TL; DR Chrisp Street market shop closures will begin at the end of January when the Co-op shuts its doors. Where will people do their shopping?
The Co-op, Post Office and Barclays branches in Chrisp Street will be closing in early 2022 due to the Poplar HARCA redevelopment.
Rumours that the Co-op might close have been circulating for years but finally the rumours have become fact.
The Co-Op will close by the end of January.
It is understood that the shop is profitable but it’s commercial viability is not the primary consideration, it has to make way for the redevelopment.
While the relevant organisations are taking some measures to reduce the impact of the closures there seems a real risk that Poplar residents will have nowhere to shop.
The nearest large supermarkets are Asda on the Isle of Dogs and Tesco in Bow, neither of which are near enough for many to walk to or want to get the bus.
Many older people shop at Co-op as they live nearby and a shopping trip is often a welcome chance to get out for a short walk at their own pace and talk to people.
Closure of Chrisp Street Co-op for redevelopment
Telford Homes is the current landlord for Chrisp Street. In a media statement issued through Poplar HARCA it said that the Co-op store at Chrisp Street will close in January 2022 but that the store will continue to trade until its closure.
Convenience store to replace Co-op Poplar?
Telford also said that “We will soon be launching a new convenience store at Chrisp Street” and that Iceland will remain open until the new supermarket to replace the Co-op opens.
The Enquirer has yet to find out exactly what a ‘convenience store’ might be in this context.
Chrisp Street Market Post Office Closure
When the Enquirer first contacted Tower Hamlets Council about their views on the impact of such important shops and facilities the response was ‘What does this have to do with us?’
Even Mole found this attitude surprising.
Since then the Council has issued a statement say that it is in discussion with the Postmaster for Poplar about providing alternative premises to maintain Post Office services to the community but these plans are at a very early stage.
Barclays All Saints 159 East India Dock Road
The All Saints Barclays branch at 159 East India Dock Road opposite the fire station will close on 4th March 2022.
A Barclays spokesperson said: “The decision to close a branch is never an easy one. However, customers are increasingly using alternatives to branches to do their banking.
As a result, we are seeing a sustained fall in branch visits across the UK. In addition, nine out of ten customers at the branch are also using different ways to bank.”
Barclays also promised that it will work with customers to provide alternative options to ensure they can continue to manage their money and receive financial expertise when required.
Apparently there are 40 free-to-use ATMs within one mile of the branch. But how many of these are in Canary Wharf?
One very pertinent fact that Barclays shared is that only 68 regular customers use the branch exclusively for their banking and that these customers do not interact with Barclays in other ways and that only 10% of all interactions take place inside a bank.
Virtual ‘tea and teach’ lessons
Free virtual ‘tea and teach’ sessions for Barclays customers who want to explore digital banking and other alternatives to branch banking will be offered.
Enquirer View
The redevelopment of Chrisp Street has already started with hoardings going up and some empty buildings like the youth club just past the Co-op on Chrisp Street coming down.
600 new homes are part of the development but it is not clear if these are for the wealthy incomers or the less than wealthy local residents.
On completion there will be over 100 new shops and restaurants, a cinema and a “revitalised” Chrisp Street Market, and it is claimed that these will support up to 900 local jobs and hundreds of local associated businesses.
That’s all well and good but when the Co-op closes Chrisp Street market square will become a no-go zone after dark. Many considerate it to be off-limits already because of their fear of becoming mugging victims.
The main fear is that the regeneration of Chrisp Street market will destroy the local community and lead to a large increase of wealthy professionals who want to live in an ‘up and coming’ area. But not for very long.
London is defined by the huge variety of different types of people and cultures that call it home but without a sense of community, created by people and families who live in an era for decades, sometimes generations, it could soon be a city devoid of ordinary people.
i think they should just leave poplar market the way it is they will be destroying old memories and it wont look nice
This is terrible, I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s going to the market every Saturday with my mum and aunt, they did all their shopping there. Now it’s being slowly killed. The new properties will be for incomers not locals in need of housing. The council don’t care
There was no need to change things waste of time! Instead of wasting time and money why not invest in making new houses for residents?
The market is a dive now. No proper fruit and veg stalls. Needs a good revamp .
It’s a joke that they say they keep locals informed but I only find out through articles like this
The market has died long ago as well as the shops. The facilities available, excluding few shops, do not offer products for the diverse community. The market has become an hotspot for all sorts of crimes and no one cares. Hopefully with the new development we will all be able to shop locally and enjoy walking through the market without always having to watch your back or close the eyes of our children.
It needs a good revamp if a dirty dump
The real traders left a while ago. Now it a cheap version of it self that needs a new look and revamp moving the crackheads on would be a good idea.
I agree. I don’t like what I’ve just read above. The older generation are going to struggle with no cafes to go to.
Why do we need a Cinema, will all this Covid rubbish, people that are vaxxed will have Covid passes…what about those who don’t? What about disabled people that cannot travel to their local market?
The place needs a face lift, but we do need a post office and a supermarket!
Its the land! Its valuable! Its for the rich!
This is awful, I can’t see why can’t the coop and post office cant stay during the revamp. They are valuable establishments for everyone. I understand the desire to have a revamp but this will severely impact so many locals including myself. I don’t have a car and coop is my local supermarket. I’m not impressed.
I look forward to a complete regeneration of the area. We also need a proper larger supermarket, not only a convenience store. I would personally appreciate a larger mix of different stores and more items of quality. Ideally a Costa coffee place too.
Gentrification of the market begins. All in the grand sceme to push out the poor and working class. I’m born and bred resident of Poplar and we have not asked for a silly things like Costa coffee shops and cinemas here. Me and my family are dreading that the green grocer stalls will not return due to Poplar Harca and tower hamlets working together to price them out.
Are the toilets getting updated
I would think so!
I hate chrisp street as it is now in the 70s 80s it was packed either a vast variety of shops stalls now its run down the stalls are of low quality items znd it needs an upgrade
Crisp street market has been badly managed and run for 35yrs+ the worst stalls came in after the real traders long left.. so im not surprised….should be a much more diverse place with small independent business…not cheap bottom end clothes fruit/vegetables….I guess the only way to save it is to do this…the only places i go into are the Post Office, charity shop and coop occasionally…..Its so depressing and it used to be a great market, packed with people..my best friends dad used to sell fab clothing in the 60s there!!