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StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
Since the big day, retail fit-out works at London St Pancras have
proceeded at varying speeds. In order of progress the situation is as follows: * More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational * The Circle area is now partially exposed - the ceiling and floor are by and large complete, and some units (notably the Boots concept store that car park and toilet users pass on the way) are being stocked * The Market is now expected to open in the summer as LCR/NR have provisionally selected an operator and are negotiating the contract (info given over the phone) * The Rendezvous units are still being worked on (except the four nearest the MML concourse (and the Champagne Bar of course), which are already operational) - the Brasserie is now expected to open in thr autumn (latter part of paragraph given over the phone) All in all, it's progress, but it's very slow. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 18 Mar, 12:42, Sky Rider wrote:
Since the big day, retail fit-out works at London St Pancras have proceeded at varying speeds. In order of progress the situation is as follows: * More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational * The Circle area is now partially exposed - the ceiling and floor are by and large complete, and some units (notably the Boots concept store that car park and toilet users pass on the way) are being stocked * The Market is now expected to open in the summer as LCR/NR have provisionally selected an operator and are negotiating the contract (info given over the phone) * The Rendezvous units are still being worked on (except the four nearest the MML concourse (and the Champagne Bar of course), which are already operational) - the Brasserie is now expected to open in thr autumn (latter part of paragraph given over the phone) All in all, it's progress, but it's very slow. I'd imagine they've slowed down. When they were rushing to get the thing open it would have been all hands on deck. But once it became clear that many of the retail facilities were going to miss the deadline regardless, they probably didn't care whether they missed it by three months or a year - and a year will almost ceertainly be cheaper to achieve. Jonn |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
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StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 18 Mar, 12:42, Sky Rider wrote:
* More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. (and how long was the big Marks and Spencer open for? It opened after the station and closed again at least a month ago, so it can't have more than a few weeks. Deserted too) U -- http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/ A blog about transport projects in London |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
Mr Thant wrote:
Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. I haven't paid particular attention to the boutique staff but I know what you mean. The book shop looked moderately busy when I last saw it. I have to say that I am rather partial to the Peyton and Byrne chocolate cake, although their rather basic seating leaves a lot to be desired. Camden Food are OK but a raspberry muffin I bought from them at Euston was like a rubbish fairy cake with two small raspberries on the top... (and how long was the big Marks and Spencer open for? It opened after the station and closed again at least a month ago, so it can't have more than a few weeks. Deserted too) The big M&S store was probably open for about a month before they mothballed it. I do hope they reopen it soon because as much as I like the food that Le Pain Quotidien and their ilk offer, M&S generally sell similar quality goodies for less since they are not just a bakery/cafe/etc. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Tue, 18 Mar 2008, Sky Rider wrote:
Mr Thant wrote: Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. I haven't paid particular attention to the boutique staff but I know what you mean. The book shop looked moderately busy when I last saw it. I have to say that I am rather partial to the Peyton and Byrne chocolate cake, Their scotch egg is also very good indeed. tom -- Any problem in computer science can be solved with another layer of indirection. But that usually will create another problem. -- David Wheeler |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
.li... On Tue, 18 Mar 2008, Sky Rider wrote: Mr Thant wrote: Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. I haven't paid particular attention to the boutique staff but I know what you mean. The book shop looked moderately busy when I last saw it. I have to say that I am rather partial to the Peyton and Byrne chocolate cake, Their scotch egg is also very good indeed. tom -- Any problem in computer science can be solved with another layer of indirection. But that usually will create another problem. -- David Wheeler No likelihood then of a resurrection of the Two Ronnies joke about the rare sighting of the Great South American Dung Beetle ......... just been spotted trying to roll a Scotch Egg out of Waterloo station buffet |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 07:12:36AM -0700, Mr Thant wrote:
On 18 Mar, 12:42, Sky Rider wrote: * More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. Gosh, I wonder why. Perhaps it's because people go to railway stations to catch trains, not to go shopping. -- David Cantrell | Enforcer, South London Linguistic Massive Deck of Cards: $1.29. "101 Solitaire Variations" book: $6.59. Cheap replacement for the one thing Windows is good at: priceless -- Shane Lazarus |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
