'Ridiculous': St Helier Shop owners criticise Jersey's government new retail strategy

  • ITV Channel's Verity Wishart gauges the mood of high-street retailers over Jersey government's new retail plans

Jersey business owners say a new government strategy is not fit for purpose and fails to address the most pressing issues facing St Helier's high street.

Jersey's government announced its Future-Fit Retail Roadmap which plans to revitalise the high street by encouraging businesses to extend their opening hours.

Retailers would also be asked to pay an additional fee on top of current rates to pay for improvements to the town.

Shop owner Christian Lecornu says: "I think it is ridiculous if I am honest. Realistically, what they want to implement will have to benefit everybody.

"If that service isn't good enough, then what?"

Clothing retailer Caitlin Finnan says retailers and landlords should be working together to fill high-street vacancies.

She explains: "They are sitting empty. [Landlords] could be taking a bit less of their income and [help to] bring more shops into town that are able to support a more affordable, reasonable price for a rental."

Other factors are worrying retailers in Jersey - particularly online shopping - with households in Jersey spending on average £106 a week online.

There have been concerns over the number of empty shops on the high street, with suggestions that businesses should open their stores on Sundays.

The new strategy aims to transform St Helier into a 'bustling retail and cultural hub'. Credit: ITV Channel

Deputy Kirsten Morel has defended the proposals, explaining: "This retail roadmap is very much about trying to help retailers understand their place within the island's ecosystem but also help them gain the support they need to be fit for the 21st Century.

"Businesses need to understand that they are more than simply places where you buy and sell goods, that is the key factor here.

"It is about turning your shop into an experience."

Jersey's government says that the high street is still a major contributor to the island's economy, bringing in £375 million to the economy.

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