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The North Wales town of Prestatyn was recently named the most sensible grocery shopping destination in the country. Vitality Rankings praised the city’s art for meeting the submission and maintenance criteria.
The rating took into account points such as the quality of the retail business, the demographics of shoppers, the amount of footfall, and the empty rates of the stores. Naturally, I had to go through and see why he deserved so much praise.
A sunny spring day seemed like the best place to shop. One of my first observations when I arrived at the Prestatyn Business Park was about parking rules, reports North Wales Live.
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Everyone has the luxury of free parking for three hours, but exceeding that time is a hefty £85 payment, an important note for any long-term visitor. It soon became clear that the “good presentation” was true, as two gardeners were busy. trimming a giant hedge in the parking lot.
One of them had brought his Pomeranian puppy named “Batface” as a “supervisor,” he joked. Ignoring the big chains like Boots and JD Sports, I looked for local independent retailers. Special mention should be made of the workshop of the master upholsterer David. J Jones, where consumers collected superbly restored chairs.
John and Linda were visibly pleased with the stripe trend and craftsmanship. Jones, mindful of the higher scores in the survey, said Prestatyn is a wonderful position to buy, as the shopping park, where it operates, serves as an extension of the main street. .
Customers can buy pieces here and then head to the main street for a coffee. In fact, that’s precisely what I did at the Four Seasons café-bistro, just steps around the corner.
However, some stores expressed skepticism about the survey results. Geoff Lawman, who runs Presents With A Difference, a boutique specializing in trinkets, antiques and collectibles, is one of the voices.
Lawman, 78, said attendance has never been lower. He insists that although there are plenty of shops, they are not the right type and there are simply too few customers.
He laments: “I’ve been on the street for 24 years and I’ve noticed it happen. It’s a real shame. “
“When we lost the banks, we lost 40% of our sales volume. Last year we lost the retail business. “
A new Home Bargains has been built, but it is a few hundred metres away, in the old market place. He added: “And now we have lost the Pontines. There used to be a lot of people from there coming to the main city. but they’re not there anymore.
“They weren’t people, but they still spent money. There are too many charity shops, hairdressers, nail bars and cafes on our high street. “
Mr. Lawman said his overhead costs have also increased. “My business fees have gone from £177 a month to £440 a month,” he growled.
Gemma Williams, owner of The Little Cheesemonger, remains hopeful even though the closure of Les Pontins affected local traffic. He notes, “We’ve actually seen fewer people (since the Pontins closure). We’ve had a lot of other people who were on vacation and have time to laugh at the stores. “
Still, she’s sure tourists will close the trailer parks and then explore the streets to buy groceries when the weather permits. “The high street is very eclectic with a lot of independent shops,” he said.
The appearance of Prestatyn has been decorated with floral arrangements through the Friends of Prestatyn Station decorating the railway platforms. In addition, measures to deter birds at the front of the station appear to be effective.
Construction paintings are also underway, with a team laying bricks on the pavement of the main street and a daffodil demonstration presented by Gwynt and Mor wind farm operators adding a splash of colour. Although Prestatyn has a varied diversity and an exclusive main street, there are still prospects for improvement.
In Newmark’s Consulting & Analytics team’s Vitality rankings, Prestatyn is ranked first in Wales, ranked 134th overall in the UK, an improvement from its 143rd position in 2022.