Have they fixed the heating problem yet? Last time I had a look around
the shops there they had no heating at all - the only place where it seemed to work was in the Eurostar ticket office. Some shops had signs blaming a general problem across the station. I have to say I'm very disappointed that the shops, restaurants and market are taking so long to complete. I was also very disappointed with the lack of facilities once you've gone through security in the Eurostar terminal itself. I seem to remember there was one tiny cafe and one tiny WH Smith (with an enormous queue). Still a gorgeous station though and fantastic to have such quick trains to Europe. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Mar 19, 9:49*pm, wrote:
fantastic to have such quick trains to Europe. Is it not already in Europe then ? -- Nick |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Mar 19, 9:49*pm, wrote:
Have they fixed the heating problem yet? Last time I had a look around the shops there they had no heating at all - the only place where it seemed *to work was in the Eurostar ticket office. Some shops had signs blaming a general problem across the station. I have to say I'm very disappointed that the shops, restaurants and market are taking so long to complete. I was also very disappointed with the lack of facilities once you've gone through security in the Eurostar terminal itself. I seem to remember there was one tiny cafe and one tiny WH Smith (with an enormous queue). Still a gorgeous station though and fantastic to have such quick trains to Europe. When I was being shown around the site a few years ago, with a party of interested locals, the guides were clearly disappointed that the only reaction they were getting to their descriptions of grand retail facilities was a muted "so I won't be able to afford to live around here any more". It's typical of a development which is designed to exclude, rather than provide for the needs of, the local community. They need grocery shops, post offices, libraries etc etc etc, not overpriced sandwich bars and tie shops. Travellers, in the meantime, need quick and easy interchanges to help them get to where they are really going, and places to sit while they are waiting. Reports suggest that they haven't exactly got these things. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 19 Mar, 18:30, David Cantrell wrote:
On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 07:12:36AM -0700, Mr Thant wrote: On 18 Mar, 12:42, Sky Rider wrote: * More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. Gosh, I wonder why. *Perhaps it's because people go to railway stations to catch trains, not to go shopping. For anyone whos interested, I did this survey of the number of customers in each shop at St Pancras at 6pm today Upstairs The Baby Betjamin 28 Champagne Bar 177 WH Smiths 11 Camden Food Company 24 West Cornwall Pasty Co 2 AMT 14 Downstairs Benugo 52 Chopd 29 Fossil 0 Neuhaus 8 Neis Yard Remedies 2 Rituals 2 Marks and Spencer 59 Hotels 0 Currency Exchange 4 WH Smith 14 Paperchase 12 Body Shop 5 Accesorise 8 Costa 51 Crepe Affaire 12 Le Pain Quotidien 111 Paul 11 Pink 0 LK Bennet 6 Foyles 26 Hamleys 7 Isle Flowers 1 Wilton and Noble 3 Peyton and Byrne 19 I make that 254 customers upstairs and 434 downstairs. I have no idea how that compares for a building that size. Seemed like a lot in the food and drink places, not many in the clothes shops. Wilton and Noble had 6 staff to serve its 3 customers. M+S was mobbed - queue snaking around the store. Rob |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
In message
, at 15:23:36 on Thu, 20 Mar 2008, Rob remarked: M+S was mobbed - queue snaking around the store. It's the only shop where you can buy a range of things for a "packed lunch" on the train (and is a replacement for the ever popular "Whistlestop" - it's a shame there isn't a real "Whistlestop" any more, one upstairs by the EMT platforms would be a good idea). And of course it's also the only place to buy something to take home to cook. Some of the other shops have limited selections of items. -- Roland Perry |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Roland Perry" wrote in message ... In message , at 15:23:36 on Thu, 20 Mar 2008, Rob remarked: M+S was mobbed - queue snaking around the store. It's the only shop where you can buy a range of things for a "packed lunch" on the train (and is a replacement for the ever popular "Whistlestop" - it's a shame there isn't a real "Whistlestop" any more, one upstairs by the EMT platforms would be a good idea). It's also one of the few that doesn't "charge three time as much for ready food" because it's on a railway station. tim |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Mr Thant" wrote in message
... (and how long was the big Marks and Spencer open for? It opened after the station and closed again at least a month ago, so it can't have more than a few weeks. Deserted too) Anyone know why they closed it? An insufficiency of customers? Will it be coming back? |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 21 Mar, 11:45, "news outlook" wrote:
