What do you need in Stroud Green?

romcorn

Hello Stroud Green residents<br>I have recently moved to the area from Crouch End. I want to open a retail outlet and have have some ideas about what is missing from Stroud Green, but could do with your help for my market research. I think we could do with somewhere to buy useful and more feminine items for the home, and high quality gifts what do you think? I know that I struggle to buy a gift for a friend here.....anyway let me know your thoughts - very interested to hear.<br>

gardener-joe

well, since you ask (and in no particular order) I would value any/all of the following: a Coop bank; an artisanal baker; a branch of Boots the chemist; a branch of Ryness; a decent office-supplies/staionery store; a branch of Robert Dyas; a branch of Waterstones; a garden- and plant-supplies store; a new and secondhand books store.

miss annie

A good deli with hams, rollmops and marinated artichokes, a haberdashery/fabric shop and something like an old Woolworths where you can buy screws, curtain poles, toys, lightbulbs and pick and mix all in one place (that is not Tesco).

vetski

<P>@romcorn, there used to be a shop very like the one you're thinking of - it was called Home, and was where Ivory is now. I loved it, but eventually it closed down because there just wasn't enough custom around here. I tend to go to Crouch End for that kind of stuff now. Baker/deli for me - I don't want everything I need here, or I'll never have a good excuse to go and poke around somewhere else!</P> <P>@gardener-joe, Boots would drive our local pharmacy out of business! It's actually a pretty good pharmacy, I think, and cheaper than the supermarket for many toiletries. Have you found there's lots of stuff you can't get there? If the independent is ever bought out by a chain, I hope it's Lloyd's.</P> <P>@miss annie, do you ever go to Wilko's in Wood Green? Just what you're describing (basically a combo of Robert Dyas + Woolies). Hard to get out of there without at least 3 bags of non-essential necessities!</P>

Mirandola

A bookshop or a deli

Eliz

<p>Definitely a bakery if possible. As Vetski says there was a shop very like the one you're thinking of and it really didn't get a lot of business. </p><p>No need for a Boots with our lovely SGR pharmacy but a little second hand bookshop that also sold cards and wrapping paper would be great. </p>

Lololala

A good florist, but also a bakery, a book shop, a tea shop.

ChangN4N6

<p>Lololala - there are already those things in SG. Agree a Robert Dyas would be good - I've been looking to buy a gerry can/jerry can for 3 days.  I would like to see</p><p>1. A sports bar with student bar staff</p><p>2 a sex shop (but with blanked out windows and called 'private books')</p><p>3. a higher class nail bar than those that are around at the moment - maybe open later at night (a request from Jonty)</p><p>4. a pet shop selling things like rabbits and budgies</p><p>5. a decent furniture shop like the one in upper street </p><p>6. some more estate agents</p><p>7 Move Meat Master from Crouch Hill to near the fish shop</p><p>Chang</p>

ChangN4N6

<p>in fact 1,2 and 6 could be combined </p><p>and 3, 4 and 7 could be combined</p><p>cheaper rates, more cross selling</p><p>chang</p>

Detritus

<p>I would like a cheese shop, and in said cheese shop I would like to say my hovercraft is full of eels.</p><p>A pie and mash shop.</p>

Stella

I could swear I have posted that I, too, vote for a bakery. <br>

Lololala

Chang - agree there are these things but the florist is rubbish, overpriced and I suspect a front for some sort of criminality for the minicab place next door. Also not really a retail spot but an independent cinema like the Everyman or the Curzon would be cool.

gardener-joe

@lololala: cinema ... ace suggestion ... maybe the new theatre will run film nights?

vetski

@lololala, try 'With Love', the new florist on Hornsey Rd (nr corner with Tollington Park). They have some lovely flowers, they're nice women, and they do free delivery in the local area. Love the cinema idea - will ask the theatre on Twitter.

Siolae

Shoes shoes shoes!  Oh and a cinema...an ice cream parlour...and a branch of John Lewis to go to when I feel insecure.

Detritus

<p>Please not a shoe shop nobody needs more that 5 pair of shoes. Please god not a shoe shop. I would lose Miss Annie for hours.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>hmm maybe a shoe shop might be a idea after all.</p>

tharobc

I'd definitely love to see a good deli. I'm amazed by the lack of one around here. Even in Crouch End there doesn't seem to be a really decent deli. There's spiazzo but MY WORD those guys are miserable. <div><br></div><div><br></div>

Mirandola

With Love on Hornsey Road is indeed lovely. <div><br></div><div>A deli has to be the obvious thing. There's nowhere really round here to buy fancy chocolate/cheese/cold cuts/wine (though Jack's might be sorting that out)/pasta/bread etc...</div>

krappyrubsnif

An olive oil bar .... something like <a href="http://www.oilerie.com/">this</a>.<br>

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gardener-joe

Don't forget folks that SG already has an excellent (virtual) gift shop run by the talented Annie Sparkles: http://folksy.com/shops/anniesparkles. (See thread elsewhere on iPad covers).

Mirandola

<div><br></div> I moved here after Home closed, but I thought some people here didn't think their stuff was much cop? 

dion

deli/coffee shop/bakery - do breakfasts and lunch, coffee all day, nice food to take away - deli stuff, and decent wine and cheese and ideas for dinner, should be busy all day with different people spending different amounts of money on different things.  ideal for a diverse area like stroud green, don't go too posh or too cheap to keep your customer base as wide as possible, decent range of things from toast, cheese on toast upwards. <div><br></div><div>you would have to get a decent coffee machine in and a decent barista as it looks like people are getting fussier and more demanding about coffee all the time. you can't fail if you do it right!</div>

Mirandola

@Dion,<div><br></div><div>I'm not sure about that. I think somewhere could do alright if they went really quite upmarket - there wouldn't be too much competition and there is some money here. Works for Seasons.</div>

vetski

<P>Not a shoe shop, pleeeeeease - am already permanently skint!</P> <P>Home had some nice stuff - 2 of my clocks are from there, they did lovely soaps and candles and lots of other bits and pieces. I used to do a fair bit of my Xmas shopping there.</P> <P>We used to have a fabric shop/haberdashery, called Fabric - it was where Ash is now, and then moved up to where the kids' shop now is. I think that closed for lack of custom as well. When they started doing home accessories - cushions, curtains, throws etc. - they said it was because they weren't doing well with fabrics etc. NB. Nest is now stocking fabric.</P> <P>@romcorn, you might need to sell a bit of everything!</P>

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Ilovegreyhounds

Another vote for a bakery/deli!

Donna

I also vote for a deli and bakery

Ken

Between Screen on the Green, Everyman Hampstead and Holloway Odeon, I'm not sure what a cinema round here would be for.  <br><br>I vote bakery.<br>

romcorn

Thank you everyone for your useful comments. I am shocked to hear that so many of you want another bakery when a new one opened at the Stroud Green /Tollington Pk only recently. But anyway no one has mentioned gifts - and that is what I need most. I can't buy a present for a friend so I am thinking wine ,chocolate, flowers, and home stuff, wrapping paper, cards and ribbon. I may have to take the plunge and try and do everything!!!!<br>

romcorn

Actually I can't manage a cinema but I believe they will be opening one at the Town Hall in Crouch End in the future.<br><br><br>