SNJ campaign to help Stroud district businesses recover from lockdown

Supported by Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie, our Love Local Business campaign encourages our readers to back our traders by spending their money with them.

Many of these businesses reopened on Monday, June 15, after more than two months of being closed, while others such as hairdressers and pubs won’t be able to trade again until July. For those businesses that have been able to remain open during the lockdown, many have seen a significant loss in income.

SNJ editor Michael Purton said: “This is a crucial time for local businesses as they try to recover from the impact of the lockdown which, for many, has seen them without any income for more than two months.

“We are fortunate to have so many great local, independent businesses and we need our community to support them now to make sure we don’t lose them. In the coming weeks we will be promoting these businesses in our newspaper, on our website and our social media channels, to help spread the message that they are open and highlight why they are so valuable to this community.

“I urge all of our readers to show that they love local business by supporting them.”

Furniture Factory Outlets store in Frampton-on-Severn is among the businesses which reopened on Monday.

Store owner Robert Mack said: “Fortunately 99.9 per cent of our customers have been understanding and patient during the lockdown period, and hopefully our customers that we have established relationships with will come back in and feel safe with our social distancing measures that are now in place.”

These measures include face masks as well as hand sanitiser for customers.

Mr Mack added: “We’re not a big city shop, we’re out in the sticks as such, so it’s quite easy to social distance here in the country setting. And we’re not on a main busy retail park either. We’re an individual, family-run outfit by the Saul junction – it’s easy access and we don’t get crowds of people so it it’s easy to shop safely. If people would like a private viewing we would likely do that as well.”

Popular Stroud clothing store A Brilliant Disguise also opened its doors for the first time under new ownership on Monday.

Husband and wife Tom and Kayleigh Read took over the clothing, footwear and accessories store after the previous owners left back in January.

After the lockdown took hold, Tom and Kayleigh began operating an online service before they could open their doors.

Tom said: “We have had some online orders and sales have slowly been increasing over the last five or six weeks, mostly from Stroud and the surrounding villages.”

Both Tom and Kayleigh have urged shoppers to support local independent shops.

“It is very important, especially at this time – our survival is hinged on local support,” said Tom. “The whole town will be feeling the negative effect Covid-19 is having, but we want to be here when this is all over.

“Even though our shop doors are now open, you can still shop online with us if you don’t feel confident venturing out yet – it is still supporting a small, local business.”

In terms of the store’s safety measures, Tom said: “We have rearranged our shop floor to allow for social distancing and an easier one-way route round, using floor stickers and posters. We have hand sanitiser available upon entry to the shop, and we will be limiting the number of customers to a maximum of four in store at one time, with regular cleaning of surfaces and high traffic areas.

“Our changing rooms will remain closed to minimise the risk of infection but we will have an extended returns/refund policy of 30 days from purchase and a quarantine area for returned items so customers can try on in the comfort of their own homes.”

Truce lifestyle and clothing store in Fountain Street, Nailsworth also opened its doors on Monday.

Couple Becca and Chris Williamson own the store and she said their established online presence helped them through the lockdown months.

“We were offering the ability to have free local deliveries and and we’re always offering free delivery over £10, so we just tried to make it as easy as possible to order from us to keep things going.

“It definitely didn’t replace sales from the physical store but it was steady and we were pleased with the support we received both locally and nationally, but it was nothing like what we would normally be trading at.”

The store has strict social distancing measures in place such as a two people maximum or one household rule.

Becca added: “The support from the public will make a massive difference.

“Understandably people will be hesitant but there also seems be an appetite, but if people are hesitant we also offer free delivery locally and well also do a click and collect from the front of the store.”

MP Ms Baillie said: “I hope everyone gets behind the SNJ’s Love Local Business campaign. Small independent retailers have suffered during lockdown and need local support when they reopen firstly, to make sure it is safe to do so, and that customers have confidence in social distancing measures.

“The Government has recognised this and Stroud District Council recently received £106,000 from The Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to help the authority to introduce measures to get retail back to work and customers back into shops.

“This will include introducing a range of safety measures to kick-start local economies and campaigns to explain the changes to the public and reassure them their high streets and other commercial areas are safe.

“However, it will be local people who will make the difference here in Stroud and I urge them to embrace this campaign and use as many independent shops as they can to ensure we continue to have a thriving local retail sector as the lockdown measures start to ease.”

Tony Davy, chairman of Stroud Chamber of Trade, said: “The chamber has been engaged in many conversations since the beginning of lockdown regarding how best to protect customers, staff and prepare for a safer opening. The overwhelming comments from the respondents were about ensuring safety; safety of customers and safety of their teams. From risk assessments to screens, hand sanitiser to signage, businesses have been focused on doing what they can to make the experience of returning to the high street as safe and familiar as possible.”

Stroud District Council leader Doina Cornell. “We applaud the efforts of many who have adapted their businesses to takeaways and mail order operations but getting the high streets reopened is a key part of driving the local economy.

“We’re working with partners including Gloucestershire County Council, town and parish councils and InStroud (Stroud & District Chamber of Trade) to do all we can to ensure businesses can open safely.”

SNJ sales manager Oliver Spencer said: “We reach a huge percentage of the local population across our well-established regional brands and, through a combination of combining our loyal print publications, record online audiences and market leading engagement via our social media channels, we are really confident that we can be the marketing partner of choice for local businesses during this crucial period.

“We are really banging the drum for local businesses from all sectors including retail, hospitality and leisure and encouraging our loyal readership to show their support by shopping local. Any business which wants to be featured in our campaign should get in touch on 01453 769419 or oliver. spencer@localiq.co.uk and we will be happy to provide further details.”

Stroud District Council is also working with partners on a wider high street recovery plan which will be publicised in the coming weeks.

To help support shoppers and traders, public toilets run by Stroud District Council in Stroud town centre and Stratford Park, Dursley, Nailsoworth and Stonehouse, and disabled toilets in Wotton-under-edge reopened yesterday.

Stroud & District Chamber of Trade also has useful resources for traders to he;p them too: bit.ly/3e8rq1o