Argos is useful! but what about Waterstones or Borders? Clapham and most of Lambeth south of the South Bank seems to have been forgotten when it comes to standard amenities such as good retail outlets. If these shops can open branches in Wandsworth town and Clapham Junction why not across the border in Lambeth? what is putting them off???

I agree that some of the quality retailers like Waterstones would be extremely welcome, but I'm sure these businesses investigate the viability of areas like Clapham before they open stores.  I had a conversation with someone who works for Wagamama recently, saying how I would love to see one open in Clapham.  The reply was that, although evening traffic would probably be quite strong, lunch trade would be too slow and therefore Clapham does not fit their business model.

Another point worth making is that Clapham High Street would need to become more of a shopping 'destination' for some of the bigger players to move in.  Northcote Road, the King's Road, and on a far larger scale, Oxford Street, all attract retailers because they bring in customers from beyond their immediate catchment areas.  I don't know whether Lambeth council is blocking that from happening (somehow), but food and drink aside, there's nothing on the High Street that would bring shoppers here instead of Northcote Road/Clapham Junction.

Clapham Junction yes but not Northcote Road, i think people end up going to Northcote road because it is off of Clapham Junction. Northcote road is really for the wealthy locals of nappy valley and because it is out of the way it generally  does not necessarily attract people from across London. The Clapham Junction/Northcote rd area is the primary shopping district of Wandsworth Borough along with nearby Wandsworth town. Clapham SW4 is primarily a residential area and is really not the town centre of Lambeth.

Brixton and Waterloo/South Bank are the key commercial hubs of Lambeth therefore most of the big retailers will have their focus there. it would be good to have more shopping facilities in Waterloo as it is just 3 or 4 stops from Clapham or 7 mins by tube. Waterloo has great potential as a commercial hub but i don't think Lambeth council has any idea of what to do regarding large scale development of commercial and business schemes for the borough. Their focus seems to be on entertainment and nothing else as is evident in Waterloo/Southbank, Vauxhall, Clapham, Brixton and Streatham.

I think Clapham stands a good chance for more retail facilites to be developed as it is very accessible by tube but it might be better to focus on small bijou shops and restaurants than big name stores. The other reason is that Clapham has an over supply of 20-30 year olds with more more student savvyness than business savyyness.

Where did you get this information from?

Reply to is_Aimoo_Guest (04/10/2008 18:07:23)Argos is useful! but what about Waterstones or Borders? Clapham and most of Lambeth south of the South Bank seems to have been forgotten when it comes to standard amenities such as good retail outlets. If these shops can open branches in Wandsworth town and Clapham Junction why not across the border in Lambeth? what is putting them off???There is a fantastic book shop on Clapham High St - ( Clapham Books 120 Clapham High St sw4 7uh 0207 627 2797 www.claphambooks.com ) - an M and S would be great though !

I believe the issue that most retailers have is that Clapham SW4 has a population profile that is not consistent with their core markets, majority of people in our area perhaps up to 80% are now students aged 17-22 attending colleges in London and hanging out in and around clapham high street. they are trendy but trendy does not equate to cash. Therefore the only businesses attracted to Clapham are bars, cheap hairdressers and cost cutters.  Perhaps the occasional restaurant but nothing else. So perhaps we should welcome Argos because at least it could draw more mature shoppers to the high street area and perhaps that would entice the likes of waterstones or M&S. At present the chances are that a waterstones and M&S are more likely to set up in Brixton rather than Clapham as Brixton has a higher concentration of more mature professional people in their 30s and 40s compared to clapham's young studenty population of primark clones.

I agree! Everyone on Clapham highstreet looks the same nowadays - they are either beggars and alcoholics or girls and boys in cheap primark and topshop clothing meeting in starbucks. Thats all you ever see on the high street, so not surprised that retailers shun the area.

 80% students aged 17-22????Not even close to being a real statistic.  Student types do not frequent charity stores, bric a brac shops or pet shops, supposedly meaning there is no custom for half the shops on the High Street.  To equate the look of these boys and girls with the beggars and alcoholics who pervade the street is also somewhat peculiar, if not jaundiced.  While the beggars and alcoholics will certainly drive retailers away, if the concentration of cash ready students is really as high as you say then I can guarantee Top Shop, H&M and a whole host of other retailers catering to this demographic will be opening forthwith.

