BackGround Papers

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BackGround Papers

Firstplan
Smyths Toys
Supporting Background
Information
2014
PLANNING
STATEMENT
Firstplan Ltd.
25 Floral Street, London WC2E 9DS
T:020 7031 8210
F:020 7031 8211
Appeal Ref: XXXXX
LPA Ref: XXXXX
Firstplan Ref: 14085/mm
Date: 2014
COPYRIGHT
The contents of this document must not be copied
or reproduced in whole or in part without the
written consent of Firstplan Ltd.
Smyths Toys
Supporting Background
Information
2014
PLANNING
STATEMENT
CONTENTS
SECTION 1:
WHO ARE SMYTHS TOYS?
1
SECTION 2:
THE NEED FOR SMYTHS TOYS IN THE UK
2
SECTION 3:
THE ROLE AND POLICY CONTEXT OF RETAIL WAREHOUSING
3
SECTION 4:
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF ‘BULKY GOODS’ RETAILING
4
SECTION 5:
SUMMARY OF ‘BULKY GOODS’ CHARACTERISTICS
6
SECTION 6:
ANALYSIS OF THE SMYTHS TOYS BUSINESS MODEL
7
SECTION 7:
PRECEDENT
21
SECTION 8:
CONCLUSIONS
20
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1:
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE TRANSFER OF GOODS FROM THE
STORE
APPENDIX 2:
PHOTOGRAPHS OF SMYTHS TOYS STORES
APPENDIX 3:
COPIES OF PLANNING DECISION NOTICES
APPENDIX 4:
COPIES OF OFFICER REPORTS RELATING TO CHELTENHAM AND
KIDDERMINSTER
Firstplan
SECTION 1:
1.1
WHO ARE SMYTHS TOYS?
Smyths Toys is a leading provider of children's toys and entertainment products. The
company (whose business base is in Ireland but has now expanded into the UK) aims
to provide the best range of children's entertainment products whilst providing
consumers with competitive prices and ensure superior customer service from staff
who are considered to be ‘toy experts’.
1.2
There are currently 22 Smyths Toys stores in the Irish Republic and 52 stores in the
UK. Reflecting the demand from consumers, further expansion is planned.
1.3
Set out below are further details of the Smyths Toys business model, which emphasise
the bulky nature of products and purchases and the clear requirement to occupy retail
warehousing units. For example, extensive floor and shelf space is required to allow a
wide range of products (especially bulky goods) to be displayed, thereby avoiding
constant restocking during trading hours.
In addition, easily accessible back-up
storage, sufficient aisle widths for shopping trolleys and customer circulation and
adjacent surface level car parking are also requirements central to the business model.
Smyths Toys Planning Statement
Page 1
Firstplan
SECTION 2:
2.1
THE NEED FOR SMYTHS TOYS IN THE UK
There has been significant growth in the market for toys and entertainment products
for children in recent years and the growth is predicted to continue. Mintel note that
one of the main drivers for this growth has been electronic toys and games. Smyths
Toys expansion into the UK reflects such growth and provides competition to the
existing market leader in the sale of comprehensive ranges of toys, namely Toys R
Us. With the demise of Woolworths, Mintel suggest that the main beneficiaries have
been the supermarket chains, plus mixed goods retailers like Argos.
2.2
The expansion of Smyths Toys in the UK is improving consumer choice, (which is
consistent with Government objectives set out within the NPPF 2012) whilst
contributing to competitive pricing among the leading toy retailers in the UK.
2.3
In addition, the business is committed to the creation of local jobs in all new stores.
Up to 30 full time jobs are created with every new store, with this figure rising to 60
seasonal positions around Christmas.
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Firstplan
SECTION 3:
3.1
THE ROLE AND POLICY CONTEXT OF
RETAIL WAREHOUSING
There is no set definition of a ‘retail warehouse’ within the National Planning Policy
Framework (2012). However, it is generally accepted that retail warehouses are large
stores specialising in the sale of ‘bulky goods’ catering mainly for car borne customers.
