The shops that benefited as you bagged bargains on Independents’ Day (From Droitwich Advertiser)

The shops that benefited as you bagged bargains on Independents’ Day

11:30am Monday 6th July 2009

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CUSTOMERS gave the big chains and supermarkets a miss and headed to their local family businesses for some quality bargain buys to mark Independents’ Day.

Independent traders across Worcestershire are reporting increased trade thanks to the Buy Local Campaign launched by your Worcester News.

Our aim was to get as many of our readers to go to their local independent shops, restaurants, markets or pubs on Saturday and give a much-needed boost to businesses struggling to survive the recession.

Some businesses, such as Healing Touch in Bath Road, Sidbury, are still offering 20 per cent discount vouchers in your Worcester News, while others such as County Cuisine, also in Sidbury, and the Top Barn Business Centre in Holt Heath, are offering a 10 per cent discount, all valid until Friday, July 31.

We wanted to show our support for the traders who are the lifeblood of Worcestershire’s towns and villages and encourage people to use these shops on their doorstep.

The defiant message from traders in Worcester on Saturday was that supermarkets, big chains and department stores could not touch independent stores for specialist knowledge, quality of products and customer service.

Jenny Forrest-Hay, manager of A Forrest-Hay jewellers in the Cross, Worcester, took over the business, which has been running for the last 30 years, from her father, Anthony Forrest-Hay.

The shop specialises in second-hand, antique and vintage jewellery.

She said: “I do think the campaign has been a good idea. It’s making people really aware what there is on their own doorstep for the community of Worcester, that there are independent shops that do specialise in products that people are looking for. We can offer so much more than going to the bigger companies. At this time we need all the customers we can get. We have been very busy today on Independents’ Day and I do think the Worcester News campaign has helped.”

Specialist clothing store Stripes, in Foregate Street, Worcester, offers unusual, European and American brands and jewellery and an alterations service.

Manager Holly Price said: “The campaign has been brilliant. Footfall has really increased over the last month. Most of our brands are European and you can’t find them anywhere else.”

Robin McAllister, who runs Time to Eat in the Hopmarket with wife Gill, said: “We’re very busy all the time – most of the shops in the Hopmarket are quite busy anyway because we’re all independent and specialist shops. We have an individuality not offered by the big chains and we have a more personal service. I think it was a good idea of the Worcester News to promote independent stores.”

Patricia Weston is assistant manager at Just Leather, which is run by Nigel and Jenny Hartwright.

The shop has been based in the Hopmarket for 26 years.

She said: “We can offer the one-to-one customer service that chain stores cannot. Promoting independent businesses is extremely important. We even offer a repair service here nine months of the year. As far as I’m aware, we’re the only place in Worcester that does offer that service. You can buy leather goods, cheap or expensive, but if you want quality you can get it here. We have had a fair amount of trade through the shop today to mark Independents’ Day.”

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