The dismal reality of shopping in Kettering

Let’s be honest, Kettering will never be the world’s best shopping destination. 

But that doesn’t mean it should go completely downhill either. Despite various attempts over the years to improve facilities and rebrand the town centre, shopping in Kettering is as disappointing as ever.  

Part of Kettering’s problem is the high turnaround of businesses. Most of the newer shops only seem to last for a few months before shutting down, moving premises, or becoming another new store. These constant changes are off-putting for shoppers. Every time I visit the centre there is at least one shop that has shut since the last time I was there. Consequently, we are left with a lot of empty and vacant buildings, and the streets are plagued by ‘for sale’ and ‘to let’ signs. The majority of Kettering’s shops are also relatively small, meaning there is less room for a wider variety of products.

There is also a lack of particularly noteworthy independent retailers or cafés. For example, Kettering has no independent bookshop, and hardly any good-quality independent clothes shops. Even popular shops such as the music store: Intersales don’t seem to last long anymore, posing worrying questions about the future of the independent retailer. Instead, Kettering has been taken over by the chains. High street staples such as Waterstones, W.H. Smith, Costa, Argos, and M&S dominate the town centre. All of this has eroded Kettering’s individuality and is gradually making our town into a clone of countless others across the country.

The moving of the market to the high street has also contributed to the decline of Kettering’s shopping facilities. This is because it has now further alienated the marketplace from the main shopping streets, resulting in even fewer shoppers visiting the marketplace area. In addition the recent rebranding effort, which included the construction of the clock tower in the centre, also seems to have been a waste of money. Instead of spending money on decorative clock towers that only work sporadically, the council should instead be investing more in local businesses and infrastructure.

Similarly, the available transport links are also a contributing factor, and parking is especially problematic. There aren’t enough car parks and it is an absolute nightmare to find a space. Not to mention the ludicrous prices they charge. Although the ‘pop and shop’ spaces are a good idea and they work well, there aren’t nearly enough of them to satisfy the high demand.

However, it’s not all bad. At least Kettering provides a wide selection of charity shops, bargain and discount stores, phone shops, and fast food outlets. Unfortunately though, these aren’t really the types of businesses that will attract people back to the centre; and with a high street like this, is it any wonder that more and more shoppers are abandoning Kettering in favour of the web and other shopping centres like Milton Keynes?

It’s time Kettering faced up to the reality of the situation – before it’s too late.

By Lorna Holland