Shopping
From Bolton Interweb
Bolton town centre used to be a pretty good regional shopping centre, complete with all the chains, two department stores, a couple of covered malls, including a very impressive converted old Market Hall plus the more recently built Crompton Place (formerly an Arndale Centre). The recession seems to have hit hard though and it is a shadow of its former glory with the old Woolworths still empty and too many shops shuttered or with to let signs attached. It doesn't feel right any more and is a sad sight unfortunately. That isn't to say there aren't enough survivors to take your hard earned cash and most of the good stores in the town centre are located near the Market Hall, through to Deansgate and around the Town Hall. The southern end of the main shopping streets was always a bit run-down but the spread of decay is noticeable. It is hard to say whether this is just a low point in the economic cycle but my guess is that a combination of ridiculous parking charges and the influence of the Middlebrook Retail Park and Trafford Centre have inflicted blows that will be nigh impossible to recover from. Bolton Council must respond quickly if it is not to completely disintegrate but perhaps they have already given up. According to their website a new Strategy for Central Bolton is anticipated over 2009/2010. Never happened it seems and their propaganda suggests a case of terminal denial. Mothercare certainly gave up and you have to go to Bury for the nearest branch. A major town centre with no Mothercare; says it all.
There are a number of retail parks on the periphery of the town centre, most of which seem buoyant probably courtesy of free parking. The old Focus DIY site and some empty units on the Trinity Retail Park are the most noticeable eyesores.
The massive out-of-town Middlebrook Retail Park at the Horwich exit of the M61 alongside the Reebok Stadium and Bolton Arena is the second largest retail park in the UK. Something Bolton can be very proud of. It may be a major factor in the demise of the town centre, particularly in recessionary times when supporting two major retail centres is difficult to sustain, but is a genuine success story proven by the difficulty parking even quite late on a Saturday afternoon. Apparently attracting 800,000 shoppers a month visitors with an urge to spend are advised to bypass the town centre and head in this direction. There is a railway station for the car-less.
For food shopping there is a large Marks and Spencer food hall in the centre of town and, unusually, major Morrisons and Sainsburys supermarkets to the southern end of the centre near the railway station, which means people don't have to have a car to buy their groceries.
Though not in Bolton, the massive (1.4 million sq feet) and nationally recognised Trafford Centre is within 15 minutes drive of Bolton via the A666 and M60. By public transport though you would need to get the train into Manchester, change onto the Metrolink, and then get a shuttle bus from Stretford. I've never been there myself but I know plenty of folk who go there rather than the town centre to shop.
About 6 miles from Bolton town centre is Bury town centre. Sorry to say on a website promoting Bolton but Bury is far superior to Bolton when it comes to shopping. A more compact town centre, easier and cheaper to park, all the shops but in smaller versions so quicker to get around, a reasonable number of independent shops, retail parks all around the ring road but within reasonable walking distance, and a massive Tescos (and smaller Asda). Best of all what is claimed to be the "World Famous" Bury Market. Certainly, BBC Best Food Market 2009. In fact every year it seems to win some Best Market award of some kind. Some of the best black pudding anywhere. If you prefer a proper Northern town centre rather than the impersonal retail park or mall, head to Bury to avoid depression. Bury Council are to be commended, where Bolton Council are to be condemned, for town planning that provides what people want in the way of retail parks but keeps the commercial heart in the town centre and where you could just about get away with not having a car.
Just north of Bury is Ramsbottom with its independent shops and sausages to die for - take a trip on the steam train from Bury town centre.
Updated December 2010
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© Evrose, 2011
