During the last couple of weeks we've heard a few comments about the number of Pound shops appearing in Maidenhead. One person copied us into an email sent to various organiations in Maidenhead who may be interested in their views. We also picked up a comment on Twitter which was memorable for it's humour "With so many pound shops in Maidenhead will they take part in a price war" (If this is your tweet contact me and I will happily credit you and link to your twitter page)
So are there too many Pound shops in Maidenhead and why are people concerned? One of the main criticisms I've heard over and over again about Maidenhead is the run down feel of the Town Centre. The town centre shops don't reflect the affluence of Maidenhead and it's surrounding area. Is it because the neighbouring towns have developed new large shopping centres attracting many of the best High Street names or carved out a niche as a destination for quality shopping.
The long awaited Cross Rail project will make Maidenhead even more attractive to people looking to move outside of London. Will this lead to the plans to develop Maidenhead Town Centre attracting better shops?
On the other hand is the growth of Pound shops down to demand? Many people are finding it tough at the moment, the deals pound shops do with major companies could be a way of people managing their living expenses. In addition a Pound shop means a shop is occupied, there's nothing worse then lots of empty retail units.
So if you live in Maidenhead and think there are too many pound shops why not respond to this blog by telling us what you think?