3.2
Retail warehousing is both popular with the public and retailers, particularly given the
extensive retail floorspace, storage areas and surface car parks to ease the transfer
of large goods. In order to help protect the vitality and viability of some town centres,
some local planning authorities have sought to determine those goods which can be
sold out-of-centre and those to be retained in-centre. No specific definition of which
products should be sold in out-of-centre retail warehousing currently exists; however,
some retail warehouse units are subject to 'bulky goods' restrictions (either positively
or negatively worded) as opposed to unfettered Class A1 consents.
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Firstplan
SECTION 4:
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF ‘BULKY
GOODS’ RETAILING
a)
Physical Size of Goods
4.1
'Bulky goods' by their very definition are products that are large and/or unwieldy. It is
unlikely that products considered to be 'bulky' will fit in a standard carrier bag and many
will require transport by car, rather than on foot or on public transport.
4.2
Traditionally, products such as carpets, electrical goods, DIY and gardening goods,
and flat pack furniture have been considered as bulky goods; however, there is
currently a widening scope of products that can be regarded as bulky.
4.3
It is important to note, however, that retailers operating under 'bulky goods' restrictions
are not required to stock only bulky goods. Rather, it is often the case that DIY and
electrical goods retailers (for example), whilst undoubtedly selling a high proportion of
bulky goods, will also sell a wide variety of smaller, ancillary items such as kettles,
CDs, mobile phones etc. It is therefore a case of the overall shopping basket being
predominantly bulky, rather than all products that are sold from the store.
b)
Floorspace Requirements
4.4
Given the physical size of products, bulky goods retailing requires a large, often single
level floor area. Floorplates required are normally in excess of 1,000 square metres
and such units do not tend to be available or economic in town centres because of
these space requirements and the relative turnover attributable to these types of
retailers.
4.5
In addition, floorspace for bulky goods must allow for products to be easily inspected
by customers, for a range of products to be displayed for ease of comparison and for
sufficient stock to be available on the sales floor, thereby avoiding constant restocking
during trading hours.
c)
Storage Requirements
4.6
Crucial to the concept of bulky goods retailing is the need for easily accessible back
up storage. Again, the large sizes of the products determine that it is not always
possible to display large quantities of the same product on the sales floor. In some
instances it is only necessary and practical to display one of the product for customers
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Firstplan
to inspect on the sales floor but it is important for the retailer to have a number of such
items in stock in the storage area on site so that customers can purchase those goods
and leave with the acquired items.
d)
The Need for Trolleys and Wide Aisles
4.7
The physical size of bulky goods ensures that many products are too unwieldy to carry
around the store, even in a shopping basket. Trolleys are, of course, important in
allowing the customer to transport goods around the store, to the checkouts and finally
to their vehicle.
4.8
The need for trolleys also necessitates sufficient width between aisles. Not only does
this allow for greater manoeuvrability, but also improved circulation of customers.
e)
Car Parking
4.9
A surface level car park directly adjacent to the store is essential for the easy transfer
of bulky goods to customers' cars and then onward transfer home. Similar
arrangements are not often possible in town centre locations.
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Firstplan
SECTION 5:
5.1
SUMMARY OF ‘BULKY GOODS’ RETAIL
CHARACTERISTICS
Therefore, in order to be considered as a 'bulky goods' retailer, consideration must be
given to the following characteristics:
The physical size of the goods purchased;
The need for extensive back-up storage space;
The need for trolleys and wide aisle formats;
The need for large floor plates of circa 1,000 square metres; and
The need for an adjacent surface level car park, allowing onward, instant,
transfer home.
5.2
Indeed, without these characteristics it would be very difficult for a bulky goods retailer
to successfully operate their business model. To do so would fundamentally alter the
retail offer and bring into question the commercial viability of the trading proposition.
