Another Charity Shop

[yellowsfan]

Looks like we are getting another charity shop on Lord Street, we need to do something to save our town, we do not need anymore Charity Shops.

This town has gone from bad to worse, we need new investment and new businesses to come into the vacant shops, not the same old rubbish.

I really fear for this town because the rate we are going it will be very hard to get out of this mess we find ourselves in.

[said]

Looks like we are getting another charity shop on Lord Street, we need to do something to save our town, we do not need anymore Charity Shops.

This town has gone from bad to worse, we need new investment and new businesses to come into the vacant shops, not the same old rubbish.

I really fear for this town because the rate we are going it will be very hard to get out of this mess we find ourselves in.

If other businesses obtained the favourable rates and tax allowances that Charity shops get - then there would be more businesses open in town.

Charity shops do not have to pay taxes on the goods they sell because they are donated. There is no tax payable on donated goods sold, and it needs only 3 pence in every pound to be given to the charity to have a charity status, The only time that they have to pay taxes is when they sell new goods, which are supposed to be declared to Inland Revenue. The shops are given favourable rates of 80% discount on business rates so they only pay 20% of normal rates. They do have to pay rent for the premises, however. Only when profits are above £5K per year do they have to register with the Charities Commission.

People who are out of work obviously find this a very attractive alternative to having to pay around £5K business rates, paying taxes on all stock sold, making a small amount of profit on each item and still be able to make a living out of it!

[Toodles McGinty]

I'd rather see a charity shop than empty premises.

[Toodles McGinty]

... Only when profits are above £5K per year do they have to register with the Charities Commission.

People who are out of work obviously find this a very attractive alternative to having to pay around £5K business rates, paying taxes on all stock sold, making a small amount of profit on each item and still be able to make a living out of it!

How do you make a living off less than 5k a year? If more than 5k a year means a charity is benefiting, what's wrong with that?

Sounds quite entrepreneurial to me. Do you know which shops do this?

[said]

How do you make a living off less than 5k a year? If more than 5k a year means a charity is benefiting, what's wrong with that?

Sounds quite entrepreneurial to me. Do you know which shops do this?

All charity shops do business this way. They sell second hand goods that people no longer want - (these days at ever increasing prices) - with no returns allowed, no guarantees offered on goods sold, and no tax paid on sales made. Easy! All a charity shop needs is customers, and since the charity shops have been increasing prices to those above shop prices for new goods, customers are becoming pretty scarce.

[toothache]

I'd rather see a charity shop than empty premises.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Walking down Lord St and seeing all the empty premises is heartbreaking.

Southport is not the town of my youth and Lord St certainly isn’t - coffee shops, bars and charity shops seem to take up the bulk of the occupied premises but at present there is no alternative answer as rates, rent etc seem prohibitive for new business ventures to last long. Many seem to set up and go within the year.

It really is a sad situation all round, but if a new charity shop occupies another of the empty premises and makes enough money to stay open, good luck to it.
Are we talking about the Cats Protection League shop near to the Scarisbrick? I wish them well. My dearly departed and beloved cat came from them.

[fanzone1]

Went down Lord Street other day it needs a lot of work and having so many charity shops is not good for the town.

The list of former shops now a charity shop, Argos on Lord Street, the old Woolworths store Lord Street end now a heart foundation shop, we have one now on Chapel Street next door to cafe Nero, we are getting a cats protection charity shop opening soon on Lord Street also one on the corner of Shakespeare Street, this is no including all the other ones we have.

The shops still vacant, McDonald’s, BHS, The Post Office, The Old Victorian Baths next door to the gym, this town needs bringing back to life with proper investment to bring tourists in and making us proud to be from Southport again.

We have an underground Southport which could be opened up as a tourist attraction, there must be somehow to open it up.

The people born and living in this town need to act for the future.

[Toodles McGinty]

I don't think this is exclusive to Southport. It's happening everywhere.

Unless there is some kind of incentive to trade on the high street, online and out-of-town shopping will continue to grow.

[gazaprop]

Blimey - what snobbery!!!!

The occupancy of shops on Lord street will be determined by what the market can stand and what the consumer wants.
I agree with other posters in that I'd rather see a shop occupied and trading than a big 'whited out' window or shutter.
These shops are invariably smart and offer a real alternative to those with limited means.
Added to that they tick the recycling box with interest.

