November 2011

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Two productive days were spent by The Shop Doctor in Alsager on the 15th & 16th November when he met with 10 retailers and presented a Retail Masterclass on the evening of the 16th.

The business support programme funded by Cheshire East Council enabled advisory visits to Malcolm Broad Opticians, Two Thumbs Up, Grub and Go, Delissimo, Grapevine, Home Comforts, Bands, Elizabeth Ann, Honeysuckle Flowers and Elite Dry Cleaners.

Alsager has a great range of independent shops and the intention of the visits was to help identify ways of making good shops even better. Each business will receive a written report from The Shop Doctor summarising issues that he identified                                                      during  the visits and various ideas developed subsequently.

The evening Masterclass was held at the Best Western Manor House Hotel and highlighted a range of issues that would help to ensure that businesses presented themselves in a way that appealed to customers. Getting customers off the pavement and into the shop being one of the first essentials of increasing business vitality. Ways of  getting customers to spend a little more than they intended once inside also featuring in the presentation.

The Shop Doctor will be carrying out a similar programme in Knutsford on the 29th and 30th November.

 

 

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A pilot project by Tesco to run in-store hair and beauty salons has been described by small-business groups as a further threat to independent retailers, many who are already struggling to survive.

The project will see the ‘Regis Salons’ chain offering “luxury at great Tesco prices” in Tesco Extra  stores in eight towns and cities in England and Wales.

Concern is being expressed by trade bodies that the development could force further small shop closures on our High Street with customers being attracted away from their traditional hair and beauty treatment providers.

The hair and beauty sector has to date avoided facing the challenges created by the continuing development of product and service diversity being driven by the supermarket chains  and, for some, it has been surprising that the hair and beauty sector has not been targeted previously.

For more information click here.

For an up to date review of the impact of the new in store facility in Horwich read the article carried in The Bolton News on the 29th October

 

Regis Salons are part of the Regis Corporation which owns and operates over 400 salons in the United Kingdom, including brands such as Regis, Supercuts and Sassoon Salon.

In addition, Regis maintains an ownership interest in Provalliance, which operates salons primarily in Europe, under the brands of Jean Louis David, Franck Provost and Saint Algue.