Thursday, May 28
New Woodworking shop
Cycled over to Cowplain this week and noticed one of the small shop units being set up as a little ole 'hardware' shop, with a specific bias towards woodwork. When i walked passed i noticed some quality tools hanging from the walls and the fitters getting the shop ready for opening. Can't remember the name of the shop, but it looks like an independent and it opens on Monday, 1st June.
Hope they do well, at least the owners won't get deranged abusive comments of the sort that Planet Trash got when it opened in Waterlooville.
(Added 1/06/09) - I can confirm that the new 'hardware' shop in Cowplain is called 'Big On Wood'. They have a catalog in the shop a bit like 'Argos' and they can order items for collection the following day.
The shop sells more domestic type of products than the web site would suggest. Including door furniture (handles, latches, hinges etc.), saw blades, drills, gardening equipment etc.
(Added 18/06/10) - Looks like this shop has closed down and been replaced by something else. The last time I passed through Cowplain I couldn't see it.
4 comments:
Sounds great!! about time too
what sort of comments did Planet Trash recieve? I liked that shop i used to pop in to chat to the lady who owned it I was gutted when it shut. OPEN YOUR EYES 'looville!
Danners
Hi Danners,
I to used to go into the Planet Trash shop and chat to the owner.
She said some people would go into the shop and just say that she shouldn't be selling 'trash' or that they pay the council to recycle stuff so why were they selling rubbish etc.
Basically some people didn't understand it. I guess people think something should look new if you pay 'good' money for something, they aren't interested in the labour that went into making it.
Also the other shop owners appeared to be a bit hostile towards them.
What is strange is that most stuff you buy, contains recycled materials anyway!
I think the name of the shop was probably provocative, I think they could have chosen a more subtle name. But they already had an internet business called 'Planet Trash' (and still do), so they decided to try it out as a high street shop.
Another issue was rent and council tax. I believe their rent was about £1000 per month and £600 per month for council tax.
Can you imagine trying to start a new innovative business with those costs hanging over your head every month?
You can only do it with a high turn over business with loads of customers coming through the doors everyday.
It explains why so many shops on our high street shops are quick profit trashy shops, that basically sell junk that doesn't last long.
Something i need to check into is to find out if land lords pay council tax when a retail property is empty. Because it seems illogical to chuck tenants out and leave a property empty for months or years, if instead you could take a lower rent from an existing customer until you get a better one.
If they can afford to leave a property empty, there is something wrong somewhere.
yes i recall her saying that now. I purchased a few really cool things in there as gifts and I know they're still being used well to this day so their wasn't a quality issue.
I guess the name could have had a little more thought put into it I agree!
I know the council tax is horrendous on those units! I have chatted to the guy in groom barbers about it. The council wouldn't even take away municiple waste and he had to hire a firm to take the hair cuttings etc away. I think the council are also billing them for that 're-development' near the library end of the precinct. the shops do look tidier but the rest of it is a bit of a waste of time!
PLanet trash would have done well in Brighton or Chichester, somewhere with money, awareness and open to quirky products
Danners
The shop is called 'Big On Wood'.
Nice people running it and they started off as an internet business:
www.bigonwood.co.uk
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