Rotherham Town Centre
The centre of Rotherham is a compact, hilly area which doesn't take you long to walk around. The outdoor and indoor markets were moved from their old traditional site not far from Rotherham Minster on Domine Lane and Market Street about thirty years ago and the focus of the town moved north eastwards too. For many years Rotherham was your traditional busy market town with department stores and a wide variety of shops selling just about anything. Sadly within the last twenty to thirty years this has changed. The virtual death of the coal industry in the 1970s combined with the decline in the traditional heavy industries which had been the mainstay of the town left much unemployment and poverty in their wake. This period also saw the closure of the Co-op, Muntus' and John Speed's Department stores and innumerable other long standing traditional businesses. The centre of Rotherham today is only a pale shadow of a once thriving town. Pedestrianisation, anti–car policies, the development of Parkgate Shopping and the huge mall at Meadowhall have all contributed to its decline, as have the changes in people's shopping habits.
In 2009 various schemes offering rental help and contributions towards shopfitting (subject to conditions) were initiated and free parking was introduced after 3pm. Also free on Saturdays up to Christmas 2009 and again from April 2010. Empty shop fronts have been brightened up with posters and art. In 2010 the Rotherham Town Centre initiative has encouraged a number of small traders to set up shop in Rotherham and also one or two chains. This can only be a good thing. I went into town after 3pm on the Saturday before Mothers' Day and the centre was really humming. A sign of things to come I hope.
So besides the charity shops, hairdressers, building societies, mobile phone shops and card shops what is there in Rotherham in the 21st Century? The only 'BIG' names left in town are Wilkinson, Boots, WH Smith and out on Forge Island Tesco.
Food Shops
Most of the bakers seem to keep going but I suspect that this is on the back of the sandwich trade. Except for two shops, butchers are confined to the Market Hall and most supply the sort of pre-packaged meat customers are used to picking up in the supermarket and who can blame them! There's one cheese stall in the market but the French would flinch at it, one fish stall with a very limited range of fresh fish, one wine and spirits merchant and one chocolate shop. If you are looking for something special in any of these lines you won't get them here. If you stroll up Wellgate there is a Polish shop but I haven't tried it. There may be more, its a while since I've strolled that way. In 2009 a "delicatessen" opened in the Market Hall so I gave it a whirl before Christmas: basically it is a cooked meat stall so don't be deceived by the name. Enough of food!
Music Shops
The musical life of Rotherham is very healthy indeed and the town still manages to maintain a few specialist music shops. Street Life Musical Retail Limited in The Guardian Centre (balcony level above the market), and The Piano & Drum Centre which is in an old chapel right out on Westgate/Canklow Road which is stretching a point. Guitar Bazaar is on the part of Effingham Street on the far side of the flyover which is stretching another point.
Clothes Shops
There are all sorts of cheap clothing shops in town, Ethel Austin, Primark, Internaçionale. There is an Alexon Sales shop for the more discerning lady and up Wellgate you can find a much better and much, much more expensive class of clothing shop. Several new clothes shops have opened in the re-vamped Imperial Buildings on the corner of High Street and Corporation Street.
There are also several bridal shops in town if you are after that special wedding dress, or outfit. Some may do hat hire. I think some of them hire out men's formal clothes.
Shoe Shops
Hambys at the top of High Street is the only class shoe retailer in town. There are a number of budget shoe shops and stalls both in the inside and outside markets.
Arts & Crafts
Part of The Imperial Buildings have reopened as an Arts Hub and there are various arts and crafts stall there. Also a new arts and crafts shop on Wellgate to compliment the one already there.