This point needs to be taken into account when assessing a proposal of this nature
against the sequential approach to site selection.
5.3
As will be described in the following section, Smyths Toys falls within this category of
a bulky goods retailer and the above characteristics are evident in the retail model.
Page 6
Firstplan
SECTION 6:
6.1
ANALYSIS OF THE SMYTHS TOYS
BUSINESS MODEL
The following section provides an analysis of the Smyths Toys business model;
describes why retail warehousing floorspace is required; and considers the business
in the context of the 'bulky goods' characteristics identified above.
a)
Physical Size of Goods Sold
6.2
As explained, by definition, a bulky goods retailer sells products that are large and
unwieldy. However, it is important to reiterate that there are no retailers operating
under the 'bulky goods' banner that stock and sell solely bulky goods; the term relates
to the overall shopping basket rather than the entire product range. Indeed, as set out
below, large areas of Smyths Toys stores are dedicated to the sale and display of
bulky items and, thus, Smyths Toys can be regarded as a bulky goods retailer, that is
the overall average customer shopping basket is comprised of predominantly bulky
items and the retailer therefore shares the characteristics of a traditional bulky goods
operator.
6.3
Smyths Toys have adopted a practical threshold in order to determine whether or not
products fall within the definition of bulky. The threshold is derived from the cubic
capacity of a Smyths Toys carrier bag, with anything in excess of this threshold being
considered as a 'bulky good'.
6.4
The dimensions of a standard Smyths Toys bag, having a cubic capacity of 37 litres,
are significantly larger than a carrier bag that one might find in, say, a supermarket. In
our view, the dimensions and volume of the standard Smyths Toys bag is a reasonable
threshold upon which to consider the extent of Smyths Toys bulky goods offer, since
any item not fitting within a large carrier bag is by definition difficult to handle and to
transport from the store.
6.5
Using the recognisable Tesco carrier bag for comparison, a selection of products were
packed into both a Smyths Toys standard carrier bag and a standard Tesco carrier
bag. The table and photographs below illustrate the results of this exercise.
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Firstplan
Product
Addict a Ball
Addict a Ball
Ben 10
Cars
TOTAL
Product
Addict a Ball
TOTAL
Smyths Toys - medium carrier bag
Length
Width
Height
20 cm
20 cm
20 cm
20 cm
20 cm
20 cm
35 cm
20 cm
6.5 cm
35 cm
19 cm
15.5 cm
Tesco - standard carrier bag
Length
Width
Height
20 cm
20 cm
20 cm
-
Capacity (litres)
8
8
4.5
10.3
30.8
Capacity (litres)
8
8
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Firstplan
6.6
The analysis illustrates, through comparing Smyths Toys’ carrier bag to that of a
supermarket operator, the capacity of the Smyths Toys standard carrier bag is
substantially larger than what would typically be regarded as a standard carrier bag.
On this basis, any shopping basket of products that doesn’t fit into a standard Smyths
Toys carrier bag is considered ‘bulky’ as it would clearly be difficult to transport without
a car parked in close proximity to the store. Indeed, as the photographs below
demonstrate, Smyths Toys’ ‘giant’ carrier bags are very large.
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Firstplan
Customer carrying ‘giant’ carrier bag
‘Giant’ bag v Tesco standard bag
Clearly, without a car it would be very difficult for customers to take goods home after
making their purchase which is part and parcel of the retail experience. Customers
purchase on average 3 items in a single transaction, increasing to 5 items in busier
periods. Additional photographs illustrating the transfer of bulky items from shop to car
appear as Appendix 1.
6.7
An overview of the Smyths Toys product range highlights the large number of goods
that exceed the 37 litre threshold. A basic outline of the types of bulky goods by
product type is provided below.
Nursery
Car seats (Smyths Toys provide a wide variety with approximately 30 different
varieties available);
Cots/Junior Beds (approximately 20 varieties available in store);
Mattresses;
Highchairs;
Pushchairs/prams (approximately 30 varieties);
Walkers;
Wardrobes/dressers;
Changing units;
Bouncers;
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Firstplan
Baths;
Carry cots; and
Rocking/feeding chairs.
