Now seems a good time to bring this discussion up again. The first ever post I out in Melksham people was asking what type of shop do you guys on Melksham people want to see in our town. I didn't get a single responce. The partners of CHS really want to support Melksham and want to open a retail premises that is actually wanted or needed in the town centre. We do not want to make mistakes nor do we want to open a shop that you guys won't use. This is our promise to you: when the time for us is right, we will open a shop that is wanted. That promises impeccable customer service, as we do now, the highest quality products at incredibly low prices. We will offer a deliver to your door service free of charge and you don't even have to leave your sofa for us to help you. All of these things are offered by us now with the products and services that we offer, please ask one of the many customers we already have, we go that extra mile to help anyone and everyone. CHS is different from many modern company because we are not in this to make ourselves rich, we don't do this for ourselves. We do it all for you and our retail premises will be no different. Please help us to help the people of Melksham.

Love what you do, Steve, and am never backwards in coming forward to help promote and support you. Quite frankly though if I was thinking of setting up a retail business right now, I'd be looking at establishing something to replace what's shortly to be lost when the library is closed: new and second-hand books, music and films (both available as downloads to the user's device, or perhaps having devices people can loan, and physical); a central information point where people can get help with local services (say, for instance, finding a plumber or getting their cooker fixed...), and an internet cafe.

I'd love to see a coffee shop like Costa move in, or Starbucks (but probably too small for them). I appreciate that this could harm the Art House Café, but would hope that they could survive on their own merits. I think the French Chic shop could have been good, but they have a difficult space to work with and it doesn't seem to "gel" very well. Maybe it's just a pipe dream, but it would be nice if Melksham could be brought a but more "up-market". A bakers that actually bakes things would be nice, rather than that pitiful excuse for a bakers we have that sell stale cakes baked from frozen.

@Sasha: First of all - is there a way to make the posing a little more user friendly? Allowing carriage returns etc, like the "write" section?
Back on topic, I though there used to be a bookshop? Isn't it now the tattooists? A furniture shop would be nice in the space the carpet shop used to be in, as long as they aren't too expensive etc. A computer shop would be handy, and I'm not even going to count that mess that is computer-hut.

There is a world of a difference between the books that appear in most charity shops and the books people like to buy, as Oxfam well knows - all incoming stock is checked and the interesting stuff sent to separate specialist Oxfam bookshops. It's the latter kind that I'd like to see in Melksham. It needs to be combined with other stuff to work though as I described above - including an Internet cafe (a facility that I don't think the other cafe's in town have - do they even have free wireless?)

Internet cafes were everywhere 10 years ago but there were not really cafes nor places where people who were 1st time computer users could go and they mostly failed. Book shops started to incorporate coffee shops into stores so people could browse, relax, drink and buy. Maybe we have solved the library issue here. If the library had a coffee shop so you could drink, relax, use a computer with help if needed, read a book and take one out, meet, chat etc. Put a Costa in the library and it could be saved. I for one would go there for a coffee and see what else is on offer.

We would like to thank everyone who has commented both on here and by email today. It's great to see people finally helping us to bring you want is actually wanted. I think I should tell you what is planned and has been for a while now. The internet cafe idea is great, it's been a dream of mine for 10 years+ to have a shop and always in my plans it has had a small but comfortable section of the shop floor taken up with a table and sofa where we offer all of our customers a free hot or cold drink along with cake and biscuits if wanted. We don't want any of our customers to feel rushed into a decision. As a customer of CHS you would also get your parking fee refunded to you (if we can't offer free parking) as standard. with this being my background, I always wanted an electrical appliance store that offers a great selection of low priced, reliable appliances with everything in store working and available for you to use to make your decision, not sure if you like the control panel of a washing machine or want to hear how quiet it is then try it out here with your washing in it! We would also have open evenings and special events eg a local chef cooking fresh food in our store for you all to try along with a glass of wine. Another idea of mine which I implemented as a manager in a Bristol store was to wrap all Christmas presents up and if they were small enough collect them from Santa on Christmas eve. Sadly Melksham is not the right town to open this type of store as there are already three in the high street, plus Leekes. We really want to offer the same service, same free refreshments and relaxing shopping experience, but offering you a different product. I will be totally honest - with the sheds selling new books, charity shops selling second hand books and my complete lack of knowledge of the industry I don't think it's the right type of shop for me to have, but with your guy's help and support I would be willing to give it a go. Lots of emails have said about men's clothing stores and shoe shops but all of these have come and gone within recent years so again that worries me. If any of these are what Melksham wants and needs then we will take the risk and give the most popular vote a go, but please help us to get this one right so there's not another empty shop in Melksham town centre in a few years time.

I'm loving your ideas Phil. Sounds almost like a modern version of the Spree!

The Spree was at one time a very popular shop at 10 - 14 Church Street. It had lots of traders and a cafe, selling everything from rabbits to wool. I suppose the closest thing to it now is an indoor market. maybe if there was a high quality, presentable version of this today it may work?

Yeah that's a good one. There used to be a brilliant little hardware shop in the Market Place called The Paint Pot that I used a heck of a lot at one time. Better still was Edmunds' Seed Merchants in Church Street (where Newmans' Butchers is now) which sold all manner of gardening equipment and hardware. Sadly I suspect there's no longer the demand now as most people tend to drive to either Wiltshire/West Country/West Midlands/Countrywide/Trans-Global/Intergalactic Farmers (or whatever they're called this week) or even further afield (as it were!) now.

Yes that's a fair point, and I must admit I didn't stumble across John and his hardware shop on my travels so am as guilty as anyone for not having used it and thus contributed to his downfall. Didn't even know it existed quite franky. If you want something that hasn't been tried for years then I'd definitely suggest men's clothing and shoes. There's simply nowhere else to go and hasn't been for as long as I can remember. There was a Burtons just along from Gompels which closed in the mid 1970s and another one - Fosters? Or an independent? - in the top right hand corner of the Precinct once upon a time.

@CHS: Unfortunately he was in a very obscure place, with only a small sign on the wall outside. We went in there a couple of times, I think we bought a paint brush. More out of sympathy than anything. From memory it really was only paint and associated bits that he sold. There is a hardware shop in Devizes that really is excellent (Roses I think?). A Robert Dyas would be ideal I think as they have a great kitchenware range for you Philmcm!

Hi Sasha Haymes and joy are bow touch2aid. please see http://tinyurl.com/4v467aq

Wayne, wood glue screws and nails are all available in Countrywide and Leekes in Melksham, the only drawback being that Countrywide tend to specialise in bulk quantities and Leekes aren't exactly the cheapest around. There's also a Buildbase in Bowerhill, which is either in Melksham (if you are a Melksham resident) or it's a village near to Melksham (if you are a Bowerhill resident).