[ssiguy]

As I stated before it was not that the Mews had anything particularily interesting but it was very well positioned.

It was the "connector" between Simpsons and Eatons/Wellington Square. Everyone would do the drot between the 2 and the Mews offered refuge from the weather helped avoid having to walk down King, and had parking. Despite it rather dark and uninviting interior it had a LOT of pedestrian traffic due to it's lcoation between the 2 big dept stores.

I think the big box stores have not hurt downtown but.....wait for it........actually helped it. It is the malls that have been hurt by these "super" centres. They offer the same free parking but bigger stores with lower prices due to their size and not having to pay the high lease costs of the malls.

The downtown association has done an excellent job of turning downtown around by finally acknowleging that it cannot compete with big box so it decided not to. I'm glad they haven't gone after any big stores as they are doom to fail, The City decided that instead of competing for the same clientele they would instead go after the unique and niche shoppers. That is one area where the big box stores cannot compete with downtown not only in unique stores, restaurants, and services but also in a more unique shopping experience.

This is why The Market, Talbot, Richmond Row, and Wortley Village are so successful......they offer the kind of shopping and entertainment experience that no mall or big box can ever offer. By deliberately not trying to entice the larger retailers it reinforced the idea that downtown was the place for people who, quite literally, think outside the box.

The big box stores and downtown are doing well because they aren't competing for the same clientelle or the same shopping experience. The City by building Budweiser, The Market, improving the buildings, encouraging cafes, more public entertainment and art, encouraging downtown residential growth, and enticing unique entertainment, restaurants, and shopping alternatives has made the downtown "cool" again.

Downtown is unrecognizable from what it was in the 1990s and has become a vibrant and interesting area. Downtown has done a complete 180 and that is not only proven by how people's attitudes have changed downtown but also by pedestrian traffic...........everytime I go back I notice how much busier the streets were than the last time I went.

Living there you may not notice it but if you were away and came back every few years, like myself, you really would notice it.

Downtown's view is that if you can't beat em then don't bother trying and that is a damn good philosophy and has positioned the downtown very well. Considering London's size and the weak economy, downtown is doing remarkably well.

It is the malls that have declined while the big box have flourished because in stead of appealing to everyone it appeals to no one. They cannot compete on price with the big box and yet don't offer anything interesting or alternative like downtown does...........it's no man's land.

This is not unique to London but has been taking place in every city on the continent...........downtowns are beginning to blossom with new energy, people, and alternative scenes at the same time the big box stores are........they both are flourishing because they are completely different demographics.

Only a few main malls will continue in most cities but their time has basically come and gone and it is not at all unique to London.