Now here’s the way to tackle a downturn-—pretend it doesn’t exist. North Tyneside, a borough in the northeast of England, has decided that it’s better to have fake storefronts than empty storefronts.
In an effort to keep its shopping area looking prosperous, North Tyneside council has begun to replace some of the 140 empty shops within its jurisdiction with fictional businesses. The businesses consist of nothing more than colorful images of shop interiors. The images span “a range of different shop types, which are either taped inside the windows or screwed to the fascia so they can be removed and reused as required,” according to the BBC. Council bosses say the first such shop has been well received and more on the way.
No word yet on whether fake shoppers will also be part of the redevelopment scheme.
Freelance business journalist Ian McGugan blogs for the Financial Post.