Interviews and Project Findings:
Shopping in Darlington

"My Grandad told me that the shops have changed because instead of having corner shops and family businesses there are a lot more shopping centres (e.g. the Cornmill shopping centre which is a shopping arcade with a range of many different shops). The shops have grown in size and there is also a lot more variety now. Shops only used to sell one type of product. However now you can buy a range of products in just one shop."



"Many of the shops around now are on the same kind of site and are the same type of store but are modern. Grocery shops have almost all stayed in the same sites for many years, but the overall range of shops has changed quite a lot, for example clothes shops and newsagents. We now have a range of different bakeries, butchers and general supermarket-type shops.

The range of food has changed over the past 50 years because of more imports, bigger chains of fast-food, and supermarkets which can afford different foods. There is no rationing, unlike in the war when people were allowed only a certain amount of particular foods. There is definitely a wider selection of food nowadays than there used to be."



"Q: Were the shops different then?

A: We didn't have supermarkets. In the shops they didn't sell packets of food, the person working in the shop weighed out what you wanted to buy. There wasn't as much variety in shops as there is now.

Q: Has the money changed since you were young?

A: We used different money then, like shillings. Things were a lot cheaper. I could buy fish and chips for 1 shilling (5 new pence or about € 0.08)."



"Shoppers can browse and buy from a wide variety of modern and traditional shops, from big chain stores to small craft shops hidden away in narrow yards. Big department stores such as Binns and Marks and Spencers have been around for years and are still in work today. New shopping centers like the Cornmill have been opened to give a good selection of clothes, shoes, stationery, sportswear and accessory shops. Retail parks such as Morton Park offer the full D.I.Y and homecare appliances. These are built on the outskirts of the town."



"Shopping in Darlington has changed greatly in the past ten years. In 1992 the Cornmill Centre was opened, bringing a whole host of new shops to the town. I asked a teenager what they thought about the changes in shopping.

Q: What do you think the of the Cornmill Centre and what has it done for the area?

A: l think that the Cornmill Centre is a great place to go shopping as there is a wide variety of shops, like W H Smiths, Our Price and Dixon Sports. l think that it is popular because it is under cover. It rains so often here it is good hat we can still go shopping. l also think that other shops have improved in quality to try and compete with the larger shops in the Cornmill.

Q: What do you think should be done next to improve shopping in Darlington?

A: We should refurbish the Queen Street Centre as it is getting old and doesn't have good enough shops to compete with the Cornmill. Also, there is not enough parking near the Town Centre."



"Our main shopping centre is the Cornmill shopping centre, which opened on August 27th 1992. The centre has revolutionized shopping in Darlington, providing 50 new shops and cafés. It sits in the heart of Darlington town centre. We have a range of other shops outside of the Cornmill, including a department store, a chemist, banks, restaurants, an outdoor and an indoor market. We also have Queen Street Arcade, which is another shopping centre."