Anyone know why they closed it? * An insufficiency of customers? There were more staff than customers the few times I went in, and it was a big shop filled with mostly very perishable stock, so must have cost a fortune to keep open. Will it be coming back? It was the only shop in that part of the station open to customers, and a long way from anywhere passengers would be wandering past. This will change with the opening of the Kent platforms and the tunnel to the Northern Ticket Hall. I'd expect it to reopen when the other shops at that end of the station do, though they don't seem in any hurry. U -- http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/ A blog about transport projects in London |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 18 Mar, 14:12, Mr Thant
wrote: On 18 Mar, 12:42, Sky Rider wrote: * More than four-fifths of the Arcade units are now operational Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. (and how long was the big Marks and Spencer open for? It opened after the station and closed again at least a month ago, so it can't have more than a few weeks. Deserted too) U --http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/ A blog about transport projects in London I looked in at a posh chocolate shop in the arcade this week. Knocking out half Easter eggs filled with little, silver-paper-wrapped "filled" eggs, in a posh plastic bag. Advertised weight was 500g, yours for only £35. Yep, £70/kilo. I looked, but I don't remember seeing anything for less than about £15 - and that was a small box of chocs. Think I'll stick to Cadburys with the odd visit to Thorntons. Rob. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
It's also one of the few that doesn't "charge three time as much for ready
food" because it's on a railway station. Though, presumably, that's only because they charge three times as much everywhere else anyway! LEWIS |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Mar 21, 1:15 pm, "Lew 1" wrote:
It's also one of the few that doesn't "charge three time as much for ready food" because it's on a railway station. Though, presumably, that's only because they charge three times as much everywhere else anyway! Agreed. I occasionally wander into the WhistleStop at King's Cross (platform 8), grimace at the prices (especially for beer and wine), and wander down the platform to visit M&S Simply Food instead. PaulO |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Mar 21, 12:09 pm, Mr Thant
wrote: On 21 Mar, 11:45, "news outlook" wrote: Anyone know why they closed it? An insufficiency of customers? There were more staff than customers the few times I went in, and it was a big shop filled with mostly very perishable stock, so must have cost a fortune to keep open. Will it be coming back? It was the only shop in that part of the station open to customers, and a long way from anywhere passengers would be wandering past. This will change with the opening of the Kent platforms and the tunnel to the Northern Ticket Hall. I'd expect it to reopen when the other shops at that end of the station do, though they don't seem in any hurry. M&S made a valiant effort to attract people to visit it, with staff hanging around the station handing out vouchers for free pastries. Presumably it wasn't enough. (The only reason I went there was to avoid the queues in the much-busier M&S Simply Food in the "arcade"). PaulO |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
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StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first
customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"lonelytraveller" wrote in message ... Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? tim |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
Is it not already in Europe then ?
-- Nick No. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
They need grocery shops, post offices, libraries etc etc etc,
They are due to turn up in 2014. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"tim (not at home)" wrote in message ... "lonelytraveller" wrote in message ... Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? It's because Eurostar are still pretending they are a ground level airline, so they need to have the same range of rip-off merchants you find at an airport? Paul |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:28:30 +0000, tim \(not at home\) wrote
Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Stimpy" wrote in message . co.uk... On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:28:30 +0000, tim \(not at home\) wrote Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' Then surely their butler would be procuring said shirts from somewhere more upmarket than a railway station concourse. tim |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"tim (not at home)" wrote Then surely their butler would be procuring said shirts from somewhere more upmarket than a railway station concourse. That's not the butler's job. The valet or gentleman's gentleman, perhaps. Peter |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Peter Masson" wrote in message ... "tim (not at home)" wrote Then surely their butler would be procuring said shirts from somewhere more upmarket than a railway station concourse. That's not the butler's job. The valet or gentleman's gentleman, perhaps. Yes, my mistake tim |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:36:50 +0000, tim \(not at home\) wrote
Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' Then surely their butler would be procuring said shirts from somewhere more upmarket than a railway station concourse. Depends on the cost I suppose. Everyone has a different price point for these things |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Fri, 21 Mar 2008, tim (not at home) wrote:
