Last week, Blockbuster announced that they had gone into administration. This means the loss of numerous jobs and another shop in Twickenham. Blockbuster has been located in Heath Road, Twickenham for over 20 years and many people will be sad to see it close. Maureen Byrne, a local resident said ‘it is a huge loss to Twickenham as there are now no entertainment stores which means that people won’t be able to access DVD’s and video games without either shopping online or travelling somewhere else’.
Many people have turned to online shopping in recent years and many people believe this is one of the reasons why Blockbuster has to close. People are choosing to use companies such as Lovefilm and Netflix as they feel it is more convenient. Twickenham resident John Byrne said ‘shops can’t compete with online companies because shop rental costs are so high’. Another high street shop which has recently fallen victim to online is HMV, who have also gone into administration after struggling to keep up with the online music industry.
Blockbuster will add to a long list of shops which have disappeared from Twickenham in recent years. Walking from King Street to Blockbuster, there are vacant spaces where Staggerin’, Card Factory and Jojoloo once stood. Woolworths has since been transformed into Poundland and a smart new coffee shop, Harris and Hoole, replaces Clintons. On London Road, a brand new Burger King stands in what was once Chinese restaurant O’Zon.
Many people feel that Blockbuster will certainly not be the only shop to leave Twickenham over the next few months and if many more shops close down, Twickenham could become full of empty shops.
