Llandudno jeweller bucks the economic trend

Jan 1 2009 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

Graham Peers

WHILE high street chain stores are closing around him, one Llandudno retailer says he’s had the best year’s trading ever.

And he believes the way to revitalise the town centre is to have a retail forum where businesses can pool their ideas and come up with a joint marketing strategy.

Graham Peers of Peers Jewellers in the Victoria Centre believes that well-run smaller businesses can prosper in the present economic climate.

“As a niche business which offers quality and service, we are thriving. We have had our best trading year as a whole and one of our best ever Christmases which shows the community is supporting businesses as it always has done,” he said.

“What we need is to attract more quality niche businesses into the town but at the moment I don’t think members of the retail community are doing anything to help each other.

“The hoteliers have shown great business acumen in joining together for marketing as well as individually advertising nationally, and have been successful in bringing large numbers of people into the town, but it is important that when they arrive they find a high street with attractive specialist stores,” he claimed.

George Newson, chairman of the Llandudno Regeneration Partnership, also believes the town is surviving the recession better than many others, and agrees more needs to be done to attract new shops.

“The town seems to be doing quite well in comparison with others. I was recently in Chester’s Grosvenor Centre where there are several large gaps where chain stores have closed down.

“I was also in Gerrard’s Cross in the London stockbroker belt and even there I saw significant gaps in the high street in what is a very affluent area.”

He said the Partnership recently met with a valuation officer to ask for business rates in Llandudno town centre to be reduced.

“This is something that needs looking at because we believe that since Parc Llandudno opened the town centre has moved, but we need facts to support this from businesses who have suffered,” he said.

And he said the Partnership would also explore working with Conwy County Council on a strategy to attract new businesses to replace those that had closed.

“It is important that we be proactive in this but I believe it needs to be driven by the council’s business unit with support from us,” he added.

And Sue Nash, manager of the Victoria Centre, said that although Adams Childrenswear is under threat of closure, and Jumpers and Passion for Perfume had recently closed their doors, she was confident the empty units in the centre would be re-let.

“There is a company interested in the Jumpers unit and I expect something to be signed before too long,” she said.

judith.phillips