The comment about predominantly students seems wide of the mark to me.

A lot of younger people perhaps, but there is still a lot of expensive housing in Clapham, and a lot of professional workers here - the number of commuters using the tube each morning demonstrates that.

But it may be that these people do not spend much of their time/money in Clapham during the day or at weekends, preferring to go up to the West End (as I admit I often do), or out of London. However, this can be a vicious circle - if there were more quality shops here then it would attract people to spend more time and money here. It saddens me that Clapham Junction, which is intrinsically not such a nice area as the Common and High Street, seems to be seen as a better shopping destination than Clapham High Street.

I agree, with the last writer, but i think the local council should look at ways of incentifying high quality retailers to set up shop in SW4, it is because there are hardly any shops here that clapham residents head to the west end, kings road or clapham junction to shop. There are nice small shops here but you do need a couple of larger ones to service the area properly. Wandsworth council has played a big role in attracting shops to the clapham junction area and to places like balham and lavender hill so why cant lambeth do the same?

(Message edited by notion On 01/03/2009 06:53:17)

The key thing here is good quaility is good quality whatever the price.  I personsally don't want tat on the High St. whatever the price...  The book shop, Clapham Book Store, is great we don't need a chain store only selling the obvious best sellers.The two clothes shops on the High Street  are right for the demographic.  I am right for the blokes store in the terms of sexuality but probably not age or waist size!!!  BUT they look fab and good for them.  I hope they survive.Yes, there is currently a good mixture of bars and restaurants on the High St. however, I think we have to be careful that mixture does't slant in the direction of bars for the young-uns only.  Being on the right side of 40 (only just) I still feel I m rather old for Clapham.  BUT I love Trinity and thats probably the only 'decent' up-market I am lucky enough to be able to afford on a regular basis.Clapham does attract a certain crowd and I hope that continues.  I am rather concerned about the influx of the young back-packers, normally Aussies, who don't always want to utilise the places I want to vist and hence see this as a change in the way retailers view how to maintain what's on the High St.BUT I have been here since I was a "young" professional and still love it.  I just wish it had the backing of the local council like Wandsworth and Upper Street did have.J.

I don't think anyone 'is rather old for Clapham', i think Clapham just attracts a younger crowd to use its services - notably its bars and restaurants. Many of these people come from outside the area. Clapham residents are varied, during the weekday you find a mixed crowd of young, middle aged and older claphamites plus kids and office workers on the high street. But the demographics change at night and on the weekends when the place buzzes with younger people and the trendy crowd. Clapham is also a key hangout area (like upper street and Camden) where lots of people from all over london meet particularly during summer. A good marketer will take advantage of this and set up shops to market to different target groups. One suspects that the reason the council does not pay particular interest to Clapham is because it is perceived to be a wealthy area and therefore Lambeth would rather focus on more disadvantaged districts. The area is also seen as being in a world of its own on the edge of the borough, people in Clapham are more orientated towards Oxford Circus, Clapham Junction and the Kings Road due to ease of access to those areas. Outside of Brixton, there's not much commercially north or east of clapham to attract people in the borough apart from Waterloo which is in a world of its own.  Not sure how that pans out in the scheme of things, but not too well i guess.  

only joking hehehehehe

Uniqueness ? You obviously havent lived here very long. When I moved here over ten years there were shops.

Can't see what is unique about having a Sainsburys, next to a Tescos, next to a Sainsburys. (However did Sainsburys get away with that....)

Most of them gone, replaced by binge drinking establishments. The trendy shops are pretty much useless, if I want to buy something useless I'll go to Camden Market thanks.

As for the shops selling "tat", there are a life saver, there was a time a few years ago you could even buy a paint brush.

( There used to be a paint shop on the high street, owned by Leslie Ash's mum. He daughter turned it into another bar...)

The "independent" book shop is half the size if used to be, the previous owners went bust. I predict in 5 years it will turned into another bar.

The "deli" isn't up to much either. There are better in Balham.

I don't think an Argos would be a bad thing at all.

I agree that more shops are needed as I fail to understand why only bars seem to open up in clapham and nothing else. even the few no bars opening are over priced like the bars so that only certain people with money can afford to eat in them. It would be nice to have a couple of affordable chain shops to improve shopping prosepcts