Morley traders boast successful sales period
White Rose Shopping Centre Christmas light switch on by Emmerdale's Metthew Wolfenden, aka David Metcalfe. (D510K247)
SHOPS and traders in Morley are looking forward to a prosperous new year after reporting a hugely successful Christmas sales period,
Both independent town centre businesses and retailers at the White Rose Centre have seen record takings and an increase in customer numbers, with many people beneftting from a rise in internet shopping.
One Queen Street shop sent out over 600 parcels in one day as it saw its website swamped by Christmas shoppers.
Sam Aspinal, ownder of gift shop Cadeaux, said sales had been “unbelieveable”.
She said: “The internet sales were absolutely storming, unbelievable.
“The Monday before Christmas we sent out 640 parcels - we had 11 people in to help and were working 12-hour shifts and we still couldn’t keep up.
“We’re still not over it now.
“In the shop it’s not been bad, very up and down, although on Christmas Eve we were much busier than last year.
The White Rose Centre set new records over Christmas week.
Its manager Dean Stratton said: “In Christmas week we had almost 400,000 visitors – an all-time record since White Rose opened 15 years ago.
“We also had our busiest-ever Christmas Eve, with more than 48,000 shoppers through our doors and on Boxing Day, some 4,000 people queued before 6am for the start of Next’s sale.
“It’s incredible to think that during the course of Boxing day we welcomed more than twice the average gate for a Leeds United home match at Elland Road and I would like to congratulate all centre and store staff for their magnificent efforts.”
The centre, which opened in 1997, is planning to expand in the new year with plans to include a cinema, four new restaurants and the enlargement of some of their key stores.
Back in the town centre, other traders claimed they had been more than holding their own against the big retailers.
Joan Grimes, who manages Wilsons Champion Pork Pies and Pasties in Queen Street said the shop had done “exceptionally well”.
In past years the shop had become famous for its pre-Christmas queues that usually stretched halfway down the town centre.
“We opened on a Sunday before Christmas this year for the first time so we had queues but they were spread over three days so they were not as manic as they used to be,” she said.
“On that Sunday we had seven staff in and were serving from 6.30am in the morning till 2.30pm in the afternoon, continuously.”
Janet Foxton, owner of DW Hunt Florists, is just one of a number of traders who have taken advantage of 02’s localised Priority Moments scheme which sees the mobile phone company’s customers get discounts and special offers in Morley shops.
“We have had a busy Christmas and although the New Year is just coming in we have had a fair bit on for the last couple of days,” she said.
“We completely sold out of wreaths and Christmas trees left and I think we have been on a par with last year so we have held our own.”
However not every shop owner experienced an upturn. Donna Coe of Beadelicious said trading was “not brilliant” and much slower than at their other shop in Mirfield.
The shops intends to develop its internet sales in 2013.
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Weather for Leeds,Yorkshire
Sunday 26 May 2013
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