Independent traders in Shrewsbury town centre are bucking the national credit crisis trend with soaring customer numbers after recording their best January ever.

A number of traders in the county town were expecting a low turnout last month, but shoppers turned out in their masses – from as far away as Swansea. Caroline Francis, from Pied Piper based in Milk Street, said: “We had a record January.

“My sister and I took over the business 12 years ago and it has been our best January ever.

“We are absolutely delighted and encouraged by that. 

“We are certainly hoping to remain optimistic for a good year to follow and hope that we can continue to buck the trend.

“It is lovely, not only to have such a great January ourselves, but to hear that other people are experiencing the same.”

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Melvyn Ling, partner at the Cook and Carve stall in the Market Hall, said: “Christmas was excellent, we were 50 per cent up in the 12 to 14 days of Christmas compared to the same period the year before.

“Normally January drops a bit but the customer count was up every day.”

John Hall runs the Write Here store on the High Street in Shrewsbury and is the chairman of the “Shop in the Loop” traders group.

He said: “We had an excellent January following on from an excellent December. It was our best January ever by some distance.

“I think a lot of shops in Shrewsbury are bucking the trend. 

“Shrewsbury is in a particularly strong position because it has so many independent and different stores.

“We still have lots of customers coming from out of town, we have had a lot of people from Swansea and Cheshire coming to us,” he added.

Phillip Freeman, of the Parade Shopping Centre in the town, said one business in the centre was set to double in size.

He said: “Free Spirits, a clothing shop for women and children, will be expanding, that is planned for next month.”

He added that owners of the shops in the Parade remained positive about the future.

The Shop in the Loop body was formed last year, initially to organise a successful celebration to mark the end of the £2 million road improvement programme.

Members have since gone on to arrange other high profile initiatives.

By Rhea Parsons