Everything to do with Shops

[norman08]

Wasn’t it the council planning that rejected the plans for the smaller M&S. why don’t the two politicians & councillors ask the owners of Parc ask what they have planned .

[SteveH]

A new fashion outlet is coming to a North Wales town centre. North Devon brand Saltrock is set to open on Castle Street in Conwy.

The shop will open its doors in the coming weeks. It takes on a former chemist store following a relocation and will create five jobs.

It follows the opening of a store in Llandudno last year. The brand now has eight stores in Wales.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/national-brand-open-store-conwy-23631165

[SteveH]

A HUSBAND and wife are set to bring “French chic” to Llandudno when they open a new artisan bakery in the town this week. ref pioneer

Benjamin Lee, along with wife Dominika, is behind the Benjamin Lee Artisan Bakery, which will be based at 21 Mostyn Avenue, LL30 1YS.
Craig Y Don

The shop will open for the first time at 10am tomorrow (April 12).

For their first day, the bakery will be open until 4pm, before closing for Easter, and then re-opening on a six-day-a-week basis, from Tuesday until Sunday, 8.30am – 4pm.

Benjamin is also known for running the Becws Mefus artisan bakery and specialty food shop in Llangefni, Anglesey.

For more information, go to: www.facebook.com/Benjamin-Lee-Artisan-Bakery-112687894665283.

[SteveH]

Sales in shops have slowed as household budgets come under pressure from the rising cost of living, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said.

Its figures show sales growth for March rose by 3.1%, the smallest increase so far this year and down from a 6.7% rise in February.

It comes as millions are having to deal with higher energy bills and taxes.

The BRC said pressure on people's finances and the war in Ukraine had "shaken consumer confidence".

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said customers faced "an enormous challenge this year" around their finances, which was "likely to be reflected in retail spend in the future".

Online fashion giant Asos said on Tuesday that its sales forecasts for the next few months carried greater uncertainty than usual as it was still unclear how the rising financial pressures on consumers would affect their spending.

Small business owners told the BBC they had seen a recent dip in sales compared to previous months at a time when they were also having to grapple with higher operating costs.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61072471

[SteveH]

Publicity stunt ?.............

A SUPERMARKET giant is calling on the public to help identify sites for a new store in Llandudno.

Lidl has revealed that it will pay a finder’s fee to anyone that identifies a suitable site for a new store.

The news comes as Lidl publishes its annual list of locations across the country where it is interested in acquiring sites for potential store developments.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/20096637.flintshire-lidl-offering-22k-finders-fee-new-store-locations/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Devon brand Saltrock opened its latest store in Conwy this week as figures reveal Wales has shown the biggest fall in empty units of any UK nation or region over the past year. The country's vacancy rate has fallen 2.3% to 16.9% over the last 12 months. In comparison London and Scotland have seen rates increase while other English regions have seen smaller falls.

This comes as recent figures showed Wales was the first part of the UK to return to its economy to its pre-pandemic size as it bounces back from the crisis. But it is not all good news as the vacancy rate remains the second worst in the UK - with the North East of England (18.8%) propping up the table.

There is also a mixed picture with some towns in North Wales like Llandudno and Conwy performing very well while places like Bangor, Rhyl and Colwyn Bay struggle to recover from the pandemic hit. The latest openings this week included surfer-style brand Saltrock on Castle Street in Conwy - creating five new retail jobs while Costa's new cafe in Llandudno has brought nine new roles. Clogau is also due to open a jewellery store in Conwy.

Key figures:
In the first quarter of 2022, the Welsh vacancy rate decreased to 16.9%, from 17.5% in Q4 2021. It was 2.3 percentage points lower than the same point in 2021.

Shopping Centre vacancies decreased 24.0%, from 24.5% in Q4 2021.

On the High Street, vacancies dropped to 16.9% in Q1, from 17.1% in Q4.

Retail Park vacancies increased slightly to 12.3% in Q1 2022, from 12.2% in Q4. However, it remains the location with by far the lowest rate.
Rate of 16.9% still around 1% above pre-pandemic level.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/saltrock-opens-conwy-store-wales-23820676

[SteveH]

Store dedicated to 'dogs and humans' has opened on Llandudno's high street

Jason Pinnick has opened a store for “dogs and humans” at the former BW Ryder leather goods unit on Upper Mostyn Street in Llandudno. Dudley & George's stocks everything dog owners could want for their pet but is also a lifestyle store for people, with homeware, stationery, books and other goods on offer.

He has plans to add a cafe if he secures the planning go-ahead as well as a grooming parlour.

He said: “I have come to the area for years and it felt like my natural home rather than the city. When lockdown came I made the decision I did not want to live in the city anymore.

“I bought a house in Conwy and looked at doing something different. I had had this business idea in my head for a long time, the pandemic gave me time to develop ideas and also the push to take a risk. I think for a lot of people the pandemic was an opportunity to reassess their lives.”

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/store-dedicated-dogs-humans-opened-23987366?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A proposal to transform the former Marks and Spencer site in Llandudno has been revealed. M&S left the Mostyn Street store this spring and relocated to the former Debenhams unit at Parc Llandudno.

It has left a huge gap in the resort's high street with concerns about how losing the magnet for shoppers would impact the town centre. Now details have been revealed of proposal for the site - with a bid set to be made to the UK Levelling Up Fund.

Under the plan the Llandudno site would be transformed into a "destination" building with a foodhall and food courts created on the ground floor. It is proposed that the second floor will provide a hub for enterprise, providing starter units, office space, conferencing, shared work space opportunities.

