Town launches trade offensive

Shoppers have been rocked by the news over the last fortnight that national retailers Stead & Simpsons and Co-op are to close, blaming slow trade in the town.

And with the eye sore of blue boards walling a huge area of the Tesco site that was once promised to be new national retailers, it is obviously challenging times for commerce.

But an initiative has been launched to entice the bus trips back, a trade that died almost overnight when the new shape of the Spar Car Park excluded bus spaces last year.

“This was a bad move that we opposed from the start,” said a Town Council spokesperson. “But now we can accommodate them safely and we have launched an incentive programme for the bus drivers.”

Cafes, shops and other businesses in the town have come together to provide bus drivers with healthy discounts should they stop in Welshpool. Marketing material has been sent to all bus operators in a bid to persuade them to pull off the by-pass for a visit. Some offer free food and drink for the coach drivers.

“Losing the coach trade has hit the town businesses hard. It used to bring a lot of people into the centre for a short visit on their way through,” said the spokesperson. “Flyers have been sent to the coach operators so hopefully we can start to see them come back to the town in greater numbers.”

The town council also hopes to secure the public toilets from Powys County Council after they were threatened with closure under budget cuts. This too, they say, will provide further encouragement for travelers to stop.