Outdoor
Trampolines;
Swings;
Basketball stands;
Sports Tables
Playcentres (combining swings, slides, climbing frames);
Football goals (11 varieties);
Wendy houses
Sandpits and sand
Paddling pools
Bouncy castles / Inflatables; and
Children's garden furniture.
Wheeled
Bicycles/tricycles (approximately 30 varieties available in any store);
Ride-ons including electric;
Scooters /Flikers; and
Go Karts.
General
Dolls houses and accessories;
Play kitchens;
TVs/DVD players;
Computer games hardware (e.g. X Box 360/PS3);
Art easels;
Large soft toys ;
Remote-controlled toys ;
Musical instruments (including keyboards, drumkits and guitars); and
Rocking horses (6 varieties).
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Firstplan
6.8
Photos indicating the types of bulky goods on sale in a typical Smyths Toys retail unit
are provided at Appendix 2.
6.9
The extent of bulky goods available and purchased from a Smyths Toys store is also
emphasised by the use of Smyths Toys 'giant' bags (picture above). The giant bags
have a cubic capacity of 90 litres and are specially designed to transport/cover bulky
goods that will not fit in a standard Smyths Toys bag. On average, each Smyths Toys
customer uses 1.5 giant bags per visit, which emphasises the bulky nature of products
and purchases.
6.10
Smyths Toys business model revolves around the display/stock/sale of considerable
quantities of products, many of which are large, unwieldy and bulky. Customers expect
to be able to see, touch, feel/try the products on the shop floor and then to be able to
take their purchases home with them immediately.
6.11
The business model is popular and successful (Smyths Toys are presently expanding
rapidly in England, Scotland & Wales). It therefore improves consumer choice and
represents the kind of innovative and efficient retailing advocated by the NPPF.
6.12
All Smyths Toys stores stock and sell large quantities of products. Purchases are,
either individually or collectively, often bulky and require immediate, surface level
access to a car park.
6.13
In order to assist the understanding of the scale/volume of products sold, the table
below sets out the average number of some of the bulkier items sold per week, per
store. This helps to illustrate that Smyths Toys is a large scale operation dealing with
substantial volumes of product. The numbers of products sold (and consequently
restocked/replenished) during average weeks are very substantial. During the busiest
weeks, the figures are massive.
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Firstplan
Wheeled
Example of Bulky Item
Number of Items sold per week per store *
Average Number
Sales on Busiest Weeks
Wheeled (trikes, scooters, flikers,
quads, ride ons etc)
200
780
Bicycles
100
420
Outdoor
Average Number
Paddling pools
45
388
Sandpits
80
290
Trampolines
45
120
Swings /Playcentres
25
75
Bouncy castles
15
70
Slides
20
60
Play Houses
25
50
Children’s garden furniture
40
50
Football goals
20
42
Other Examples
Average Number
Play kitchens /Home role play
Musical instruments (including
keyboards, drumkits and guitars)
Games Consoles (X Box /Wii Fit
etc)
Art Easels /Activity Desks
111
720
42
355
70
200
15
112
Nursery
Average Number
Car Seats
60
94
Bedding packs
38
Pushchairs/prams
20
54
43
Cots/Junior Beds
20
35
Mattresses
16
25
Highchairs
10
23
Walkers /Entertainers
12
20
* Figures taken from 91 weeks of sales Jan 2010 to Oct 2011 across all Smyths Toys Superstores
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Firstplan
6.14
Smyths Toys carry over 13,000 different lines of stock. A typical store during ‘low
season’ would sell approximately 2,000 to 4,000 individual items per day. That would
increase to between 10,000 and 15,000 items per day during ‘high season’.
