People spending less on Bristol city centre businesses |

Comments

Chrisfg-3101

Thursday Nov 24, 2022 - 10:04am

It's true the cost of living crisis is a major factor, but the truly appalling state of Bristol's collapsing bus service is also significantly to blame. I wonder how much of the shortfall in city-centre spending (note 'spending', not 'spend', the latter being a verb) is made up for in increased spending in local centres: has this been investigated? I also note the period covered by this report was the summer, when students were largely absent from the centre, and who are most likely the main customers for city-centre supermarkets. The other main group will be office workers, many of whom are still spending at least part of the working week working from home, and therefore buying fewer lunchtime meal deals. The most worrying aspect of this is the impact reduced spending will have on the hospitality sector, and here the impact of a lousy bus service will be particularly acute, especially as we move into winter. I fear that a number of much loved independent pubs and music venues may not be around come spring.

Calculus-2431

Thursday Nov 24, 2022 - 8:58am

Cost of living may indeed play a part in reduced spending - but Bristol is losing the fight for any remaining spend!. The city centre is basically unappealing. Hard to get to, and a sense of decay and neglect hangs in the air when you do. Will the M&S Arts development help? Maybe, but decisions have to be made, funding found, and the city centre regenerated, probably not primarily as a shopping centre. Those days are over.