As many patrons of Wokingham town centre are aware there have been several closures of stores causing alarm and concern for the local business owners and customers alike, in the last 6 weeks alone there has been 6 closures, The Original Factory shop, Poundland, Phil’s Good Food, This Little Piggy, the Co-op and now T G ART Gallery. This follows previous years that have demonstrated a high turnover in units at peach place after the 2017 regeneration, such as Neon Sheep and the Leafy Elephant. It makes us all wonder what is to come and how these closures will effect our remaining businesses, independent or part of chains.
There is continued worry for the future of smaller businesses, as with a decreasing selection of stores to visit the draw for shoppers may also see a decrease, especially when needing to making extra time and effort to access the town centre by car.
Many customers of Wokingham and the surrounding areas are in agreement that this limited access and increased traffic pressure through alternative and diversion routes is an enormous deterrent for going into Wokingham at all, especially in winter months when there is the potential for icy pavements and heavy rainfall, not to mention the chance of becoming a pavement-victim of a pot-hole puddle tidal wave.
In addition to the roads leading into Wokingham and the ever-clogged one way system, customers, gym-goers, lunchers and staff are cornered into paying expensive prices for out-sourced parking companies. Whether that is the Elms Road NCP, Easthampstead Road, Cockpit Path, Denmark Street, Rose Street or the rare spot on a side road, the threat of the 5-6 parking wardens is borderline hostile and local retail customers feel the pressure. On many occasions customers have called the enforcement of parking restrictions and aggressive ticketing excessive, constantly fearing they will run out of time while shopping, preventing them from anything more than a glance inside, and certainly without time to try a garment on.
Several retail businesses owners have noted the slowing of footfall since July 2025 when construction began at the junction between Finchampstead road and Molly Millars Lane, to build the South Wokingham distributor road. Some lifestyle and fashion stores have data showing a decline in footfall, takings and considerably more sporadic purchasing through the winter months, when historically in the Christmas period the expectation is for stores to be busy and customers eager, often producing increased profit that sees smaller businesses through the quieter months that follow the Christmas season. Despite ongoing discussions on what can be done for the stores that have been negatively effected by the traffic circumstances, there are optimists with unbounding energy amongst our Wokingham sellers. Some business owners have taken this challenge as the chance to channel efforts into alternative outreach, through social media strategy, collaborations between hospitality and retail and an evolving buyer mindset that keeps a close eye on-trends for all age groups.
There is a variety of stores in Wokingham each offering something unique, from clothing and accessories for your next holiday, home accessories, decorations and upkeep, thoughtful gifts for every occasion, party wear for those bigger bling occasions, to the current viral obsessions. Wokingham needs its residents to stand by its smaller business and weather this period, chance an afternoon walk as the daylightlasts a little longer or extend your errand running for a self-checkout-rage-bait free shopping experience. Other ways you can support smaller businesses is through their social media, make your scrolling intentional, whether its Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, repost their new collections, like their offers and comment what you want to see next, give the power back to the people in-store and they’ll give everything and more to buy in what you need for the brightest spring and summer.
Some Small Businesses in Wokingham you can support:
Mimi – Open Mon – Sat 10-5, Sun 10.30 – 4
4 Peach Pl, Wokingham RG40 1LY
Giftology – Open Mon- Sat 10-5 , Sun 11-4
5 Rose St, Wokingham RG40 1XS
Antique Rose – Open Mon – Sat 10-5, Sun – closed
4 Bush Walk, Market Pl, Wokingham RG40 1AT
Fiona Parry Boutique – Open Mon – Sat 9.30-5, Sun 10-3
Unit 7c Elms Walk, Wokingham RG40 2FE
Wokingham Décor – Open 8.30-5 Mon – Sat, Sun – closed
56 Peach St, Wokingham RG40 1XG
Strange the Jewellers – Open Tues – Fri 10-5, Mon & Sun – closed
7-8 Bush Walk, Market Pl, Wokingham RG40 1AT
The Wild Card – Open Mon – Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4
6A Broad St, Wokingham RG40 1AB
Vitality – Open Mon – Sat 10-5, Sun – Closed
6 Bush Walk, Wokingham RG41 1AT
