way.
York must encourage traders but these traders must have a saleable product.
The city needs more butchers, greengrocers, record sellers, etc, and not the supermarket “small stores”.
Neil Raw, Oriel Grove, Clifton Without York.
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