A report by officers at Conwy council said: "The proposal to revitalise the recently vacated Marks and Spencer store on Mostyn Street Llandudno to create a destination building is an opportunity to address the considerable fall in footfall in the town centre since M&S relocated to Parc Llandudno in March.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/proposal-revealed-former-marks-spencer-24203664

[SteveH]

Ebay's top lingerie seller beats Llandudno doldrums to open new 'destination' bra store for North Wales
Dan Worsley, 75, says his prices for bras and knickers are 'irresistible'

Once he sold comfortable but slightly dowdy underwear to older ladies from a traditional lingerie shop in Llandudno. Now Dan Worsley is Ebay?s lingerie king, the number one seller out of 11,000 bra and knicker sellers on the online platform.

Online retail nearly killed his business, then became its saviour. The first Covid lockdown threatened to wreck progress, then super-charged it.

Now his firm, Worsleywear, is shifting more than 300,000 items a year to customers who want brand-quality items at a fraction of High Street costs. Business is so good the firm recently moved to a new warehouse in Abergele where, last week, it opened a factory outlet-style shop.

Read more  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/ebays-top-lingerie-seller-beats-24307573?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Developer buys former Marks and Spencer store in Llandudno and unveils plans for the site
Rob Lloyd and his wife Maria have snapped up the former satellite store in the resort

They have plans to turn it into modern retail premises. Tenants are apparently lined up for the site but Mr Lloyd did not want to give details at this stage.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/developer-buys-former-marks-spencer-24579955

[SteveH]

AFTER lying dormant for 11 years, one building in Craig-y-Don has had new life breathed into it, thanks to a gift shop looking to give the Llandudno suburb more to shout about.

It was June 2021 when Alix Donaldson opened Givealittle, a store selling everything from pottery and jewellery to soaps and skincare, and plenty more.

Describing the opening of Givealittle as her proudest moment in business, in some ways, Alix, who is from Craig-y-Don herself, has followed in her mum?s footsteps, too.

I had traded online, but I always wanted my own shop. It?s definitely my own shop, but I guess if I knew what a gift shop would look like, it was because of my mum.

We have pottery, art, felting, free form artistic sewing, craft kits, jewellery, cards, artisan glass, wire art, soaps and skincare, books, lighting, fair trade items and more.

Were also supporting local artisans where possible.

I would really like to get Craig-y-Don on the map of Llandudno. We have some fantastic independent businesses here and need support. Feedback has been really positive.?

Crafting many of her own products herself, Alix also sells kits so that people create their own wire art, while wire art workshops are due to follow at some point later in the year.

Read more  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/20585013.trader-week-gift-shop-aiming-put-craig-y-don-map/

[SteveH]

Nice to see another specialist artisan shop opening in the area..... Muy bien

A WOMAN has opened an authentic Spanish deli in Llandudno, in the same building where she also teaches her native language.

Remedios ?Reme? Aldana Lopez opened ?Casa Reme Delicatessen?, at Victoria Buildings on Mostyn Avenue, Craig-y-Don, on June 22.

Reme, from Barcelona, has lived in Llandudno since 2001, and began teaching Spanish at Grwp Llandrillo Menai?s Abergele campus in 2011.

The opening of her own Spanish deli, she said, marked the realisation of a dream she had held for many years.

The deli, which sells a wide range of Spanish produce, is located in the downstairs of the premises, while upstairs is where Reme?s Spanish lessons are based.

She said: ?The deli idea's been in my head for many, many years, but until now, I couldn't do it for different reasons.

?When this place came along last September for my teaching, I realised that it offered me the opportunity for both jobs ? a studio for the lessons upstairs, and the deli downstairs.

?So, I went for it and applied for both usages/licences: when it came back approved, I was over the moon!

?Although I studied and worked in other sectors afterwards as tourism and teaching, I always loved the idea of having my little deli here, my little Spanish shop, and offer to the public the real experience of the food, the friendly atmosphere and a good experience.?

Read more  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/20601579.new-deli-selling-authentic-rare-spanish-produce-opens-llandudno/

[Hugo]

North Wales pensioners can claim ?30 Iceland voucher to help with cost of living crisis
The Summer Cheer voucher scheme will be available until next month     It sounds like a nice gesture for those that qualify


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/north-wales-pensioners-can-claim-24708182

[Hugo]

Just an add on to my previous post
Eligible pensioners should call the Summer Cheer hotline on 0800 098 7877 to request their voucher. The telephone line will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

[SteveH]

UK consumer confidence in the future hit a record low in August due to the soaring cost-of-living and bleak economic prospects.

A "sense of exasperation" about the economy was the biggest driver behind the fall, according to GfK's Consumer Confidence index.

Recent data showed that prices rose at the fastest pace 40 years in July and the UK is heading for recession.

Meanwhile, retail sales volumes fell by 1.2% in the three months to July.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said people were continuing to cut back on non-essential spending, in particular clothing and household goods.

Rachel Barber, legal partner and retail specialist at accountancy firm Deloitte said that because people are pessimistic about the state of the economy, many people "are now postponing major purchases such as electricals and furniture".

Fuel sales also declined in July as people cut down on travel, deterred by petrol and diesel prices as well as the recent hot weather.

Sales volumes nudged up slightly in July, by 0.3%, after a small fall in June, but overall figures show sales have been on a downward trend since summer 2021.

The GfK consumer confidence barometer, which surveys the public about their opinion of the economy, was at its the lowest level this month since records began in 1974.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62601689