Dumfries

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.

This year has not been the best  for footfall and revenue generation at many attractions.  The negative impact of the Olympics on incoming tourism , unforgiving weather conditions and the ongoing gloom over the economic climate all contributing to a severe downturn in attendance figures across the sector.

Taking time out to look at your attraction from an impartial viewpoint, particularly that of the customer,  is never easy and certainly one of the major challenges facing retailers in their fight for survival on our high streets.

Applying his extensive business development skills, understanding of how customers perceive and use space and wide marketing expertise our ‘Shop Doctor’ can bring a refreshing insight into identifying issues impacting on business performance at visitor attractions.

Looking at an attraction through  a fresh pair of eyes can provide an insight into the business that may not have previously been considered. Link this to recommendations as to how to improve the way the attraction interfaces with the customer, ideas to improve catering or retail efficieny and suggestions regarding routes to effective diversification the outome could prove very stimulating. 

If you are considering how to revitalise your attraction in time for 2013 now might be a good time to talk to Let’s Talk Shop.  Our skills are not just orientated towards retail development alone, they are transferable into any business where direct customer interface and delivery of high levels of customer service are critical to maintaining existing levels and, ideally, attracting increased and profitable attendance in the future.

The Shop Doctor will be spending  4 days in Stranraer between the 25th and 28th September in the latest Let’s Talk Shop  support programme funded by Dumfries & Galloway Council.

The visit follows recent work undertaken in Annan and Dumfries and includes anevening Masterclass Workshop on the Tuesday 25th helping retailers understand the importance of providing a strong first impression to customers and how application of some straightforward common sense can make a real differences to shop performance.

During the programme the Shop Doctor will also be visiting individual retailers assessing their businesses potential and presenting recommendations for change that need cost no more than a little time.

The Shop Doctor commented “in the present economic climate it is not always possible for retailers to invest in new shop fittings, lighting or even redecoration. My challenge is to identify cost effective routes to improve retail performance, working with what the retailer has already got by making it work even harder” he added “where investment is an option I can help ensure that the investment is one that can really help build performance and onward profitability”

For further details of the retail masterclass or to discuss the possibility of arranging a ‘one to one’ visit contact:

Wendi Cuffe, Economic Development Officer, Dumfries & Galloway Council
Phone: 0303 333 3000
Email: wendi.cuffe@dumgal.gov.uk

 

A further 15 towns have been identified today to receive funding to help implement some of the Mary Portas recommendations to government, bringing the total of supported towns to 27.

The full list of the  towns announced today are:

Ashford, whose Town Team will use its local market to attract people back to the high street by offering new stall-holders the opportunity to have a ‘stall for a tenner’;

Berwick, who will work with local builders and other businesses to give their high street a much-needed facelift;

Braintree, who will provide mentoring support to the high number of independent shops in the area;

Brighton (London Road), who will encourage retailers to work together to tackle vandalism and crime to help realise the area’s full potential;

Hatfield, who will look beyond retail to provide community and event facilities to encourage more visitors to the high street;

Leamington (Old Town), who plan to focus their efforts on tackling the high vacancy rate in the high street and encourage new businesses to the area;

Liverpool (Lodge Lane), who will help aspiring young entrepreneurs in the community by offering a mentoring service;

Waterloo – Lower Marsh and the Cut (London Borough of Lambeth), who plan to set up satellite markets and tackle the high number of empty shops in the area;

Forest Hill, Kirkdale and Sydenham (London Borough of Lewisham), who plan to renovate 12 empty premises and improve signage in the local area;

Chrisp Street, Watney Market, Roman Road (London Borough of Tower Hamlets), who will use exploit their high visitor numbers to run a series of public information programmes;

Loughborough, who plan to involve students from Loughborough University to reinvigorate their high street and encourage budding business owners to consider setting up locally;

Lowestoft, who will create a Town ‘group’ discount scheme to attract local people, and establish a mentoring scheme in conjunction with schools, colleges and retailers;

Morecambe, who will set up a community café to provide advice and support for those looking to take up business opportunities;

Rotherham, who will launch a publicity campaign to highlight the unique nature of the high street and encourage people to ‘shop local’; and

Tiverton, who plan to improve parking facilities to encourage more visitors and tourists to the town centre.

