COMMUNITY HERO How Trudy Davies keeps her ‘old-fashioned’ newsagents exciting with charity work BACK PAGE 2019 26 FEBRUARY-11 MARCH betterRetailing.com
PROFILE
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RETAILER PROFILE TRUDY DAVIES WOOSNAM & DAVIES NEWS Location: Llanidloes, Powys Staff: One full-time, six part-time Size: 500sq ft
Y CAUSES ‘OUR COMMUNIT NT’ HELP US STAY RELEVA
26 FEBRUARY-11 MARCH 2019 STRICTLY FOR TRADE USERS ONLY
single-use campaign to reduce glass plastics, and introduced bags Borrow ideas from canvas bottles for milk and other areas CHRIS DILLON donate. that her shoppers on my “I want solar panelling “Keeping up to date withdoing for inspirait will cut IF you’re looking roof. In the long term what other retailers areto your community 20%. Howtion on how to do & my energy bills by and making it relevant area retailing well, Woosnam stay ever, I live in a conservation Wales, area is a great way to not keen, but Davies News in Powys, and the council is start. fresh,” Trudy says. Industry push more,” is a good place to are I’m determined to town of events and the internet she Located in the small newsmeantime, the In she says. with great tools for research. Llanidloes, Trudy Davies’ resihas replaced her lightbulbsweak2,500 agents caters for “I think my her LED lights. more than 60 she admits. dents and gives to thinking has enabled This technology,” is ness gong nickname Year door to me community concerns local charities. “My nity Retailer of the Go “I have a Spar next earlier to tap into the moment. high-tech here is Trudy ‘Give-us-a-Quid’ the NFRN Awards that are relevant to green that has screens and asking peo- at because I’m always month. poverty really effects tills, but my customers have good causes. this imagina- “Period are collecting “Equipment like solar want me to ple for money for “You have to be young girls, so we told me they don’t says. till. I having bingo or a so they can acpanels will help us promote It’s affectionate,” she in- tive. It’s great they change my old-fashioned some up sanitary items how green we are, but Last year, her successesa de- raf�le, but people get fed to make free. Food banks don’t for a chal- cess it for with hygiene, so it’s do think I need saving for great also are though.” cluded raising money sessions if that’s all you do. It’s improvements, ide- always deal addition, says. relevant coming up with new �ibrillator and training costs,” she says. In bottles a real problem,” she Trudy is By working with promoting a lenge admits. is keeping her for 150 residents, the store offers glass Another push for cam- as,” she her ideas envi- causes, Trudy newsagents town-wide remembrance since Trudy �inds a lot of and the sustainability and the and canvas bags. years a local “old-fashioned”the community paign to mark 100 I, collect- from reading trade press ronment. She began relevant in authentic Get the community the end of World War for poor internet, as well as borrowing without losing its adding to and SURVIVE involved ing 500 pairs of glassesdementia ideas from other retailers charm. “We’re always Running make them I WOULDN’T countries and hosting tweaking them to MY our charity calendar. money, “I get my shoppers donating her local community. WITHOUT for awareness sessions. with- relevant to a shop isn’t all about factor of SO the money and ask them “I wouldn’t survive giving “Networking through great CUSTOMERS, there’s a real feel-good so ideas. It’s great for bringing a says. SOMETHING out my customers, has always been says being involved,” she important,” IAA people,” GIVING everyone together,” something back is more way to meet other BACK IS IMPORTANT Trudy, who supports and she explains. she explains. To see more of than 60 local charities track. see something, don’t Her work has nevertheless to you go “If Trudy’s store, recogniact on uses a calendar to keep received industry for someone else to betterRetailing.com/ as a �inalist in wait in as many people tion, ranking as woosnam-davies-news Community it. Bring get your MP and local the Service to the possible, will Independent involved. People category in the (IAA) last council Achievers Academy Commu- support you.” the year and scooping
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