Old York, new York

IT'S one of the odd paradoxes of our times that while in one way we have never had more choice, in another everything is becoming increasingly the same.

Just think of coffee. Pop into a Starbucks or a Caff Nero these days, and you are spoiled for choice. Tall, skinny, latte, cappuccino, mocha or Americano - you hardly know where to turn.

And yet, up and down the country, the coffee shops providing this bewildering array of choice are all part of the same two or three franchises.

The latest example of franchise explosion to hit York is Subway, the sandwich outlet. The new Subway in Church Street brings the number of York Subways to four. Nationwide, according to the Subway website, there are almost 560 shops: worldwide, a staggering 24,278.

There may be a decent range of 'subs' on offer in each of these shops - and Subway points out the investment of about £600,000 in the four York outlets has created 60 jobs. But the fact remains that anyone going into any of the 24,278 Subway shops anywhere in the world is going to be offered essentially the same thing.

What happened to variety? What happened to local produce, regional and national delicacies, and plain individual inspiration?

Andrew Pinder, proprietor of Alfrescos sandwich shop in Coppergate, says there is nothing wrong with places such as Subway. But what does concern him is the way rising rents and business rates are making it more and more difficult for independent, locally-owned concerns such as his own to keep their place in the High Street.

"There is nothing wrong with healthy competition," he said. "But we are in danger of losing that individuality. Increasingly what will happen is that every town centre will be replicated and you will have Top Shop next to Next next to Marks & Spencer."

Given that York has always prided itself on the unique quirkiness of its smaller shops, that growing uniformity could be more of a problem here than in many other city High Streets.

Adam Sinclair, boss of Mulberry Hall and chairman of the York Chamber of Trade, says more must be done to protect York's small shops.

Small retailers were being hard hit by the economic climate, he said.

"It is quite clear that the retail sector is at the moment beset by very high overheads, business rates, taxes and pensions, just like everybody else," he said. "Added to that there is all the regulation, the health and safety, disabled access and equal opportunities legislation.

"At the same time there is retail deflation going on. Prices are dropping in shops. Put those together and you have what the Daily Telegraph described as 'retail armageddon'. Only the big people can survive."

York, if it is to retain its character, has to protect its smaller shops, as well as welcoming big-name stores and shops to the city, Mr Sinclair said.

Steps should be taken to ensure there is plenty of reasonably priced parking in the city - and not allowing the 'old' quarter centred around Stonegate to be swamped by, for example, a massive Coppergate II development with lots of parking at one end of the city.

York council leader Steve Galloway accepts that many retailers, especially smaller ones, are having a difficult time at the moment. But he insists York is doing better than many other city centres in keeping its unique, individual shops - precisely because they are the kind of shops that many people come to the city to visit.

The city council is not responsible for setting business rates, and has no influence on national legislation such as health and safety and equal opportunities regulations - all factors which are affecting the retail sector.

But there are parking discount schemes for frequent car-park users, and the council is introducing a scheme to allow visitors to pay parking fees by mobile phone - so they will not have to struggle for change or risk 'overstaying', because they will be able to top up their parking payment by mobile.

All the evidence was that the number of people visiting the centre of York was remaining steady, Coun Galloway said.

The challenge for small retailers was to provide a product on offer nowhere else so that shoppers came back again and again.

Andrew Hedley, of York property consultants Blacks, insisted that the picture was far from being all doom and gloom.

Yes, he admitted, it was impossible when walking through the city not to notice the sudden proliferation of Subway outlets - just as, a few years ago, it had all been about new coffee bars.

York was much in demand by big retailing chains keen to open outlets in the city, he said. But the circumstances here remained special. For a start, the typical York city-centre shop was too small for many of the big chains - and they were also hampered because many city-centre buildings are listed.

There were, by contrast, plenty of streets in the city centre - Goodramgate, Colliergate, Fossgate, Low Petergate - that were ideal 'start-up streets' for small, local businesses.

York Tourism Bureau has worked hard to promote the city, with its wealth of small, individual shops, as a shopping destination with a difference. Among its initiatives was the launch of five 'shopping trails' - see panel - designed to help visitors get the best out of the city's shops.

"There are a hell of a lot of interesting, unique, individually-owned shops in York, and it is important that we keep them while we do encourage shops such as H&M," said Kay Hyde, tourism bureau spokeswoman.

"What we aim to do with the trails is encourage people to discover parts of the city they have not been to before, so that they go down all the small alleys instead of just staying on the main streets."

That may not halt the spread of the Subways and Starbucks - but it can't do York's small shops any harm.

York shopping trails

York Tourism Bureau launched five "shopping heaven" trails, designed to help people get the most out of the city-centre shops. Each includes a route map and details of the shops to be encountered along the way. The trails are featured, along with maps, in special leaflets available at visitor information centres, or can be accessed online at www.visityork.org/shopping

The five trails are:

- Two 'pure pampering' trails which detail places to unwind, relax and refresh mind, body and soul

- A 'something special' trail featuring designer jewellery, affordable artwork and gifts

- A 'designer wear' trail

- A 'designer living and antiques' trail, featuring everything from rare books to interior design shops

Survival tactics for the small retailer

Brian Woodhouse, a business adviser with Business Link York and North Yorkshire, accepts that times are hard for small, independent retailers. They are handicapped by the fact that, proportionately, the business rates and rents on small retail premises are higher than for larger ones, he says.

Bigger businesses also have the advantage of being able to bulk-buy, and therefore sell goods more cheaply and still make a decent margin. And they have more to spend on marketing.

So what can the small concerns do? Play to their strengths, Mr Woodhouse says.

This involves:

- Good customer service. Make your customer's experience so good that they cannot help but come back

- Try to offer something individual that a customer will not be able to get anywhere else. "One of the things people look for when they come to York is those quality little individual shops that you wouldn't get in the middle of Middlesbrough or Leeds," he says.

Updated: 10:24 Wednesday, October 19, 2005