What DO we want on Northcote Road??? Locked

[Alchemy]

Starbucks has closed (permanently), apparently in 20 years they only managed to make a profit once.

[boonkoh]

Starbucks has closed (permanently), apparently in 20 years they only managed to make a profit once.

I noticed that too today, when driving past. Anyone know if there is already another shop in line to replace them?

Looks like Starbucks is struggling across NVN. Now both Starbucks closed on Northcote Road, and also the one in Balham. There is still one in the CJ station though.

In other news, the Macellaio RC restaurant has now opened up a restaurant in central London, in Fitzrovia. I believe they're doing 50% off soft launch offer until the end of October for anyone interested...

[szerma]

I can also say Manifesto is a hit with my family, even though I wouldn’t have gone to that end of Northcote Road otherwise. My nearly 5 year old and 2 year old love it and demanded it this weekend after eating there last weekend.
Agree the decor is stark but it’s nice and clean (and so are the toilets) and an easy meal with the kids.

Warrens is nice too, and indeed more reasonably priced than Gail’s. However, both times I have been there, I found them really slow on table clearing and cleaning have other people felt the same? Not nice to sit at a dirty table...

There are so many empty units now - I really feel like we could easily have more reasonably priced kids shops (kids next or baby gap would do well!) or restaurants with different cuisines (I am desperate for Mexican, good Japanese and Chinese dim sum! Yo sushi would do so well I think with families! ). Does anyone know what will be happening with the Jan unit?

[Alchemy]

There's a new cafe at the quiet end of Northcote Road, at number 184 (opposite SDS). It's called Uncommon Cafe and is well worth a visit -- excellent cakes and smoothies, good coffee, and friendly service.

[Ratski]

Starbucks has closed (permanently), apparently in 20 years they only managed to make a profit once.

I noticed that too today, when driving past. Anyone know if there is already another shop in line to replace them?

Looks like Starbucks is struggling across NVN. Now both Starbucks closed on Northcote Road, and also the one in Balham. There is still one in the CJ station though.

In other news, the Macellaio RC restaurant has now opened up a restaurant in central London, in Fitzrovia. I believe they're doing 50% off soft launch offer until the end of October for anyone interested... 

Starbucks are moving away from been a creche for the fake workers who sit in coffee shops sipping one coffee every four hours so they can use the free wifi. 

All the new Starbuck outlets have minimal seating if any. 

 

[David]

I understand the Starbucks building on on St John's Road (the one that closed a few months back) is in a poor condition, and may well be demolished completely and replaced with a new but broadly similar-looking building. 

In almost-Northcote-Road retail news, Flying Tiger (formerly just known as Tiger - there's already one in Southside) are taking on the old Maplin unit on St John's Road.  It's an unusual business, that seems to replicate a small part of the Ikea odds-and-ends area, but a browsable place and probably a good way to draw a little footfall further along the road towards Northcote.

And somewhat further afield, Whole Foods on Lavender Hill are likely to be expanding, taking on the long-closed-down (and, currently, run down and filthy) loan shop that's next door to their current premises.

I'm wondering if the old Carphone Warehouse on the corner of Battersea Rise will be demolished and rebuilt with something on the upper levels.  It's closed, and that building (I presume some sort of either bomb site infill, or maybe the consequenc eof some historic realignment of the road junction, akin to the Lavender Hill / Latchmere road realignment) is a bit of an eyesore.

Hopefully our Debenhams is safe in the forthcoming closure round.  As a historic department store it's not got the layout the company would really want, but it's busy (indeed a lot busier, as far as I can tell, than the larger and altogether more modern Wandsworth branch) and in a very good catchment. It could do with some work on presentation and range, but it remains an important part of the overall retail picture - and in drawing wider customers to CJ / Northcote / etc.  But having two branches within a mile or so is a bit tricky... 

[this_is_cat]

The old Jan has opened today as a Whisky and Scottish food restaurant

They were giving out samples of their food and drink today and it was all fabulous, and they seem to be very keen to make their mark on the community

The restaurant is part of a Whiskey society with a members club in the city but they want this to be more of a neighbourhood place and will adapt their opening hours to what seems popular

The menu looks excellent and we can’t wait to have a proper meal here!

[LoveShoes]

Another empty shop on the Northcote Road.  Apparently Between the Lines just packed up and left last week.  

[addled]

Another empty shop on the Northcote Road.  Apparently Between the Lines just packed up and left last week.  

Shops close because they're not making a profit.  It always astounds me when people bemoan the fact that independant shops close and the chains move in, and if you dig a little it becomes apparent that the same people didnt bother shopping there in the first place, therefore didnt support the closed shop that they're whining about.  In Battersea even the chains are closing; Starbucks have moved on, likely suffering from saturation in the trend they started, and even Jamie Oliver couldnt rinse enough out of Nappy Valley to make it worth his while (people gullible enough to actually pay someone to teach them to cook spag bol or boil polenta?)

"I can't believe it, another local pub/post office/shop is closing; such a tragedy!!!!"
Oh,... did you ever use them?
"Oh no,... they were far too expensive; we always went to Asda".

Indies like Philglass, Hamish Johnston seem to do well because they fill a niche, and the best of luck to them.

[CharlotteWStar]

Between the Lines card shop has already been leased and will apparently become a Newbie children’s wear shop.

[Tigger]

Between the Lines card shop has already been leased and will apparently become a Newbie children’s wear shop.

Yawn yawn yawn, when will they learn that these kidswear shops just don't work - Mayoral, Jacadi and an endless revolving door of hopeful shop owners who think that all nappy valley wants is posh kids clothes shops.  If you really want to hit the right demographic then how about something like Gap kids - at least that's vaguely affordable.

The same goes with all the burger and pizza joints now - doesn't anyone have any imagination?  

[Tigger]

So it looks like Starbucks will become Joe & The Juice, Babel has been bought by Archer Street, and the old Ultraviolet site is going to become another cafe by the name of Bluebird Brothers.

[juliantenniscoach]

There's a new cafe at the quiet end of Northcote Road, at number 184 (opposite SDS). It's called Uncommon Cafe and is well worth a visit -- excellent cakes and smoothies, good coffee, and friendly service.

Yep second this.  Had a very nice coffee or two on Friday.  Nice bright space outback too.

[BFW]

So sad to see Opus closing down too. So many empty sites on northcote road ....

[juliantenniscoach]

Jack Wills has gone into the night. No sign on door just very empty shop. Again I’d have thought this area was the ideal target market but guess I was wrong.