What DO we want on Northcote Road??? Locked

[schoolgatesmum]

It really saddens me that people are suggesting huge chains to come to Northcote Road. What (used to!) make Northcote Road unique was that it was mainly independents. So many people have now moved to the area I assume because of Northcote Road and schools. If even more big chains move in Northcote Road will just become another upmarket high street. Come on - support your local independents rather than wish for a Kings Road on your doorstep (you can jump on the 319 for that).

[juliantenniscoach]

hear hear!

[livegreen]

Well said schoolgatesmum.
We are very lucky with the fantastic mix we have on the Northcote Road and a trip on the 319 or 49 will quickly get you to the larger and even more upmarket shops of Kings Road and Knightsbridge.
The new Italian Deli looks like a great addition and although we all agree that there are too many estate agents they do help ensure that there are no boarded up shop fronts which is great.

All do continue to use local independents where possible and keep our area desirable.

[supergirl]

Slightly off topic i know but Battersea doesnt start and finish on northcote rd. Queenstown Rd has lovely shops, cafes and restaurants, St John Hill is also a nice place to go, lavender hill has some nice shops too (Wonderworld of Wishes being one of them), a french bookstore on taybridge rd and a little further away clapham old town and Abbeville Rd, All Farthing Lane, wtc. All are walking distance or a short bus ride (and we have no shortage of buses)!

[schoolgatesmum]

Completely agree Supergirl. Each of those places has its own unique feeling about it. And I think most of them are independent shops. I would hazard a guess that a lot of the people wanting big chains to come to Northcote Road don't actually use any of those though. I was amazed that someone was suggesting a Pizza Express - there is a Pizza Express on Lavender Hill which has been there for years. Surely it's not that far to go from Northcote Road! But with fewer people using local independents Northcote Road will just become another high street.

[supergirl]

I am with you schoolgatemum! It is indeed slightly more expensive to go to independant stores but sooo much nicer. You get to talk to people who obviously care about their community because they have invested their money and hardwork in their community by opening a business, sometimes for years and sometimes recently. Lets not forget that behing any independant budinesses there are women, men, children, who work hard ro make end meet (they are not huge chains with huge profits), and they smile and care about their customers...

[supergirl]

I dont mean the children are working hard but that mist businesses are family owned businesses and that the people who owned them have children... I know what it is like to grow up in a family where one or both parents own a business and the level of reward and stress it brings home...

[juliantenniscoach]

Wow recession? what recession? I had the rare opportunity to walk down Northcote Road on a Saturday afternoon and was staggered to see how busy the shops were. Only the Estate Agents were quiet and I'm not meaning to be snide about that.

Took 'daughter with a sore throat' for a Frozen Yoghurt or Ice Cream treat. She chose the new Italian Ice Cream store which was packed and we had 2 very yummy ice creams. When you hear Italian and Russian accents in an ice cream shop, it's usually good.

You can see why all the chainstores want to get in on Northcote Road. Believe this or not but I was told by someone who should be in the know, that Space NK was always the 2nd or 3rd highest grossing store in the UK. That is a 'wow'.

[WandsworthResident]

I just wanted to recommend the new deli / coffee place on Northcote Rd that's opened in what used to be Stem & Petal.

I went in yesterday morning and as the first customer was treated to an enormous latte, which was excellent! The place looks great, it has a lovely garden space outside and the guy running it was very friendly and said he was really excited to be opening up his new business.

Great that small independent businesses are still opening on Northcote Rd.

[Gayville]

Like everyone else, a bank with a cash machine that doesn't charge, a post office, a decent corner shop at the bottom of Northcote Road ie where the SDS empire currently resides, and where there used to be a really good local shop run by Pip. We could do with a shop selling groceries, papers, lightbulbs, that type of stuff.
And on a wish list, I'm surprised we haven't already got White Company and Brora given the high amounts of disposal income around the commons. Somewhere like HMV would be great too.
it's just so depressing to see yet another estate agent moving in, though apparently there are fewer than there were ten years ago, when there were around 14 - now there are about nine.
And we don't need any more pregnancy clothes shops, baby shops or flipping pottery making shops.

[supergirl]

20 min on the 319 to sloane sq snd you find gap, brora, white cie, zara, etc.

[schoolgatesmum]

The trouble is Gayville that I question whether that type of shop would survive. People like the idea of having a nice little grocery for the occasional use but most people just get everything from the supermarket and complain that the local grocer charges too much. You have to use a local shop a lot to keep it afloat - margins are low and rents are high. Unfortunately I don't think there are enough people round here who would use it - but I'd love to be proven wrong!

[juliantenniscoach]

The Spar next to Dandelion sells most convenience foods, and all sorts of things. Yes it costs more but that's why it's called 'convenience' so there aren't any grounds to complain about a higher item price.

I mean seriously, how many times would you actually shop at Brora to justify replacing a really useful, handy shop like Spar?

[juliantenniscoach]

R.I.P. Fenn Wright Manson. Gone bust, closing down, all done. Wonder who will the next business on the site? Any bets?

[Pod]

TH - OMG I had completely forgotten about Kelly's Organics - or as you named it "Deli Organic" lol - it was where Space NK is now wasn't it? Loved that place!
Dandelion does some lovely things though!
I would also love an Asian noodle bar/supermarket - Amaranth in earlsfield is my top pick, but their sister shop closed, but they sell great kits and asian supplies in their take away place next to the restaurant.