6.15
A Games Console, is an electrical product, which traditionally falls within the generally
accepted definition of ‘bulky goods’. This product is “bulky” by virtue of its weight –
5.6kg. It is impractical to expect a customer to carry it by foot or public transport. A
further example is a trampoline which is made up of numerous components including:
6.16
•
a ladder;
•
a safety skirt;
•
an enclosure;
•
tie down kit; and
•
the trampoline itself.
Additionally, the main trampoline is sold in two boxes.
Essentially 6 different
components for one product purchased; four of which are small items that would fit
inside a standard carrier bag, but the suite of different components are intended to be
purchased together in one transaction.
6.17
Not
only
are
the
above
figures
substantial
in
isolation,
many
of
the
transactions/purchases are also bought as a package. For example, during a busy
week, a store could expect to sell 290 sandpits. With each sandpit, itself a bulky item
needing transporting by car, Smyths Toys would expect to sell 5 or 6 bags of play
sand, each weighing 15kg. For 290 separate customers per week to manage to
transport such a purchase home, it is easy to understand that easy access to a surface
level car park is essential to the business model.
6.18
Such large volumes of sales also create an obvious pressure for substantial storage
space which needs to be easily accessible to allow quick transfer of products. Due to
health & safety issues, Smyths Toys cannot stock sufficient volume of items on the
shelves that are required by customers on a busy day.
Continuous stock
replenishment in stores all through the year is therefore necessary, which means quick
and easy access to storage areas is required. In many cases Smyths Toys have only
1 display item on the floor (e.g. - car seats) but dozens of each model in the store
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Firstplan
areas ready for customer removal. Smyths Toys also assemble certain products (e.g.
bikes) for customers, thus requiring space to make up the products and take them out
to customer’s cars.
6.19
Smyths Toys need to keep at least 6 of each model of each size of each bike made
up in the stores to manage to keep up with customer demand: that means up to 300
bikes assembled and ready to be taken away by the customer (please refer to the table
above). The average number of bikes sold per store per week is 100 and on the
busiest weeks this figure rises to 420 bikes, which necessitates constant replenishing
of assembled stock. This has obvious implications on the size of the back of house
storage area which in turn highlights a common characteristic of a bulky goods retailer.
6.20
Smyths Toys also fit car seats for customers and have staff members trained to do
this. To that end, customer car parking in close proximity to the store is, again, a
prerequisite.
6.21
Likewise, the sale of such large volumes of products requires substantial space for
storage and, crucially, easy and safe access for HGV’s. During busier periods a typical
Smyths Toys store receives from 15 to 18 x 40 foot articulated trucks per week
delivering the equivalent of 390 – 460 euro pallets of stock. In addition, up to 6 HGVs
visit each store per week collecting cardboard and 6 separate HGVs visit each store
to collect landfill waste. A store would also expect to accept 40 transit van deliveries
(couriers etc.) per week.
6.22
It follows from the above analysis that the Smyths Toys business model has a number
of fundamental requirements of store premises, as follows:
A large, single level floorplate to provide sufficient space for large amounts of
stock on the shop floor and back of house and wide aisles for customer
circulation (often with trolleys).
Adjacent surface level car parking for customers.
Spacious servicing space, with easy/safe access for HGV's.
Competitive rent and rates, which allow the business to offer products at the
lowest possible prices, to the benefit of consumers.
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Firstplan
b)
6.23
Floorspace Requirements
The typical floorspace requirements of bulky goods retailers were explored in
paragraphs 2.14 and 2.15 of this planning statement. It was stated that bulky goods
retailers require large floorplates, generally in excess of 1,000 square metres. A typical
Smyths Toys unit in the UK is approximately 2,333 square metres, including storage
space and goods inward areas.
6.24
Smyths Toys also shares the characteristics of a ‘bulky goods’ retailer in that parts of
the sales area are used to accommodate display and demonstration areas. This
includes dedicated floorspace (particularly in the spring and summer months) to
display large scale products such as trampolines, swings, sandpits, play houses, bikes
and other childrens play equipment in their assembled form and to allow areas for staff
to demonstrate how such products function. Examples of typical display areas within
the store are shown below.
