Student-run Retro Shack opens in Wellington

Retro Shack, which has been two years in the making, is set to open in Duke Street today having been chosen as the winning project in Telford & Wrekin Council's Young High Street Challenge.

The group behind the throwback shop are teenagers from Wrekin College aged between 13 and 16 years old.

They won a £20,000 award as a result of winning the competition, which was aimed at encouraging young people to come up with ideas to help regenerate the borough's high streets.

The shop will sell vintage clothes, vinyl records and other retro goods and the group is encouraging young entrepreneurs to come forward and use the store to sell their own goods.

Donna Irving, head of the business school at Wrekin College, said: “Opening to the public for the first time will be a real baptism of fire for our young team but it will be a great learning experience to be opening just before Christmas.

“They have worked very hard to achieve this pre-Christmas opening and I am very proud of them for making it happen.”

The team behind the new shop has spent months looking for an appropriate unit, negotiating leases, hiring staff, acquiring a supply chain of stock, devising marketing plans and organising a refit of the store.

Councillor Lee Carter, cabinet member for the borough economy, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone associated with Retro Shack and I can’t wait for the shop to open this weekend.

“It is fantastic that these young entrepreneurs have seen the project through to the point where the shop is sent to open.

“We had a high standard of entry to our Young High Street Challenge but we did feel that the concept behind Retro Shack showed a lot of creative flair.

“The competition was run as part of the council’s Pride In Our Community Fund, which identified six borough high streets in need of rejuvenating.”