The Battle of the High Street Rages

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Turnham Green Terrrace shops fight back with a community market day

With the decline of the high street remaining a major topic of conversation, particularly among local traders and shop owners, one group of local independent shops is fighting back by organising a series of special market days to attract new customers, encourage occasional customers to come back more often, and thank regular customers.

Traders in Chiswick’s famous shopping street, Turnham Green Terrace, will hold their first Market Day on Saturday, 21st January. The event is the brainchild of Andreas Georghiou, London’s only specialist greengrocer who serves not only Chiswick’s discerning foodies but also many of London’s best chefs, cooks, authors, food writers and bloggers.

As Andreas Georghiou said, “We have had Mary Portas’s review on behalf of the government but, headline grabbing as it was, nothing will change. Chiswick is not immune. We have recently seen several more closures and bailiff’s notices keep appearing, telling sad tales of businesses that failed because of unrealistic rents and an unhelpful council. The plight of Chiswick is not looking good – and we all have a responsibility as a community not to let the slide continue. People come to Chiswick because it has so much to offer; it’s what keeps house values high. A positive change can be achieved by the commitment of traders, their customers, and people with a voice. We thought we would start a halt to the slide by holding an event that we hope will bring more people to this wonderful, vibrant part of Chiswick,” he said.

Turnham Green Terrace is Chiswick’s renowned foodie road, with an independent greengrocer, butcher, fishmonger, delicatessen, chocolatier, and health food store, among the other independent food stores, cafés and restaurants. It’s also a typical neighbourhood shopping street with many independent retailers as well as chains, franchises and harity shops.

It will be a fun day and a local talking point. Most of the shops will be doing something special for this first Market Day.

The future of the independent shops along Turnham Green Terrace could be very bright. Come along on Saturday, 21st January to see what they all do and enjoy the treats and fun they have arranged.

 

January 16, 2012