It is a familiar question in Andover: “Why can’t we get something like Primark?” “Why do we keep getting more cafes, vape shops, and charity shops?” “Surely the town must have some say?”
It feels like there should be a simple answer. The truth is a bit more awkward.
How much choice does Andover actually have?
Very little, especially when it comes to big national chains.
Large retailers like Primark do not ask towns for permission. They decide for themselves where to open. Their teams look at footfall, catchment size, spending power, nearby competition, store size, and long term growth. If a town does not tick enough boxes, it is simply ruled out.
Andover cannot invite Primark and expect them to arrive. At best, the town can make a strong case that it is worth a look. Even then, the final decision sits entirely with the retailer and the landlord.
So when people say, “Why won’t they bring Primark here?”, the honest answer is that no one locally has the power to make that happen.
Why do cafes, vape shops, and charity shops keep appearing?
This is where the market does exactly what it is designed to do.
These types of businesses usually have lower start up costs, flexible staffing, and simpler supply chains. They can often make a shop work in a smaller unit with lower rent. Charity shops, in particular, benefit from reduced business rates, which makes them more resilient in tougher times.
Vape shops and cafes also tend to work well with passing trade rather than destination shopping. They do not need people to travel in specially. They just need enough feet on the street.
From a landlord’s point of view, they are often a safer bet than something more niche or ambitious.
Can the town stop this happening?
Not really.
If a shop unit already has permission for retail use, councils cannot pick and choose which type of retailer fills it. They can only step in if a proposed use falls outside planning rules or causes a clear problem, like noise or late night disturbance.
That means towns manage the edges, not the detail.
So what can be influenced?
What can be influenced is whether the town feels busy, welcoming, and worth visiting.
Events, public spaces, markets, culture, and a good mix of independent businesses all help increase footfall. Higher footfall makes the town more attractive to a wider range of retailers over time.
It is slow, unglamorous work. But it is how change actually happens.
Fact or fiction?
The idea that Andover can choose its shops, or simply decide to attract a big national chain, is mostly fiction.
The reality is that retailers choose towns, not the other way round. Cafes, vape shops, and charity shops are not signs of failure. They are signs of what works financially in the current climate.
If Andover wants more choice, the challenge is not blocking the shops people complain about. It is creating the conditions that make other options possible.
And that takes patience, collaboration, and a bit of realism.