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Leading retailers will bare a alternation of new proposals today
they affirmation will restore the blah acceptability of arcade in the
West End of London, a key battlefield for abounding of the country's
bigger administration food and accouterment chains.
New West End Aggregation (NWEC), the aggregation answerable
with active advanced the arcade destination, is ablution The West End
Knowledge, a fact-laden trivia analysis advised to accomplish boutique
agents experts on the commune and their retail rivals. The scheme,
which embraces the London cabbie's abstraction of The Knowledge, will
advice John Lewis boutique attic agents to apprentice facts about
Liberty, for instance.
Retailers including Selfridges, Boots, Debenhams and House of Fraser accept already accepted the scheme.
NWEC is ablution the aboriginal copy of The West End Knowledge
this anniversary by email and leaflets in stores, allowance to quiz
agents on 20 trivia points.
A NWEC agent said: "In this economy, every client counts so a
arrangement that promotes the added allowances of the commune and that
encourages cross-shopping and acknowledgment visits seems a acute
affair to do."
In affiliation with Westminster City Council, NWEC aswell
affairs to acquaint its aboriginal official company centre on Cavendish
Street, just off Oxford Street, afore the end of 2009. NWEC, which has
a £34m account until 2013, aswell wants to access the amount of
wayfinding signs from 27 at present to added than 50 by Christmas, as
allotment of a multi-million batter signage arrangement with the board
and Carriage for London.
Richard Dickinson, the above East Midlands Tourism bang-up who
became NWEC's arch controlling in February, appear he aswell affairs to
able down on Oxford Street's abominable "Golf Sale" man, who abounding
retailers accept epitomises all that is amiss with the district. "Golf
Sale man's canicule are numbered," said Mr Dickinson. He told The
Independent that the golf retailers abaft Golf Man accept been
contacted about abeyant fines this month.
More strategically, Mr Dickinson said his two above priorities
were to abate cartage and to change arcade areas in the West End. In
particular, the east of Oxford Street has a well-deserved acceptability
for getting dirty, clutter broadcast and accepting too abounding grotty
shops.
Mr Dickinson said above carriage changes were bare to cope with
an accepted bang in retail sales, advance in the capital's citizenry
and to maximise the abeyant of the Olympics in 2012. About 200 actor
visitors absorb £5.5bn a year in the West End's shops, but this is set
to backfire to £8.9bn by 2016. London's citizenry is aswell
anticipation to abound by 1 actor by 2016. Mr Dickinson said: "On this
trend, there has to be bigger transport. We wish [visitors] to adore
Oxford Street rather than abide it – we accept to abate cartage and
that is actual important traveling forward."
Over the next three months, NWEC needs to advance plans, such
as abbreviation the amount of bus routes or accepting a committed bus
travelling anniversary way forth Oxford Street, said Mr Dickinson.
He aswell said that Crossrail will transform tube stations,
such as Tottenham Court Road, and the surrounding area. Crossrail
trains will yield 31 account from Heathrow airport to the West End.
This week, Crossrail – the new railway band that will run from
Maidenhead in the west to Shenfield in the east – accustomed Royal
Assent and the Crossrail Bill was anesthetized by Parliament.
Asked about accepted trading in the district, Mr Dickinson
said: "The West End is bucking the [downward] trend. The acclimate over
the accomplished two weeks has helped."
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