Call to shop local in Shrewsbury in run-up to Christmas

The call comes as recent sales figures painted a positive picture of a town centre that bucks national trends.

Sales in the town centre were well above the national average during October, and with the crucial Christmas shopping period well under way, Shrewsbury BID says “now is the time” for people to show the love for their local high street.

Total monthly sales across all Shrewsbury town centre businesses were 8 per cent higher in October compared to the previous year, while the UK benchmark was down by 1.8 per cent.

The figures, compiled by data analysts Beauclair for Shrewsbury BID, show that year-to-date sales were up by 1.5%, with the health and beauty, entertainment and household sectors performing particularly well during October.

Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, said this picture showed the vibrancy of Shrewsbury’s town centre economy.

And he hoped people would continue to show their appreciation by shopping and dining in town. 

He said: “The autumn is always an important time for town centre businesses as people prepare for the Christmas period.

“However, these figures show that Shrewsbury fared better than comparable towns across the country, which demonstrates that our town centre is maintaining its popularity, and crucially that customers are spending while they are here.

“We know from speaking with our members that it remains a mixed picture, but we are hopeful that this upward trend will continue as we enter the most important time of the year for the high street.

“Now is the time to visit the town centre and soak up the festive atmosphere while making your Christmas purchases – with retailers in the town centre going above and beyond to provide a festive experience with complimentary champagne, mince pies and other treats in some shops, it really is a more enjoyable experience than online shopping!”

Shrewsbury BID produces monthly reports, with a range of statistics freely available on the Shrewsbury Data Hub at www.shrewsburybid.co.uk/data to keep business owners informed of sales and customer trends.