Traders launch new campaign to show what Shrewsbury has to offer

Businesses, backed by Shrewsbury BID, have launched #ShopShrewsbury - a social media campaign designed to encourage more shoppers into the town centre.

Jonathan Soden, of The Soden Collection in Wyle Cop, who is on the Shrewsbury BID board, said it was important that traders worked together to promote the town centre.

He said: “It is thought that Shrewsbury has more independent shops per square mile than any other town in the country, and we need to be shouting that from the rooftops.

“A lot of people have been finding it quite tough recently, with the closure of High Street for roadworks and the bad weather in June, but the town centre is still very much open and accessible. Indeed, with the reduction in traffic it is actually a very peaceful time to shop and use Shrewsbury town centre.

“The #ShopShrewsbury campaign is all about showing people just how much there is on offer in the town centre - we are asking people ‘where do you get your’ items.

“People may not realise that they can pretty much buy whatever they need from Shrewsbury, and a lot of the time use an independent retailer to get it.”

Fellow Shrewsbury BID board member, Stacey Dodwell-Hill, who runs Oberon in Wyle Cop, said the campaign was designed to be a positive way of bringing people into the town.

“It’s not always easy to stay positive when you are a small independent retailer during these challenging times, but we absolutely have to be able to demonstrate to shoppers why they should choose to shop in Shrewsbury rather than elsewhere,” she said.

“The huge range of shops, restaurants, cafes and of course the beautiful architecture and town centre atmosphere, is the envy of many other towns in the country.

“We need to work together to remind people of that - and hope they continue to visit the town centre, and perhaps buy a few things while they are here.”

To get involved with the campaign, search #ShopShrewsbury on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter