I hope this does not undermine Boots. That store was identified as a potential closure many years ago. Whilst it is relatively small it does help to anchor that part of the retail offer on Dartmouth Rd.
There were many reasons why Morrisons would not have been viable in that location and it was myself and @stefan74uk that set up the initial petition to go against this which was then followed up by FH Society on planning issues.
I would much rather see an independent rather than a chain move into this site, but that probably wouldn’t happen due to the size, business rates etc etc…
Could the Boots store be a sustainable business if it lost a big chunk of its normal retail profits to a larger, better located and better-stocked competitor only a stone’s throw away? Regrettably, I doubt it - but I really hope I’m wrong.
I agree and I was never impressed by that branch of Boots and preferred to use the independent offerings. If done well I think that a superdrug of that size could increase the footfall.
So if this becomes “Superdrug”
What if Home Accessories becomes say “TK Max” or “H & M” or anything similar.
Followed by The Capitol becoming a cinema
A bakery on D Rd
And a music School too
That would be awesome, but that’s me just hoping & wishing I think
I still think a Foxton would be great, not only would we have a nice shiny office but the dry cleaners would make a fortune from cleaning the shiny suits. Pity the cobblers has gone as he would make a fortune from brown Polish.
The Boots in Dartmouth Road is the worst store I’ve ever been in. It only has a small selection of products, closes between 1-2pm etc.
Boots and Superdrug co-exist in Sydenham and Penge with no real issues.
Unlike Morrisons who wanted to make dramatic changes and would have been a major inconvenience with regards to deliveries, Superdrug will be a welcome addition.
So I assume Superdrug has been approved and that accounts for the very rapid closure and gutting of the unit? (Edit: yes I see from the original application link that it was indeed granted)