Bexleyheath Broadway shopping centre to see Waterstones return on 24th October
Waterstones will return to Bexleyheath Broadway shopping centre later this month.
According to the shopping centre the book shop will be opening on 24th October.
It’ll be opening not too far from where the company once had a shop in the centre, which must have closed around twenty years ago.
Waterstones has since changed owners and opened a number of new shops, including in Lewisham shopping centre.
National chains
The company could be seen as a bit of a yardstick for the health of a town centre, given they never left some towns and are moving back to others.
It’s quite telling that Woolwich, for example, doesn’t have one in contrast to many other south east London town centres such as Bexleyheath, Lewisham and Bromley.
One opening in Woolwich may be seen as a sign of gentrification by some (Reading books! The horror!) but in effect is a sign the town is returning to being a pretty bog standard town centre, as Woolwich used to be for decades with many national chains as well as excellent independent shops.
See why McDonalds opened their first outlet there as it represented a mixed, average High Street.
Since then it can barely keep national brands and independents struggle. If it sees a Waterstones then that’s a sign it’s off its knees.
