2013

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June has seen yet more independent shops in Scotland receiving Shop Doctor support in ongoing support programmes funded  by East Lothian Council and Dumfries & Galloway Council.

A total of 21 ‘on-to-one’ shop visits  took place across North Berwick, Haddington, Dunbar, Gretna and Lockerbie in June with a further 6 shops in Lockerbie scheduled for a visit in early July. Every visit is supported by a comprehensive Shop Doctor report detailing practical opportunities considered available to improve business vitality within each of the businesses concerned.

Commenting on the visits our Shop Doctor advised that “There continues to be  a tremendous variety of retail choice available on our High Streets with independent retailers providing a critical role in maintaining the unique identity of the fabric of a town” and added  “retailers, local councils, landlords and the general public each have an important role to play in sustaining business vitality in our towns and all need to work towards a common goal”.

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DSC_0060 croppedWith a portfolio of some 13 charity shops across the UK, LIFE recognises the importance of ensuring that its retail network delivers the best of standards and service to help ensure it can efficiently sustain and develop its charitable objectives.

The Shop Doctor was recently asked to provide a full day’s training in Rugby to some 26 staff responsible for the management of the shops.  He focused on helping them better understand how to maximise the returns available from each of their businesses by the implementation of effective merchandising practices and proficient customer service.

With the Shop Doctor’s fast-moving, fun and participative delivery style, the day proved a great success with delegates returning to their shops with renewed motivation and plenty of ideas for turning good shops into even better ones.

 

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20130521_094908In order to assist Net-tex  launch its re-branded range of Equine Health and Management products, the Shop Doctor recently gave merchandising presentations to delegates attending Net-tex Roadshows in Gloucester and Newark.

Held on the 14th and 21st of May, the events heralded exciting changes in the presentation of the complete range of Net-tex equine health products.  The Shop Doctor was on hand to guide retailers as to how best to maximise the opportunities available from the product range now available by implementing good retail and merchandising practice.

Delegates attending the Gloucester event were also given the opportunity to visit the Stable Yard of Carl Hester MBE, Olympic Gold Medallist where Carl delivered a highly informed demonstration of dressage training.

Delegates attending the event at excellent facilities of The Oakridge Arena in Newark benefited from demonstrations from Show Horse producer and trainer Lynn Russell  on the dos and don’ts for turning out good show horses as well as a riding demonstration by Lynn on two of her horses that had travelled with her from Surrey.

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The latest Shop Doctor Retail Workshop is to be delivered on Tuesday 30th April in the unusual setting of Gretna Fire Station.

Arranged by Dumfries & Galloway Council the workshop precedes one to one visits with eligible retailers in Gretna during May which also sees the start of an identical scheme for independent retailers in Lockerbie.

The support programmes for both Gretna and Lockerbie follow successful schemes delivered by Let’s Talk Shop in Dumfries, Annan and Stranraer.

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10 independent retailers in and around Dunbar, Haddington and North Berwick have recently received a one to one advisory visit under a programme funded by East Lothian Council.

The visits were preceded by a retail workshop providing insight into the art of effective merchandising and highlighting the critical elements of ensuring that businesses presented themselves in a manner that enhanced their own opportunities alongside those of the trading environment in which they operate.

The workshop included a review of first impression photographs taken that same day which highlighted some of the often overlooked challenges facing each of the towns.

All participating retailers will receive a Shop Doctor Recommendations Report detailing opportunities for enhancing retail vitality within each business and further developing issues identified during the one to one sessions

Up to 18 shops were eligible for the support and it is hoped that The Shop Doctor will be revisiting the area again in the near future to assist more of the areas diverse independent retailers.

 

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Successful tenders recently submitted by Lets Talk Shop Ltd to East Lothian Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council and Argyll & Bute Council will shortly see independent retailers in Dunbar, Haddington, North Berwick, Lockerbie, Gretna and Rothesay participating in Shop Doctor Support Programmes.

This will increase the number of  Scottish towns benefiting from the bespoke advice provided to independent retailers within them to nine with over 100 individual businesses receiving one-to-one advice and in excess of that number of delegates participating in the associated retail/merchandising workshops.

The visit to Rothesay, Isle of Bute is on behalf of the Rothesay Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), a £2.6 million project currently coming toward the end of year two of a five year delivery phase. The THI project is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, Leader and Argyll & Bute Council.

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As part of the Visitor Attraction Pilot Project being delivered by Dumfries & Galloway Council 12 visitor attractions across Dumfries & Galloway will be receiving advisory visits from both VisitScotland and Let’s Talk Shop.

Shop Doctor Bill Smith will be visiting each of the 12 attractions to identify business development opportunities capable of improving business performance, and onward profitability, whilst VisitScotland will be advising on routes to ensure that the attractions maintain their existing, or further improve, their quality assurance grading.

Attractions enrolled  include:

Mabie Park Farm

Cream O’Galloway

Creetown Gem Rock Museum

Drumlanrig Castle

Galloway Activity Centre

Marrbury Smokehouse

Barstobrick Visitor Centre

Hidden Treasure Museum of Lead Mining

Laggan Outdoor Activity Centre

The Whithorn Trust

Annandale Distillery

Hetland Garden Centre & Dino Park

 

The project is funded by ERDF  in conjunctioDumfries-and-Galloway-Logo 3n with Dumfries and Galloway PrintCouncil

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twitter imageFinding out what’s  happening in Windermere, Bowness and Troutbeck Bridge between quarterly issues of the printed HUB is now even easier by following @HUBWindermere on Twitter.

The next printed edition is due to be distributed by Royal Mail week commencing 25th February.

The copy deadline for the Summer edition is 29th March.

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pigsLooking forward to meeting with delegates at the AHDA* 28th Annual Conference 2013 being held at the Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire on 22nd and 23rd January.

Delivering a  45 minute presentation on Tuesday afternoon focused on identifying opportunities to maximise the retail display area available within their varied businesses.

Making retail space work harder in any environment enjoying customer footfall is an essential ingredient toward the development of existing (or creation of new) revenue streams to help support and sustain a profitable and buoyant business.

*AHDA – Animal Health Distributors Association 

photo acquired from  AHDA website.

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Let’s Talk Shop has recently been awarded the contract to work with Dumfries & Galloway Council, VisitScotland and 12 quality assessed Visitor Attractions across Dumfries and Galloway.

The intention of this pilot project is to add value to support to be delivered by VisitScotland who will be advising the attractions involved how to sustain and improve the quality of the visitor experience based upon their established Quality Assurance criteria.

Let’s Talk Shop will be focusing on identification of routes to improve overall business performance  and recommendation of areas for business improvement capable of delivering positive impact on both business vitality and the visitor experience.

“This is not just about enhancing any retail aspect within the attraction” advised Bill Smith of Let’s Talk Shop, “it’s about taking an holistic look at each of the attractions and identifying routes to enhance their vitality and opportunity for effective and profitable engagement with those visiting”

Dawn Hunter-Ellis of DHE Associates will be applying her valuable experience of the tourism sector by working in association with Let’s Talk Shop in the delivery of this project.