BIDMATTERS Quarterly newsletter 5 I June 2016
Ross Feeney, Chief Executive, ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk
Introduction
Welcome to our latest BID newsletter. Our high streets are at the very heart of our communities but up and down the country the story is the same, high streets are facing unprecedented challenges. This is felt even more acutely this month with the sad news that high street stalwart BHS is to close. Our thoughts are with our colleagues at BHS at this time. Being mindful of the pressures and challenges facing high street businesses, we are working hard to increase weekend footfall in the town centre with a mix of events, street entertainment and the launch of a new monthly farmers’ and artisan market. We have also overseen the launch of the Pop Up Sutton market enabling business startups to showcase their products and services. The monthly pop-up market is revitalising the northern end of the high street, drawing customers to the town and providing opportunities for new business ventures to flourish. I am also pleased to report that investor confidence remains high and we are starting to see real signs of growth and investment in Sutton. As the Times Square redevelopment draws to a conclusion we can look forward to TK Maxx opening a new store and the arrival of PureGym. We are also welcoming jeweller Pandora to the St Nicholas Centre and Coffee Republic, Malpass Markets and Shinner & Sudstone have all chosen to open outlets in Sutton. We will continue to press the case for further investment to enable Sutton to continue on its path of growth and to ensure the town remains a thriving commercial and business centre. In the meantime, we are here to represent you. Let us know what more we can do to help your business. We’re your voice and we want to hear from you.
bake&TAKE KEEPS SHOPPER SHUTTLE ON THE MOVE A new sponsorship deal has been struck with retailer bake&TAKE to keep Sutton’s shopper shuttle on the move. The shuttle, a modified six-seater golf buggy, has provided a lifeline for many shoppers for whom parts of the high street were inaccessible. For the past 18 months the shopper shuttle was sponsored by the Post Office, which stepped in to ensure the free service could continue after a successful trial. That deal has not been renewed. Now retailer bake&TAKE has agreed to sponsor the shuttle enabling the service to remain operational. Successful Sutton chief executive, Ross Feeney, said: “I am delighted we have been able to secure new sponsorship for the buggy. We must thank the Post Office for their 18-month commitment to supporting the buggy. They stepped in to sponsor the buggy, and support visitors to the high street, when the St Nicholas Centre Post Office closed. Without their support the buggy service may well have ended. “Looking to the future, the buggy continues to be funded exclusively by businesses (there is no public funding for the service) through Successful Sutton. However, we do still need sponsorship to keep the buggy operational. “bake&TAKE have kindly sponsored the buggy for the last couple of months and we much say a huge thank you to them for doing so. Please support bake&TAKE, I can recommend the bacon rolls, and thank them for their support.”
The shopper shuttle runs between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and is free to use. Sponsorship of the buggy is available on a rolling monthly basis and provides an excellent platform for promoting a business or service. To find out more about sponsoring the shuttle, email teresa.whitfield@successfulsutton.co.uk Get social with our shopper shuttle. Follow @SuttonBuggy on Twitter or on Facebook www.facebook.com/suttonbuggy