"lonelytraveller" wrote in message ... Although some of the more boutiquey shops look yet to get their first customer. There's a posh shirt shop on the west side where the staff looked suicidal last time I passed. The food shops are doing well. Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? Because they've just bought tickets to the continent, and now haven't got a shirt on their back? Hmm. Does this shop specialise in one-armed shirts? And, if they do trousers, one-legged ones? Is a one-legged pair of trousers just a trouser? tom -- got EXPERTISE in BADASS BRAIN FREEZE |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Mar 21, 7:43 pm, Stimpy wrote:
On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:28:30 +0000, tim \(not at home\) wrote Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' Thomas Pink isn't that "posh" anyway. Its like Austin Reed. They market themselves to those individuals who think they've got more class than they have. All they have going for them is the fact that they named themselves after a tailor who had a colour named after him. |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:05:44 +0000, lonelytraveller wrote
To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' Thomas Pink isn't that "posh" anyway. Its like Austin Reed. They market themselves to those individuals who think they've got more class than they have. All they have going for them is the fact that they named themselves after a tailor who had a colour named after him. The shop is only a Thomas Pink?? That's on the same level as M&S in the 'posh-shirt' stakes. The way people were talking about it, I assumed it was some dreadfully upmarket London-based store of which we country bumpkins would be ignorant :-) |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
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StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:55:13 -0700 (PDT), Paul Oter
wrote: M&S made a valiant effort to attract people to visit it, with staff hanging around the station handing out vouchers for free pastries. Presumably it wasn't enough. (The only reason I went there was to avoid the queues in the much-busier M&S Simply Food in the "arcade"). I remember some publicity before the opening which suggested that there's be an M & S within St Pancras with a reasonable range of both food and clothing. So I was surprised , on my one visit there, to find most of the space given over to food and only a very limited range of clothing. And in the absence of other shops open in the area it wasn't going to attract much passing trade; I went in partly out of curiosity, partly because I was changing between Thameslink amd the suburban platforms at Kings Cross. Martin |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
In message , at 10:41:08 on
Sun, 23 Mar 2008, Martin Rich remarked: I remember some publicity before the opening which suggested that there's be an M & S within St Pancras with a reasonable range of both food and clothing. There's an M&S near me, about the same size as the one in The Circle, and it's approx 25% "housewares and clothes", and the rest is food. Such stores aren't new, there was one just like it at least 12 years ago in Surbiton (near the A3, not the station). -- Roland Perry |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
"Roland Perry" wrote in message ... In message , at 10:41:08 on Sun, 23 Mar 2008, Martin Rich remarked: I remember some publicity before the opening which suggested that there's be an M & S within St Pancras with a reasonable range of both food and clothing. There's an M&S near me, about the same size as the one in The Circle, and it's approx 25% "housewares and clothes", and the rest is food. Such stores aren't new, there was one just like it at least 12 years ago in Surbiton (near the A3, not the station). The place is called Tolworth And it's been there quite a few more years than 12. tim |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
On 22 Mar, 21:05, lonelytraveller
wrote: On Mar 21, 7:43 pm, Stimpy wrote: On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:28:30 +0000, tim \(not at home\) wrote Look at the prices of those shirts, they only need to sell 3 a day, and they've paid their staff wages already. Tax and unit rental won't be more than another couple of shirts, etc. but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train? To some, they're not 'posh shirts', they're just 'shirts' Thomas Pink isn't that "posh" anyway. Its like Austin Reed. They market themselves to those individuals who think they've got more class than they have. All they have going for them is the fact that they named themselves after a tailor who had a colour named after him. It is if you're a regular King's Cross user and thought having a Swatch kiosk was posh. U |
StP retail fit-out - still a work in progress
In message , at 15:02:11 on Sun, 23
Mar 2008, "tim (not at home)" remarked: There's an M&S near me, about the same size as the one in The Circle, and it's approx 25% "housewares and clothes", and the rest is food. Such stores aren't new, there was one just like it at least 12 years ago in Surbiton (near the A3, not the station). The place is called Tolworth The postal address is Surbiton, but yes the local area is called Tolworth. And it's been there quite a few more years than 12. I'm sure it has. I've only know it for 12 though (hence my use of the words "at least"). -- Roland Perry |
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