Justin, what you say is confirmed exactly by a couple of local retailers I've spoken to recently. C9 has had little impact on trade either way in their view apart from the south side of the High Road where there are fewer businesses anyway.
Landlords are having to offer attractive leases to new tenants to allow them to see if they can operate profitably and, in a lot of cases, this has proven not to be the case. Manor Springs appears likely to be the next one to come and go and Pianta seems never to be open. Mountain Warehouse is having a 'Closing Down for refit' sale which may be to put the store into mothballs over the quieter summer months and avoid rates.
Whatever your view of David, and I think we can all agree he supplied excellent cakes, he is right that times remain tough for local businesses and if you want independent ones to survive you should lose them or prepare to lose them.
Andrew OSullivan ● 1603d