Council confident on vacant shop

The hardware store takes up the length of Renshaw Street

Council bosses are confident of filling the space left by the departure of one Liverpool's best known retailers.

Rapid Hardware is moving to the George Henry Lee building in August after 35 years on Renshaw Street.

The store occupies most of the length of the street. Business expert David Moulton said he believed it was unsuitable for another large retailer.

But the council said discussions were under way with a number of partners to ensure new businesses are attracted.

Rapid currently occupies a number of units along Renshaw Street, but is moving to the George Henry Lee building - previously occupied by John Lewis - on Church Street.

It means there will be just four or five shops left on the opposite side of the street when Rapid vacates the area.

We are confident that the investment in this area will help draw new retailers to Renshaw Street and the units will not be empty for long Liverpool City Council spokesman

Mr Moulton, a senior lecturer at in business at Liverpool Hope University, said modern large retailers were unlikely to be attracted by the long, narrow premises.

"It's going to take an awful lot of small stores to fill the other side of the street, 20 or more I think," he said.

"There definitely has to be some kind of retail plan by the local authority which would perhaps encourage smaller businesses and help set them up."

A Liverpool City Council spokesman said advanced discussions were under way to make sure that new businesses were attracted into the shop units that will become vacant.

"The Renshaw Street area is already benefiting from massive regeneration through the Lime Street gateway scheme and Merepark's retail, hotel and leisure proposal around Liverpool Central," he said.

"We are confident that the investment in this area will help draw new retailers to Renshaw Street and the units will not be empty for long."

'Draws everything in'

But Mr Moulton said the effect of the popular Liverpool One retail development on the other side of the city centre meant retailers would be drawn away for a time.

"It is a magnet which draws everything in... it's a normal effect and you are going to see the outer rings [of the centre] deplete for a while," he added.

"I think that this retail-led urban regeneration usually slows down and stops when you have financial bad times.

"Liverpool has bucked the trend so far, we're doing really well, so there is hope for Renshaw Street."