[said]

Blimey - what snobbery!!!!

The occupancy of shops on Lord street will be determined by what the market can stand and what the consumer wants.
I agree with other posters in that I'd rather see a shop occupied and trading than a big 'whited out' window or shutter.
These shops are invariably smart and offer a real alternative to those with limited means.
Added to that they tick the recycling box with interest.

It is true that footfall will determine the nature of shops in the Town - but since small and medium size businesses make up 99% of the economy - wouldn't it be a far better idea if the councils could help these with incentives. By far the worst effect is parking in town - do away with the parking fees and this would increase footfall. It is obvious that so many people are being forced to the out of town venues because there is free parking.

True anything is better than nothing - but surely landlords of the shops would also prefer some rent as opposed to no rent. Perhaps landlords could also be persuaded to reduce the rents for new businesses.

The number of people using charity shops has declined over the years. Charity shop managers have been increasing the prices of goods sold while other businesses faced with the Global market decline have been reducing their prices. Over the years the once high quality clothing that found its way to Charity shops has become the popular throw away goods - so that now, all too often, the prices in Charity shops for second hand clothing is higher than prices paid for new clothing which is also more fashionable. This means that much of the clothing in Charity shops is sent to recycling plants anyway.

[Snig's foot]

Went down Lord Street other day it needs a lot of work and having so many charity shops is not good for the town.

The list of former shops now a charity shop, Argos on Lord Street, the old Woolworths store Lord Street end now a heart foundation shop, we have one now on Chapel Street next door to cafe Nero, we are getting a cats protection charity shop opening soon on Lord Street also one on the corner of Shakespeare Street, this is no including all the other ones we have.

The shops still vacant, McDonald’s, BHS, The Post Office, The Old Victorian Baths next door to the gym, this town needs bringing back to life with proper investment to bring tourists in and making us proud to be from Southport again.

We have an underground Southport which could be opened up as a tourist attraction, there must be somehow to open it up.

The people born and living in this town need to act for the future.

If by 'underground Southport' you mean the derelict subterranean shop fronts in Nevill Street (which predated the Promenade) then I expect they may not have survived well when they built the storm storage tank and new sewer in Nevill street to connect to the interceptor tunnel built under the Promenade in the 1990s.

[Alikado]

The Town Centre is dead because of the Internet, out of town shops became popular because of the low overheads of modern buildings but they are now suffering. The 'Shop' will become an 'Argos' like store before long with 1 item on display, you choose your shopping and either it will come out of the warehouse or be delivered, the 'M&S' type store of racks & racks of items for sale will soon be a distant memory.

[rocknroll2000]

Walking around the town and seeing the way it’s gone is very sad. The litter in the town is a disgrace, when people come here as tourists who wants to see that.

Nothing in this town is getting done for the better and with Debenhams closing its only going to get worse.

I am a born and proud Sandgrounder and hate the way the town is run, everything seems to be going Bootles way and forgetting about Southport, isn’t it about time we had a vote to stay or leave Merseyside.

[Maddox]

I have to admit the amount of charity shops in this town is a joke and the main problem with this town is the council, most the money goes Bootle’s way which shouldn’t be happening, totally unacceptable.

I am also a proud Sandgrounder and not happy by the way this town has gone, like what's been said before we need to vote if we want to be a part of Merseyside or not.

[said]

The Town Centre is dead because of the Internet, out of town shops became popular because of the low overheads of modern buildings but they are now suffering. The 'Shop' will become an 'Argos' like store before long with 1 item on display, you choose your shopping and either it will come out of the warehouse or be delivered, the 'M&S' type store of racks & racks of items for sale will soon be a distant memory.

Then how is it that market towns are doing very well with small private enterprise? How is it that Llandudno, with a large number of individual businesses is very popular? No - the internet has not killed the town. The council continuing to charge for parking and high business rates has.

The Chancellor has stated that he wants all councils to support small and medium businesses because these make up 99% of the British economy - but Sefton are not doing this because we have die hard Bootle councillors who block any move that may make Southport more attractive than Bootle. Councillors representing Southport should all be from Southport!