The government has said it will share £5.5m between the 27 successful bidders and 392 other town teams. The 15 pilots will receive a share of £1.5m to make their ideas a reality. This includes £300,000 from the Greater London Authority for the London pilots.

Towns not selected to be pilots are to be supported a new online encyclopaedia – 100 Ways to Help the High Street and run by the ATCM.

Less than a week to go before “The Shop Doctor” visits Annan to commence a “Let’s Talk Shop” Retailer Support programme funded by Dumfries & Galloway Council.

The programme commences on the evening of Tuesday 26th June with a retail masterclass identifying issues felt to impact on the retail vitality of shops in the town. The presentation will include examples of The Shop Doctors first impressions of Annan and its shops together with examples he has observed from other areas.

In the days following the presentation ‘one to one’ in store sessions are being arranged with an initial base of 12 shops  being visited. During these sessions  The Shop Doctor will looking closely at each of the businesses and developing individual solutions to help each  improve their retail vitality.

The programme follows work recently undertaken by The Shop Doctor with 24 shops in Dumfries where the response to the very individual assistance was extremely well received.

Retailers interested in attending the masterclass or participating in the programme should contact Beverley Bamford via email at beverley.bamford@dumgal.gov.uk

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The Shop Doctor will be following up his recent work in Dumfries with a similar programme of masterclasses and ‘one to one’ shop visits in Annan and Stranraer following submission of a succesful tender to Dumfries & Galloway Council.

The Let’s Talk Shop programe commences in Annan on 26th June, and that for Stranraer later in the year. 

A return visit to Millom will also be taking place in response to requests for expert help from the Millom & District Business forum, which consists of town centre traders who meet monthly.

Following a review of the town an evening workshop presentation entitled ‘I’ve not shopped here before, but I’ll certainly be back.’ will challenge retailers to think about ways to make the shopping experience in Millom a memorable one for all the right reasons.

For further information about this event click here

In Cheshire East evaluation of the ‘Shopping Experience’ will be the focus of forthcoming visits by the Shop Doctor to Knutsford, Sandbach, Disley, Macclesfield, Alsager, Congleton and Middlewich and delivery of a further programme of retail masterclasses focusing on the findings of the Shopper Experience research and identifying ways to make  good experience even better.

More information will be posted about all of these exciting projects focussed on revitalising the retail economy of the  towns involved as it becomes available.

Another very interesting day spent in Dumfries on Thursday 19th April meeting with four businesses for the first time, and looking in on some of those visited previously.

Good to see that some of my initial recommendations have already been acted upon and that they have had a positive impact on the businesses concerned, hopefully even more activity once each have received a ‘Shop Doctor Recommendations Report’.

The new Debenhams Store is moving towards completion and this should help to regenerate activity at the north end of High Street, potentially delivering increased footfall into Friars Vennel from those parking at White Sands and walking into the Town via the Vennel, a way needs to be found to encourage this opportunity.

The great range of small independent shops operating in Friars Vennel, historically a route linking the town with the river crossing that developed over time into an important shopping street, are well placed to  take advantage of any increased footfall and it would only take the reoccupation of  a number of the presently empty shop units to help revitalise this important end of the Town.

Retailers in Dumfries will be benefiting from a programme of specialised Shop Doctor support funded by Dumfries & Galloway Council.

Our Shop Doctor, Bill Smith, will be delivering one of his motivational and informative retail masterclass workshops to retailers  on the evening of Tuesday 20th March at the DG One Leisure Complex

In addition to the masterclass 12 independent retailers in the town will be given the opportunity to receive an ‘in store’ surgery from The Shop Doctor enabling them to directly benefit from his specialised advice.

Each of the twelve shops enrolled for  ‘one to one’ visits will also receive a comprehensive recommendations report focused on helping re-energise each of the individual businesses taking part and will also be eligible for a £500 grant towards implementation of recommendations made by the Shop Doctor.  A follow-up visit with the Shop Doctor will also be arranged 12 months later.

Further information about the retail workshop and the specialised ‘one to one’ Shop Doctor visits will be posted below as soon as it becomes available:

6th March 2012: Dumfries & Galloway Council

22 February 2012: South of Scotland Business Solutions