Popular newsagents Good News shuts after 30 years in Worcester

CLOSING: Bad news as Good News'newsagents shuts Buy this photo » CLOSING: Bad news as Good News'newsagents shuts

OLD favourite the Good News newsagents has shut after 30 years in the city with the owner saying the business was no longer viable.

Good News' two stores in The Foregate and on The Cross in the heart of Worcester have been serving people for years.

But doors closed at the weekend, with a window notice to customers saying it was a decision taken "with regret" and thanking everyone for their trade.

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Comments(24)

CJH says...
1:42pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Is it anything to do with us reading the WN online instead of buying the newspaper?

darren3o says...
3:53pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Tesco express was the final nail in the coffin

imustbeoldiwearacap says...
4:48pm Mon 17 Sep 12

darren3o wrote:
Tesco express was the final nail in the coffin
Too right!

grumpy woman says...
9:42pm Mon 17 Sep 12

How sad. Another nail in the coffin for these small local businesses. Our streets will lose any individual character that we had. The ladies on the Cross were so knowledgeable.

Ctrl Alt Del says...
10:23pm Mon 17 Sep 12

I was away at the weekend so this is the first I have heard of this, what a shame, always got my papers there when in town.

140354 says...
9:16am Tue 18 Sep 12

I used to go there rather than Smiths 'cos I liked the personal service - ... ALSO... what's happened to the newsagent on the Cross... that's closed too???

happydays6 says...
1:14pm Tue 18 Sep 12

I would love to know how that light is orange. WTF

CJH says...
1:19pm Tue 18 Sep 12

happydays6 wrote:
I would love to know how that light is orange. WTF
Isn't the future Orange?

thebest1 says...
1:20pm Tue 18 Sep 12

shame as used to use it twice a week, to get the tobacco from as it was cheaper and the staff were friendly as they always knew what my fella wanted. the government should support small businesses no matter how long they have been running.

CJH says...
1:38pm Tue 18 Sep 12

thebest1 wrote:
shame as used to use it twice a week, to get the tobacco from as it was cheaper and the staff were friendly as they always knew what my fella wanted. the government should support small businesses no matter how long they have been running.
No point supporting a business that isn't making money. Then it turns into charity, not business. It needs to be viable, and the owner says it isn't.

loginthelog says...
3:29pm Tue 18 Sep 12

CJH wrote:
thebest1 wrote:
shame as used to use it twice a week, to get the tobacco from as it was cheaper and the staff were friendly as they always knew what my fella wanted. the government should support small businesses no matter how long they have been running.
No point supporting a business that isn't making money. Then it turns into charity, not business. It needs to be viable, and the owner says it isn't.
I think the point here is that if the Government was to curtail the multi-nationals, like Tesco, there would be more business for the smaller local businesses. Tesco Express should never have been allowed in the old Post Office building.

CJH says...
3:45pm Tue 18 Sep 12

loginthelog wrote:
CJH wrote:
thebest1 wrote: shame as used to use it twice a week, to get the tobacco from as it was cheaper and the staff were friendly as they always knew what my fella wanted. the government should support small businesses no matter how long they have been running.
No point supporting a business that isn't making money. Then it turns into charity, not business. It needs to be viable, and the owner says it isn't.
I think the point here is that if the Government was to curtail the multi-nationals, like Tesco, there would be more business for the smaller local businesses. Tesco Express should never have been allowed in the old Post Office building.
Bit late to debate that now. Anyway, I would rather have Tesco Express (or similar) than a newsagents any day. It's no contest as far as I'm concerned.

Hillbilly1 says...
2:28pm Wed 19 Sep 12

CJH wrote:
loginthelog wrote:
CJH wrote:
thebest1 wrote: shame as used to use it twice a week, to get the tobacco from as it was cheaper and the staff were friendly as they always knew what my fella wanted. the government should support small businesses no matter how long they have been running.
No point supporting a business that isn't making money. Then it turns into charity, not business. It needs to be viable, and the owner says it isn't.
I think the point here is that if the Government was to curtail the multi-nationals, like Tesco, there would be more business for the smaller local businesses. Tesco Express should never have been allowed in the old Post Office building.
Bit late to debate that now. Anyway, I would rather have Tesco Express (or similar) than a newsagents any day. It's no contest as far as I'm concerned.
Its no contest for the retailers either. When Tesco Express opened in the London Road, the off-licence opposite saw a drop in sales of something like £10k a month. Its no coincidence that since Tesco opened, any other convenience store around Wylds Lane/ London Road has as good as shut down. Tescos buying power and influence just can't be competed against. Tesco also owns One Stop of course, so its urban expansion is even bigger than just the Tesco Express shops! Tesco Express opening claimed the small newsagent by Foregate Street, and now its claimed Good News too.

CJH says...
2:37pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Sorry - but would still rather have the product range that Tesco gives me. I use One-Stop on St Peters a lot as well. But it could be any supermarket chain - I'm not a slave to Tesco in particular. It's about choice and convenience for me.

zx12r says...
3:11pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Where do I get my loose pipe tobacco from now Good news has gone. One thing certain forget Tesco they woulden't know what your talking about.

CJH says...
3:29pm Wed 19 Sep 12

zx12r wrote:
Where do I get my loose pipe tobacco from now Good news has gone. One thing certain forget Tesco they woulden't know what your talking about.
Good time to give up smoking then. Look upon it as an opportunity!

zx12r says...
3:58pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Another one that wants to run my life for me, & tell me CJH how do you keep the midges away when fly fishing in Scotland.

CJH says...
4:40pm Wed 19 Sep 12

zx12r wrote:
Another one that wants to run my life for me, & tell me CJH how do you keep the midges away when fly fishing in Scotland.
Go fly fishing somewhere else? Somewhere midgeless? ;-)

DEMRICS says...
5:43pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Could the main reason for this shop's demise be because Tesco is cheaper which lead to people shopping there instead of Good News? We either pay more to keep local shops open, or pay less for our goods, so may be the fate of Good News was in our hands and not Tesco's.

darren3o says...
6:14pm Wed 19 Sep 12

DEMRICS wrote:
Could the main reason for this shop's demise be because Tesco is cheaper which lead to people shopping there instead of Good News? We either pay more to keep local shops open, or pay less for our goods, so may be the fate of Good News was in our hands and not Tesco's.
I must agree with you there

CJH says...
8:44pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Where did all the comments go? What did I miss?

CJH says...
11:08pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Now that's weird - no comments a couple of hours ago - now they're all back...

Arthur Blenkinsop says...
8:51am Thu 20 Sep 12

CJH wrote:
Where did all the comments go? What did I miss?
Perhaps they weren't making a profit!

clive_james says...
6:28pm Sun 23 Sep 12

Sadly Good News is another victim to large retailers who have no connection with the local community.

I suggest we start a list of all the gone but not forgotten family owned businesses that made Worcester unique, and also start to frequent the family run businesses that are left.

Here are some of the shops I remember as I kid which no longer exist:

Claptons - the best cream cakes!
The Cadena Cafe - great coffee
Kitsons - the chemist
Russell & Dorrell - before the furniture focus
Shuters & Flays - grocery shop
Dick Howarth - newsagent
Bobby's - department store
Pratleys - great for china seconds
John Life - TVs and washing machines
Inights - newsagent in the High Street
Jane Eyre - baby clothes in Sidbury
St George's laundry - and dry cleaners

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