Over recent years Freshney Place in Grimsby has suffered some great losses in terms of the shops available to buy from. While some shops are closing all together, others are moving around within the centre and swapping spaces. Quite recently, the clothing shop Quiz moved to a slightly larger location and after an absence in the last two years, New Look was able to reopen just next door. 

After COVID - 19 took place it was known that many shops would be affected by their lack of business not just in Grimsby but all over the United Kingdom. However the changes within Freshney Place are not just due to COVID - 19, but also the current development of a brand new cinema which will be taking over the former Market Hall. Shops such as ShoeZone, the British Heart Foundation and Eskimoo have all had to close their doors in the past year to allow for this development to take place. A more fortunate store, Stitch Express, was able to move within the town centre to a vacant space, meanwhile the others remain out of sight for the time being. The new cinema will be a Parkway Cinema which will be just 4.1 miles from the Parkway Cinema in Cleethorpes. Despite some members of the public not wanting a new cinema due to the fact there is already one in the area, the one in Freshney Place will be much more accessible as it is the centre of all local bus routes. I spoke to a student in Grimsby, Luke Ettridge, who frequently visits Freshney Place during the week and he said that the cinema would ‘bring more people to the town’ and that it could potentially ‘make some of the struggling shops more money’ due to the cinema customers having the option to go shopping before or after their visit.

One of the biggest shops in Freshney Place that suffered a closure was House of Fraser, which remains empty after three years. The shop had an amazing three floors, selling a wide range of departments including health and beauty, clothing, and also a café which was situated outside in Victoria Street. The store had occupied this space since 1969, although for the majority of its presence in Freshney Place the store was known as Binns. After such a long time of being there, customers were devastated to hear of its closure and it is unfortunate that no company has taken over the empty store.