FROM the famous selection of picn'mix to the vast range of toys, entertainment goods and value pots and pans.

Days of popping into Woolies for "just a quick look" and coming out with bags full of brightly coloured bargains are coming to an end in Southampton with the closure of the city centre Woolworths.

But despite the end of the popular chain in Southampton, which has attracted shoppers to Above Bar since 1923, business leaders say that the high street shops in the city have nothing to fear as they continue living in the shadow of WestQuay.

With major shops relocating inside the new complex, fears of a WestQuay effect surfaced when it first opened in September 2000 as traders predicted a drop in people visiting the city outside the walls of the giant mall.

But a study published in 2004 into the impact of the WestQuay development suggests the centre's opening was not as detrimental as predicted and actually generated a bond with the existing shops and businesses.

A poll of shoppers in the report for the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, said that two thirds of visitors to the centre intended to visit shops not inside the complex.

Other figures showed that nearly half of the total number of shoppers at WestQuay entered the centre from Above Bar.

Moreover, it's a place which is today grandly described by Southampton's City Centre manager Ian Rothwell as the busiest place in Southampton.

Thriving' "Today we have many thriving businesses that have replaced those that moved into West Quay," said Mr Rothwell, who doesn't believe the closure of Woolworths will affect high street shopping for Southampton.

"Primark moved into the old Marks & Spencer and Peacocks have opened recently and made a really good use of their store for customers."

Before WestQuay the greatest flow of pedestrians was measured in The Marlands centre. Now renamed The Mall, it is currently the focus of an ongoing plan to enhance both retail centres. Alongside the city's Bargate Centre.

Results of the 2004 study, however, did show that there was an increase in the level of empty businesses in the city centre since the opening of WestQuay.

The study revealed that "the vacancy rate in Southampton town centre stood at 10.9 per cent of units - a marked increase on the level recorded in December 2001."

It also noted "vacancy rates had increased considerably in both the Bargate Centre and East Street Centre and by 2004 stood at 23 per cent and 44 per cent of units respectively."

Nonetheless Mr Rothwell maintained that the amount of people shopping in Southampton had greatly increased and brought with it a huge interest from investors.

"We now have a Tesco Home Store and a Borders in the retail park which brings even more people into the city," he said.

"Of course what we need to do is bring people out of the shopping centre and into the streets outside. This is why we have things like the German market in the run up to Christmas as well as the weekly Friday market which both work well and show that Southampton isn't just about WestQuay for shopping."

Mr Rothwell stressed the shock closure of Woolworths does not represent a trend that should worry other retailers.

"Nationally retailers are suffering with things like high interest rates and online shopping. But Southampton itself is actually performing quite well and remains the best place to shop in the whole of the south," he said.

But the three-year-old study does back up thoughts of local businessman and Chairman of the East Street Traders Association Rashmi Chandre, who argues businesses in East Street are still being overlooked.

"We are invisible to people who visit as WestQuay gets all the marketing from the city council.

"WestQuay does bring more people to the city but we don't see any of it.

"Businesses are always coming and going in East Street and those that are still here soldier on. They get by with gritted teeth because they are specialist stores but what we are all lacking is the passing trade from people who walk past and stop when they see something in the window.

"More needs to be done to promote East Street in WestQuay. We do have small signs up in the street but clearly they are not enough."

Jimmy Chestnut, director general of the Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce and Industry backed the view that more publicity was needed for East Street.