Scaffolding ‘driving away’ Shrewsbury shop customers
Thursday 23rd June 2011, 10:58AM BST.
A charity shop in Shrewsbury claims it is losing thousands of pounds in revenue due to the scaffolding put up to carry out renovation work on the market hall.
Carol Arliss and Marie Staton, the manager and deputy manager of the Hope House charity shop in Shoplatch, said stores in the area had been badly hit by the scaffolding, which went up in May and is due to stay in place until August.
Ms Staton said it was obstructing a number of shop fronts and causing people to avoid the area.
“It is driving away trade. We are losing hundreds of pounds every week because people think we are closed. The footfall of people coming through the shop and takings have gone right down since the scaffolding went up,” she said.
“We are losing about £500 a week from our usual turnover of around £2,000 to £2,200. We worked it out to about £6,500 to £7,000 we will be down. We saw a slight drop when the park and ride changed and parking charges went up. But when the scaffolding went up, it hit us straight away.”
Steve Wright, manager of World Choice Travel in Shoplatch, said his business had also been affected. He said: “We are clearly feeling the pinch – it is bad enough at the best of times lately. We have noticed footfall has dropped quite considerably.”
Market Hall chiefs have ordered a banner to promote the fact that businesses are still trading.
Kate Gittins, site facilities manager at the Market Hall, said: “We are doing all we can to minimise disruption.”
By Chris Burn
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Shropshire Star why are you reporting this as a story?? Are you stirring up trouble????
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Whatever happens in Shrewsbury there is somebody there to whinge about it, if they didn’t do the work somebody would say the building was in need of a facelift, if something fell down onto the pavement someone would be there ready to sue.
Remember ladies you have the benefit of nil or reduced rates, there are shops that have to pay their way within the town, so stop moping and whinging and be grateful what you get gratis
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She can complain when she starts payign full rates…
Until then be grateful you have a subsidised premises…
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Come on you 3, (comments 1-2 &3), maybe they do get reduced rates, but they are raising money for a worthwhile cause, and this seems like a good way of letting customers know that they are still open for business.
Hope things pick up ladies, and well done Star for publishing.
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Colin,
If that is the case, wouldnt is be wiser and cleverer for the girls to say “Hi all, just to let everyone know that we are still open and here working away raising money for charity, please do come on in” with a nice SMILEY photograph.
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They do good work at hope house!the real problem in shoplatch is the dominos pizza shop with it’s endless tide of immigrant workers walking into the road with billboards. Someone is going to crash because of these morons.
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I hope that 1,2, and 3, will, together with their family, have no use for Hope House in the future.
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Colin,
Do you really think that it seems a ‘good idea’ to let people know that your open for business by complaining, feeling sorry for yourself, looking for sympathy and attaching a ‘poor me’ photo?
Wouldnt be cleverer and more convincing to say “Hi all just to let you know that we are still open regardless of the work that is going on around us” and attach a nice smiley photo?…. but no of course not ringing the Star to say come quick we’ve got NEWS, were miserable and annoyed…
Such a shame we have to read it.
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