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Medicine shop closure blamed on parking problems

By Lisa Reeves - Tuesday, 28th June, 2011 - 10 comments

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The Medicine Shop has closed its doors after 18 years on Alderley Edge highstreet because the parking restrictions finally got to them.

Kathryn Plowright said "Parking here is mostly limited to one hour so we had to constantly shut the shop for up to 10 minutes at a time during the day in order to find another space – this is not only bad customer service, as many of our customers had made a special trip, but the whole ethos of what we do is based around healing – and how can we offer our customers the best we have to offer if we are constantly preoccupied and stressed out with parking issues.

"We'd been in the village 18 years and the last 3 years were intolerable. Life is tough enough without having a battle every day. It was absolutely soul destroying."

The Clinic has moved to a consulting suite at Cheadle Royal Business Park, opposite John Lewis, and the Shop has moved online.

Kathryn added "We can provide better customer service and attend to our customer's health needs in a more efficient way. Wendy and Ellen will be answering calls and I personally will be available for anyone to talk to about health problems online or over the phone which I have not been able to do for many years as my office has been in a different location to the Shop & Clinic."

For further information visit the Medicine Shop & Clinic website or call 0161 246 6062.

10 Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

James Garrett Tuesday, 28th Jun, 2011 3:15 pm
I find it hard to beleive that parking was a problem. You could park in south street car park all day or the festival hall!!!
Catriona Lang Tuesday, 28th Jun, 2011 3:21 pm
I raised a smile when I read that parking was attributed as the issue. If only they had known about the various unrestricted streets in the village, they could have had free all day and night parking along with the other commuters in the village. If only the parking schemes in Manchester city centre were so generous.........
Jon Williams Tuesday, 28th Jun, 2011 6:28 pm
Walking is good for your health (you should know that though)
Melanie Connor Tuesday, 28th Jun, 2011 7:17 pm
As there is a car park where if you pay you can park for longer than an hour, I find it bizarre that those who could afford the Medicine shop regularly could not afford the car park.

I am more inclined to believe that the growth of availability on the web for alternative medicine has not helped. I'm sad its going but not surprised.
Marc Asquith Tuesday, 28th Jun, 2011 11:26 pm
What a joke reason - they are / were at the top of the village - close to Lydiat Lane - every other retail worker in the village seems to park there - why they could not manage the 3 minute walk is beyond me - maybe the quality of the remedies was not all that they were made out to be if a 3 minute walk was enough to drive them out :-))))
Kriss Coombes Wednesday, 29th Jun, 2011 9:08 am
I agree entirely with all the previous comments. What a pathetic excuse !
Ricky Lee Wednesday, 29th Jun, 2011 10:07 am
I wonder how does the salons, the doctors and the dentists cope!

I agree with all the above comment the excuse is pathetic.

On the otherhand if you say that the parking limit of 60mins impacted on clients then we can understand!
Anna Fern Wednesday, 29th Jun, 2011 11:11 am
I am very sad to see The Medicine Shop go from the village after 18 years and I sympathize and understand with Katherine frustrations over parking and its impact on her business, as I too experienced the same issues and my business, Blue Lagoon, which was two doors away from the Medicine Shop. I opened the shop in 1987 and closed it down 6 years ago for similar reasons.

Although i would agree there were other reasons for being forced to close down, parking had a major impact on retail shops in the village and my ability to sustain the business. Why do you think it is, that apart from half a dozen shops who have been in the village for over 20 years the rest of the shops come and go like ships in the night!!

For those of you who don’t think parking is an issue in Alderley Edge, or any other town and village in the UK, you need to take a reality check. We now live in a society who want easy access to shops and without having to pay for parking. With the introduction of so many out of town shopping centres who provide free and easy parking facilities, we as a nation have become lazy and our busy and hectic lives make ‘out of town’ shopping an appealing choice. Although there are many of us who still want to use local facilities and walking to the shops or parking a distance is no effort, the younger generation are far less likely to do that.

So, as far as I am concerned, parking in all UK towns and villages is a huge issue and one of the major reasons why our traditional high street has changed so dramatically over the last ten years.

I wish Katherine and The Medicine Shop every success in their new location.
Darren Parkinson Wednesday, 29th Jun, 2011 1:09 pm
This is the same line of business which i am in. I think parking is only a very small part of why the shop had to close. Its a tough market to be in at the moment with alternative medicine seen as a luxury and with bullying big pharma continuing to make it very difficult for us. Its a real shame to see any business close down.
Carol Chadwick Tuesday, 19th Jul, 2011 1:33 pm
Up until a couple of years ago when the council became responsible for parking enforcement it was extremely difficult for shoppers to park in Alderley (likewise in Wilmslow) as spaces were taken by people parking all day, i.e. shop and office workers. The enforcement of the parking restrictions should be welcomed by shop owners not criticised.
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