As I’m sure many of you have noticed, large chain restaurants and goods outlets have really begun to take hold of the town of Consett. Whether or not this is a good thing is yet to be seen, but the big business are looking like they’re here to stay. These national chains or even international chains are increasingly become widespread in the UK, even in small towns like Consett.
The lower end of the town is starting to look like a snapshot taken directly out of the U.S.A, with McDonalds on one side and KFC on the other; not to mention the huge dual Morrisons supermarkets and Tesco in progress just down the road. There is more of a balance in the centre of town between shop chains and local outlets but this is steadily changing as we speak with the addition of Domino’s Pizza to Middle Street.

Consett Shops

What do the local residents think?

Naturally there are mixed opinions on this subject. On one hand we have new jobs becoming available as new businesses open up around the town which is a great way to stimulate the local economy during the current period of economic downturn. Whereas on the other hand we have the “big boys” coming in and muscling out local businesses of the same type; some of which have been around since the early 1900s. The other main concern is that Consett may be steadily losing its character and charm as it takes on the image of a “Little America”, containing mostly retail parks and car parks with no individuality.

Commercialisation of Consett

A pro argument for the commercialisation of Consett is that it brings a greater variety of services to the area, especially in the food department. Does Consett actually need any more food outlets? Our streets are already laced with take away after take away for the local connoisseurs to have their fill many times over.
What do you think about the influx of big companies in Consett.


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