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Firstplan
6.25
Given the high proportion of floorspace devoted to bulky goods, the need for space to
allow customers to ‘test’ products prior to purchasing items and the requirement for
extensive storage space, a large footprint unit is critical to the operation of Smyths
Toys, it would be impossible to display such a range of products in a conventional town
centre retail unit.
c)
Storage Requirements
6.26
A key characteristic of bulky goods retailers is the need for extensive and easily
accessible back up storage.
6.27
Given the high sales turnover of many products stocked by Smyths Toys, a substantial
storage area on the premises is required in order to meet customer demand, especially
during peak shopping periods. In most stores, a storage area of 650 square metres is
required, of which a substantial portion would be used for the storage of bulky
products. The photos below demonstrate the significant amount of space required to
store ‘bulky’ products such as bikes:-
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Firstplan
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Firstplan
d)
The Need for Trolleys and Wide Aisles
6.28
As outlined above, the bulky nature of products on sale by Smyths Toys ensure that
approximately 75% of customers require the use of a trolley in transporting goods
around the store and to their vehicles.
6.29
Typically, 50 trolleys are provided within a store and during peak shopping periods the
majority of these are in use throughout the store. This level of use is similar to
customers in DIY stores and, again, indicates the bulky nature of the retail offer.
6.30
The use of shopping trolleys also requires large aisle widths to ensure easy movement
and customer circulation around the store. Existing Smyths Toys stores have aisle
widths of 7ft to 9ft depending on the size and shape of the store. This aisle width would
not be achievable in town centre retail units where space is often at a premium and
aisle widths are significantly narrower.
This is well illustrated in a number of
photographs at Appendix 2.
e)
Car Parking
6.31
The vast majority of products available from Smyths Toys are taken away by
customers (less than 1% of all units sold are delivered) on the day of purchase. This
is in contrast to the many bulky goods retailers such as carpet, furniture and DIY stores
which will only deliver bulky goods to the customer.
6.32
A large proportion of customers use cars to travel to Smyths Toys units due to the
bulky nature of the goods bought. As a result, there is a genuine requirement for a
surface level car park, directly adjacent to the store to allow for the easy transfer of
bulky goods to customers' cars.
f)
Smyths Toys Compared to Town Centre Toy Retailing
6.33
As indicated above, the nature of the Smyths Toys business model is ideally suited to
and requires out of centre retail warehouse premises. It is also important to note that
there are marked differences between the Smyths Toys business model and traditional
town centre toy retailers. These retailers generally operate on a much smaller scale
and require smaller floorplates in the region of 200 - 400 square metres (gross).
Floorspace requirements of town centre toy retailers are largely due to the fact that
they dedicate much less floorspace to bulky goods and stock a much higher proportion
of physically smaller products than an out of centre toy retailer.
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Firstplan
6.34
The absence of so many 'bulky goods' ensures that typical town centre toy retailers
can operate successfully in stores with small floorplates and several different floor
levels. The size and nature of the goods stocked also ensures that trolleys, or even
baskets are not necessary thus, permitting narrow aisles within the store. In addition,
there are very few examples of town centre toy retailers with dedicated parking
facilities as there is little requirement for bulky goods to be transferred to cars.
6.35
The small size of goods stocked in town centre stores allows for limited back up
storage, often this is just 50 - 100 m². In comparison, as already mentioned, during
busier periods a typical Smyths Toys store will receive from 15 to 18 x 40 foot
articulated trucks per week delivering the equivalent of 390 – 460 euro pallets of stock.
This emphasises the need for large storage areas and floorspace in general.
