Use Us Or Lose Us!
Mike Scothern of electrical retailers Harry Garlick, discusses the fight to keep retail on the high street
Some time ago I mentioned in a rival publication how difficult retailing on the high street is becoming. With the advent of the internet and out of town shopping areas, many town centres have become a shadow of their former selves.
Now with the after effect of the Covid pandemic, the high street may well have changed forever. No longer is it the place to go for your everyday needs, but more the place you go for a coffee or a snack.
High streets in general and Clitheroe in particular, are in danger of becoming no more than meeting places, with local shops and services becoming a thing of the past. In Clitheroe now, our high street is dominated by cafes, coffee shops and charity shops. I have nothing against these establishments, but just over half of the stores on Clitheroe’s high street are now (what I would call) proper retail.
My mantra for years has been ‘use us or lose us’ and never has that been truer. In recent times we have seen more than one retail store close, and that is after the recent improvements in the town. There are now approximately 15 units standing empty in central Clitheroe.
At Harry Garlick’s we are lucky, we have many loyal customers who have used our store for all their electrical needs since our early days in Swan Courtyard. They enjoy going into the store and seeing our experienced sales team – their knowledge is second to none – and they will do their best to help customers keep their old appliances going as well as give them great advice when updating or renewing.
Harry Garlick is part of the Sirius buying group, that gives us the ability to purchase products at the best possible prices, which along with our 64,000 sq. ft warehouse ensures that we carry a large stockholding, enabling us to ensure swift delivery of your latest purchase.
It is being a part of these buying groups and the loyalty of our customers that ensures we will be around for many years to come. It means that we can compete on price with the likes of Currys and John Lewis, as well as the major online retailers, but we also offer the friendly local service that these big brands are not able to do.
So come and visit any of our stores – in Barnoldswick, Skipton, Clitheroe and Padiham for exceptional service and some of the best deals in the country!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Harry Garlick.
