September 2011

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The Shop Doctor has been active again this week working with Cheshire East Council delivering his bespoke retail business support to independent retailers in Wilmslow, Knutsford, Disley, Nantwich, Handforth,  Sandbach, Middlewich and Crewe.

At an evening workshop on Tuesday 27th September retailers from Wilmslow, Handforth, Disley and Knutsford participated in an enjoyable and informative evening workshop focusing on how retailers can attract more customers by making the best of the visual impact of their business.

On Wednesday 28th the Shop Doctor participated in the East Cheshire Chamber of Commerce Open Day by delivering two workshops, one in the afternoon (aimed at professional service providers operating on our High Streets) and the second identifying how retailers can maximise unit sales by applying simple but effective  layout and merchandising techniques.

On Thursday the day was spent visiting  6 retailers in Nantwich and 1 in Crewe and on Friday 7 retailers across Middlewich, Sandbach and Nantwich will be receiving a visit.

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Public toilets are not always available where or when you need them, there is often a queue at the ladies, and facilities for disabled people, children and for changing babies are not always adequate.

However, public toilet provision is at the discretion of local authorities, and there is currently no legal requirement for Councils to provide any toilets at all. In fact 40% of public toilets have closed in the last ten years. The campaign group ‘We need the Loo’, a joint venture between the Women’s Design Service, the British Toilet Association and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has therefore launched an online petition to ask the Government to make adequate public toilet provision a legal requirement.

They are asking for adequate toilet facilities for everybody, including men, women, children, babies and disabled people.

If you would like to play your part in ensuring we have public toilets as part of more sustainable, comfortable and inclusive communities, please publicise this petition. It has its own Facebook page, and the petition can be found by searching for public toilets on the government’s e-petition web site, or by using this link –  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15258

Well maintained, well equipped, clean and easily accessible toilets can make a real contribution to how customers use our towns – a way has to be found to improve, not remove, public toilet provision.

epetition flyer – we need the loo

epetition press release

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Shops in the Currock, Harraby and Upperby areas of Carlisle are being offered the chance to attend a free Shop Doctor retail workshop funded by Carlisle City Council.

The workshop will be hosted by ‘Shop Doctor’ Bill Smith on Tuesday, 4 October at Currock Community Centre, on Lediard Avenue, between 7pm and 9pm. It will be based around the importance of the visual impact of a business and how selling opportunities can be increased through effective layout and merchandising techniques.

It will be open to all business owners and their staff. It lasts a couple of hours and also allows local business people to swap ideas with fellow retailers.

Shop Doctor retail workshop flyer available here

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The ever increasing presence of professional services providers on our high streets can materially affect the visual ambiance of the trading environment in which they operate.

When contemplating establishing such a business on the high street care needs to be taken to ensure that the visual impact created by the business compliments the trading environment rather than conflicting with it.

Existing providers could often do with taking a regular look outside as first impressions really do play an important role in attracting or detracting customer or clients interest and all too often the impact is less than effective.

Whether a solicitor or accountant, doctor or dentist making sure that those important first impressions impact favourably on your clients can materially affect the onward vibrancy of your business.

Let’s Talk Shop can help you make the right decisions, from the name on the fascia to the colour and presentaion of the ‘shopfront’ , the effectiveness of window displays to getting clients through the door and, once they are in, making sure they feel comfortable.