6.36
Over and above the bulky products/stock and associated requirements for space, a
further substantial difference between town centre toy stores and the type of facility
created by Smyths Toys is the sheer range of products for sale. A typical Smyths Toys
store will offer approximately 13,000 products compared to only a fraction of that
number in small town centre units. For details of the full range of Smyths Toys
products, visit WWW.SMYTHSTOYS.COM.
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Firstplan
SECTION 7:
7.1
PRECEDENT
As mentioned in previous sections no retailer can lay claim to selling only bulky goods.
All bulky goods retailers trading from retail warehouse premises sell a range of bulky
and non-bulky products but all rely on the space provided by a retail warehouse to
support the bulky element of the retail offer. Moreover, the average size and content
of a customers’ shopping basket also needs to be considered with bulky goods making
up a substantial proportion of an average basket. In the case of Smyths Toys this
point it best evidenced by the use of the ‘giant’ carrier bag of which customers use on
average 1.5 per visit.
7.2
Smyths Toys therefore fit within this category of retailer in that a large proportion of
floorspace is dedicated to the sale and display of bulky products. Crucially, however,
the sale of non-bulky products does not render the retailer inappropriate for retail
warehousing floorspace.
a)
Planning Case Studies
7.3
It has previously been accepted that Smyths Toys can trade within a ‘bulky goods’
planning permission at the following locations across the UK:•
Bolton;
•
Cheltenham;
•
Colchester;
•
Coventry;
•
Glasgow;
•
Hull;
•
Kidderminster;
•
Maidstone;
•
Oldham;
•
South Ruislip;
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Firstplan
•
Thanet
7.4
Copies of the decision notices are attached at Appendix 3.
i)
Cheltenham
7.5
Smyths Toys opened a new store in October 2014 at the former PC World unit on
Tewkesbury Road within an established retail warehousing location.
7.6
The unit was restricted to the sale of carpets, furniture, electrical goods, pet products,
furnishings, textiles, DIY, home improvement and garden goods. A variation to the
range of goods originally granted for the sale of toys, bicycles, wheeled products, play
equipment, games consoles and games cartridges and other products associated with
toys and children’s entertainment was granted in May 2014. This followed an earlier
approval in 2012 for Smyths Toys to occupy a unit on Gallagher Retail Park.
7.7
The officer’s delegated report for both applications confirmed that “the applicant has
demonstrated the need for a large building to accommodate the range of goods it sells
and this is an integral part of its business model.” A copy of the officer’s report is
attached at Appendix 4.
ii)
Kidderminster
7.8
Smyths Toys opened a new store at Crossley Retail Park in 2011.
7.9
The retail park was originally restricted to the sale of bulky household goods including
DIY products, furniture, carpets, floor coverings, electrical products, vehicle
accessories and parts and caravans, tents, camping and boating equipment. A
variation of condition was granted in November 2010 to allow for the sale of toys and
children’s entertainment products.
7.10
The officer’s report to Committee noted that “the retailer generally deals with goods
that could be classed as ‘bulky’ in their use and this is supported by the photographs
included within the submission and the information provided on their website.” The
report goes on to conclude that “Smyths Toys offers a wide range of products that
includes a substantial element of bulky goods. The format is similar to Toys R Us
selling from large format stores on retail parks with need for level access and trolley
use.” A copy of the officer’s report is also attached at Appendix 4.
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Firstplan
SECTION 8:
8.1
CONCLUSIONS
This statement has described the retailer’s business model, the reasons why Smyths
Toys trade from retail warehouse premises and identified the key characteristics which
demonstrate that Smyths Toys have a strong synergy with, and can be considered to
fall within, the category of 'bulky goods' retailing.
8.2
Therefore, whilst an amendment/widening of planning condition(s) controlling the
range of goods that can be sold from the unit is required, the characteristics of the end
user are consistent with those retailers who can already trade from retail warehouse
parks. Consequentially, there should be no concern over retail impact and more often
than not the space requirements of the retailer cannot be met by traditional town centre
units.
Page 23

BackGround Papers

Transcription

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