For this pilot research we looked at
and interviewed 16 different shops in different locations, in and around the
Lange Delft. During our observations we compared bigger brand shops on the
Lange Delft to the smaller local shops in the side streets (Appendix Map).
Several questions were asked to conduct this research:
1.
How long is this
shop settled at this location?
2.
Has your shop been
located at the Lange Delft once?
3.
Did the big brand shops replace some local shops?
4.
Do you observe RA students as your clients? And yes,
how many?
5. Has the replaced
affected the income and the number of clients?
11 of
the shops observed at are found in the Lange Delft (Appendix Figure 1). These
shops are: H&M, Blokker, Eyewish, Jamin, Jackpot, Didi, Gimbrere, Free
Record Shop, Coolcat and Etan. The remaining 4 shops are found in Sint
Janstraat and Herenstraat, these shops are; Adriaan & Olivier, Ryokucha,
Wereld Winkel, Beau, Beau + and Stoffen Winkel
When interviewing
the shops in the Lange Delft it was found that there were two time periods when
news shops where located in Middelburg. The most recent time period was 6 years
ago, around that time Jackpot, H&M, Cool Cat and Etan were initially
located in Middelburg. However, they themselves don’t think it is because of
the establishment of the university since RA students were not initially
considered. The second time period was around 1980, most respondents, both in
the Lange Delft and in the side streets, said that around that time most of the
previous shop owners retired and didn’t find successors. The owners of the
shops in the side streets also added that the renting prices became so high
that it was impossible to open a new shop in the Lange Delft. Bigger brands
bought the places and most of the little shop owners also stated that they did
not wish to go back to the Lange Delft as the side streets would get better known
seeing as the bigger brand shops located in the Lange Delft are the ones found
in most main shopping streets in the Netherlands
To better
understand the dynamics of these small local shops, found in the side streets,
here is a short summery of what the owners of two shops shared with us.
Firstly, Adriaan & Olivier (Appendix Figure 2) has been open from April 2011.
This recently opened shop was first located under the Lange Jan, the owner then
decided to start selling from her house but eventually opened a new shop in the
Sint Janstraat. The decision of settling on this street was a positive one
because it brought new clients and the shop got better known. The owner said
that opening the shop in the Lange Delft was too expensive and so opted for
this smaller side street. The RA students were never a target for this small
shop and therefore the clientele is older and more local. Ryokycha (Appendix Figure 3) is another small
shop which sells ecological clothes and it is also located in the Sint
Janstraat. Ryokycha is also a very new shop. The shop owner states that it is
an advantage for her sort of shop to be located in a side street. Due to the
fact she has a real specific target group, she does not feel like being located
on the Lange Delft is necessary. The shop owner states that she does not
compete with the shops located in the Lange Delft, but more with a similar shop
located in the same side street.
In
conclusion, the bigger brands did replace the smaller shops but mainly for the
reason that most of the small shop owners retired. Some of these smaller local
shops did move to the side streets but most of them are now pleased of their
location, their income and type of clientele because they feel that they make contribute
to the city’s culture and uniqueness which the big brands do not have.
Appendix
Map
Figure 2
Figure 3
Results Table
Name
of Shop
|
Years
in building
|
Years been on lange delft
|
Years been in the alleys
|
Place of previous shop
|
Audience
|
Jackpot
|
5
|
5
|
n/a
|
First shop here
|
Mixed*
|
Didi
|
14
|
30
|
n/a
|
Lange Delft (unknow where)
|
Mixed*
|
Yamin
|
14
|
? (more than 20)
|
n/a
|
Lange Delft ( Didi
Building)
|
Mixed*
|
Blokker
|
6
|
15+ years
|
n/a
|
Lange Delft (H&M building)
|
General**
|
H&M
|
6
|
6
|
n/a
|
First shop here
|
Mixed*
|
Gimbrère
|
25
|
25
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Female 30+
|
Eyewish
opticien
|
67
|
Has been there before the war
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
General**
|
Free
record shop
|
25+
|
25+
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Mixed*
|
Cool
cat
|
7
|
7
|
n/a
|
First shop here
|
Young 22-
|
Etam
|
5
|
5
|
n/a
|
Lange Delft (Building
promiss)
|
Mixed*
|
Beau
|
4
|
n/a
|
4
|
First shop here
|
Female 30+
|
Beau+
|
0.5
|
n/a
|
0.5
|
First shop here
|
Female 30
|
Wereld
winkel
|
15
|
n/a
|
15
|
First shop here
|
General**
|
Stof
&co
|
28
|
n/a
|
28
|
First shop here
|
Special interest***
|
Adriaan
en Olivier
|
0.75
|
n/a
|
0.75
|
First shop here
|
Special interest***
|
Ryokocha
|
0.33
|
n/a
|
0.33
|
First shop here
|
Special interest***
|
* Roosevelt students do come but they
are not the targeted clientele
** All kinds of people but not RA students
*** Specialized shop, only people who have a specific interest generally
come here
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