That Starbucks is likely to open one of their largest ever coffee shops in Northampton not so long after they claimed repeatedly that a Starbucks in Northampton at all wasn’t a viable prospect! So far we got the first drive through which is always heaving and another outlet at sixfields!
Of course, I am thinking perhaps we need more than coffee to sustain the town centre, some decent chain and independent stores is what we really need! We are a county town struggling to be a village! These places shouldn’t have to think too long about coming here, it should be unthinkable to them that they’re not here. It would also help if the management and ownership of the Grosvenor Centre had the first clue how to attract and keep new concepts and established brands. Losing existing high profile stores such as the Disney Store & House of Fraser is plain idiotic. Failing to cement the deal on Ed’s Diner is just as stupid! Yes, we have a lovely shiny Primark and Next but, we had those stores already. It may have been a coup for the management to steal them from Market Walk and Abington Street but, it does not a lot if anything for the town and how we’re perceived. Right now, if I were choosing a town to live in based on the town centre, I’d give Northampton not one moment of my consideration, it just doesn’t offer what so many other towns do. For a County Town, that’s just unacceptable!