Independent traders in buoyant mood

INDEPENDENT traders in Rugby are uniting to give shoppers that something extra.

Retailers in Rugby's independent quarter are banding together to push the unique shopping experience they offer compared to generic stores seen in on high streets up and down the country - which has driven many shoppers away.

Their message comes after small businesses around Regent Street, Albert Street, Bank Street, Church Street and Castle Street defied the doom and gloom to report bumper trade over the Christmas period.

Helen Blamires, who has run Albert Street contemporary gift shop Vanilla for the past five years and recently expanded her business, puts this down to more people wanting the traditional shopping experience offered by independents, an experience based on product knowledge and customer service.

"There is a definitely a movement towards independent shops," she said.

"It seems like the High Street now is on a permanent sale, which is ridiculous really. If they're always giving discount how do they make a profit?

"With us, shoppers get customer service and a unique choice of products, and we want to really push the independent quarter in Rugby and let more people know we are here."

Bev Thomas, owner of Regent Street handbag and gift store Etcetera, has traded in the town for over eight years and thinks there will always be a place for the well-run smaller businesses.

"Christmas and New Year was very good to us. We're always working hard to promote the area around here for its independent shops, and we can get a different sort of shopper round here who doesn't want to go to national chains and supermarkets.

"So many shops try and appeal to everybody, but you can't be everything to all people. You have to aim for a specific market.

"While we're in competition with shops like Vanilla, we all try and work together to promote this part of the town."

Such is the strength of feeling, there is talk of Rugby's smaller retailers forming a committee to promote their shared interest in making the independent quarter a thriving part of the town.

But despite their optimism, it is not to say the year ahead will be plain sailing.

Mike O'Connor, owner of Parriss Jewellers and a vocal member of the town's independent retail community, expects tough times ahead.

"Don't ask me why but Christmas and January have been fantastic this year compared to last. Those people we have had coming in have had a positive intention to buy, so I'm as happy as Larry," he said.

"It has ended up far better than any reasonable expectations I had before Christmas and has made our lives an awful lot easier.

"But I think this year is going to be tougher than the last with the Government's actions really starting to come to fruition.

"I'm glad Rugby First and the council really want to plug the town's independent shops now. A while back they had hopes for a big flagship department store coming to Rugby, but it's a quieter town and we have got to play to our strengths if we want to survive."

For the town's recession start-ups, the signs are also positive. One such business, Rose Tea Room, opened 18 months ago in Regent Street and has gone from strength to strength since then as more people discover it.

"We haven't been here long enough to know what it was like before the recession, but things seem to be going well for us here," said owner Sandra Rowe.

"We're still new and people are still finding out about us, but so far I have no complaints and we were nice and busy over Christmas."