On Nov 15, 11:52*pm, Theo Markettos theom
wrote:

In uk.railway solar penguin wrote:

OTOH that's probably not relevant. *Tourists laden down with suitcases
and in a hurry to catch a plane, are less likely to go upstairs and
look around shops. *Plenty of time for that in the departure lounge
later.

But a commuter who's just missed his one-an-hour train back home to
somewhere on the south coast might want to kill time in the shops
while waiting for the next one.

I wonder whether Waterloo's shopping fortunes have declined significantly
since the departure of Eurostar? *The various clothing shops (Monsoon etc)
seem to fit more with the international traveller market than commuters
(though perhaps TM Lewin for the 'need a clean shirt for the office' market)

Yes, Victoria has Buckingham Palace. *But Waterloo has the London Eye
(or whatever it's calling itself this week) as well as the Aquarium
and the IMAX. *And it's probably more convenient for Big Ben and
Trafalgar Square too.

But do tourists lurk around railway stations for shopping purposes? *Mosey
around stalls on the South Bank, perhaps. *I can't see them popping upstairs
at Waterloo to buy a T-shirt depicting a Routemaster then taking a trip on
the London Eye.

St Pancras can get away with it as it's a shopping hub for residents of the
Railway Lands development around KX plus (to some extent) the area around
the station - Old St Pancras, Bloomsbury, etc. *The housing around Waterloo
is (AFAICS) mostly social housing - not exactly prime targets for upmarket
shopping malls.

Plenty of wealthy enough folk around Waterloo - obviously those who
travel into Waterloo from 'Surrey stockbroker belt' etc, but also
those who work nearby - many media and other businesses in the area on
and around the South Bank, and indeed play nearby - multiple cultural
attractions such as the Old and Young Vic, the South Bank Centre, the
NT, the NFT, plus all the various upper end eateries e.g. Anchor &
Hope gastro pub on The Cut, Baltic just off it etc. Plus I can assure
you there are some rather affluent residents around there too.