Christian Booksellers Convention 'Large Retailer of the Year' 2009
NEWS HAS EMERGED of a rival bidder challenging the lease that Living Oasis had hoped to secure on the former Wesley Owen premises on North End Road, Croydon.
Plans announced in May to reopen the shop within a matter of weeks have now been set back and it will be necessary to seek alternative premises unless the other bidder withdraws its offer.
The Croydon Churches Forum is in the process of setting up a steering group of local church leaders and business representatives to work with Living Oasis to ensure that local churches are fully engaged with the project’s development. Please pray for wisdom, patience, grace and negotiating skills for all involved, especially the branch staff as they face further uncertainty.
July 6, 2010 at 10:52 am
This is a shame, as Croydon is somewhat of a “Flagship” store, and this would be one of the few stores with the space to fully realise the “Living Oasis” vision without need to relocate.
However, a quick google search shows no shortage of available retail space in the croydon area.
http://www.egpropertylink.com/shop/to-let/croydon.html for example.
With “The Hub” we quickly learned that God knew what he was doing, even if we didn’t, and learned to view potential setbacks (Like not being able to buy the stock, fixtures and fittings) as blessings (our distribution partners were super supportive, and we got the fixtures and fittings for free!!!)
We are certainly praying for you, and are certain that God’s will will be done, one way or another.
July 26, 2010 at 4:56 pm
[...] Update 5pm, 26/7/2010: News has emerged that negotiations for the lease on the former Wesley Owen premises in Croydon have been unsuccessful. Please continue to pray for all concerned as the search for alternative premises goes on. [...]
November 19, 2010 at 1:05 pm
[...] against either CLC or Koorong taking on the store and attempts by Living Oasis to secure the lease fell through over the summer when a rival bidder stepped in. Plans to find alternative premises have now been shelved by Living [...]
February 3, 2011 at 4:50 pm
[...] If there’s a lesson to be learnt, I guess it’s a harsh one: if you believe you’ve got a vision from God, you’ve got to go for it — because half-hearted measures simply don’t cut it. Jesus calls us to total commitment (Revelation 3.15ff comes to mind) and maintaining a rolling one-month lease hardly seems to reflect that, let alone being unfair on both the staff and the property owner. Hardly surprising, then, that when someone else comes along with a longer-term commitment, the landlady agrees; and this is not the first lease that Living Oasis have lost to another bidder: Living Oasis Croydon: Call for prayer as new lease is threatened. [...]