Free retail space for businesses in heart of town centre
LOCAL independent businesses are once again being given free retail space to sell their products in the heart of Carmarthen town centre.
The Carmarthenshire Council-run 100% Sir Gar pop-up shop is returning to the empty Debenhams store in St Catherine’s Walk to give traders and shoppers a halfterm boost.
From Monday, February 21 to Saturday, February 26 a range of independent businesses will have free use of the retail space to sell products.
It follows the hugely successful pop-up shops held in December that saw more than 22,500 shoppers calling in to do their Christmas shopping with 26 local businesses at the former Debenhams and at a unit in Stepney Street, Llanelli.
Following Carmarthenshire Council securing use of the former Debenhams unit to continue running its customer service Hwb and tourist information centre from there ahead of its exciting redevelopment, it has decided to allow businesses to use the space once again.
For one week only, shoppers will find a range of locally produced handmade gifts, arts and crafts for sale from the likes of independent businesses One of a Find, Bodlon, Louise Art, Mared Davies Sculpture and Silver Cuddles.
Meg Gutteridge from Cotton Box, whose online business sells dried flowers, fabric and homeware, says she can’t wait for the opportunity to return to the 100% Sir Gar pop-up shop following her success there in December.
“As a new business that started during the pandemic, this was a great event to be a part of as it gave me the opportunity to raise the profile of business with local people,” she said.
“I was so pleased with the response I received, almost selling out entirely. It was also great to meet other local businesses across the county.”
100% Sir Gar was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic as a virtual shop window on the council’s Discover Carmarthenshire website, as a way of helping local businesses to recover from a long period of lockdown and restrictions on retail.
The page now promotes more than 300 independent businesses from Carmarthenshire, ranging from artists to butchers and those selling everything from clothes to gifts.
100% Sir Gar is part of the council’s overall economic recovery plan which aims to safeguard and create jobs, support businesses and bolster the local economy over the next two years.
Leader of the council, Emlyn Dole, said: “We were so pleased to see the sheer numbers of people who supported our 100% Sir Gar pop-up shops in December and to hear the feedback from traders who found it so helpful to their business.
“Every purchase made from our local independent businesses is money in the pockets and tills of local people, and that is one of the key aims of our economic recovery plan – supporting local businesses to thrive.