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I want to set the record straight over Marchmont Street traders
• I READ with dismay the inaccurate comments attributed to me in your report (Patisserie faces closure as centre takes slice of trade, November 30).
This caused me great personal embarrassment and has created much distress to a number of independent traders in Marchmont Street whose turnover has been severely affected by competition from certain chain stores which have recently opened in the Brunswick development.
I spoke to your journalist in good faith, fully expecting the plight of these traders to be brought to the attention of your readers.
Your article, by inaccurately reporting me as stating “that most traders (in Marchmont Street) had not reported losing trade”, gave the opposite impression of the situation I described. I now would like to put the record straight.
Our association had received reports from a number of long-standing businesses whose trade had been seriously damaged by competition from certain large chain stores which have recently opened in the Brunswick shopping centre.
I advised your journalist to speak to the traders in question but time was against her.
I therefore specifically highlighted the case of Alara Wholefoods who had informed our Autumn General Meeting that their trade had been hit extremely hard since the arrival of Waitrose, because they were in direct competition with so many of their organic and alternative health products. I also suggested that Alara’s situation might have been exacerbated by the decision of another powerful high street chain, Holland and Barrett, to triple the size of their existing store in the Brunswick.
I then cited the case of Perhaps Gift Shop, which was suffering from a combination of a new branch of Joy opening in the Brunswick and Waitrose’s decision to stock greetings cards, the main source of income for Perhaps.
I stated that Shoppers News, our longest standing newsagent in Marchmont Street, had also been badly affected by Waitrose’s decision to sell newspapers and greetings cards.
I mentioned that we had also received reports of the Londis store being devoid of customers most of the time. Whilst I confirmed that a number of specialist shops, restaurants and businesses in Marchmont Street, such as Chee Aquatics, Gay’s the Word, Global Talk internet shop, New Bloomsbury Halal, CV Hair and Beauty and Gino’s Hairdresser had not been directly affected by competition from Brunswick stores, they were disappointed that there had not been the anticipated increase in visitor footfall in Marchmont Street on the back of the Brunswick development.
I also described the plight of the proprietor of Creative Gold Jewellers who believes that his business has been seriously affected by the long-protracted delay to works on the Tavistock Place cycle lane and the failure to install new traffic signals which would have given adequate priority to pedestrians who currently avoid crossing the road on his side of the street for their safety reasons.
RICCI DE FREITAS
Chairman
Marchmont Street Association
Marchmont Street, WC1
Editor’s note: The CNJ stands by its original story, but notes Mr de Freitas’s clarification of his comments
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