Wesley St bucking trend of the dying retail sector
THE high street is something that is seen as having little to no future in the plans of towns and cities.
Empty shop units is a common trend across the country as news is pumped out about the latest shop or company that has been forced out of business.
Despite this, there is one picturesque street in the centre of a Merseyside town that is thriving with little to no empty units and a stream of regular customers.
Wesley Street looks like it’s been designed for a postcard and is home to bright and colourful buildings that resemble the children’s TV show Balamory.
The street that appears to be straight out of a TV show seems like it is simply too good to be true.
In actual fact, it is hidden in the centre of Southport and is filled with independent businesses.
Just ask Walkers on Wesley Street, a family-owned cafe that has seen four family members all work there since it opened three years ago, just nine months before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
The cafe has extended in between lockdowns, proving to be a hit with those in the town.
The small cafe, run by husband and wife Simon and Helen Walker, is the top-rated cafe in Southport on Tripadvisor, and third in restaurant rankings despite it not even being a restaurant, proving how highly rated it is amongst visitors.
Helen said: “We’ve expanded this side. We were initially renting it out but we’ve now expanded as we were really popular in summer and we had outdoor seating because it’s pedestrianised. I think it draws people down the street.”
Simon added: “I think all the work that has gone on at the end of the street with Flannels and the Everlast gym, I think that was the start of it. Now I think the street is really on the up.
“After lockdown, there’s been a lot of new independent businesses and people are supporting them more as well. It’s a lovely atmosphere. I’ve worked in Southport for many many years and I never realised how much footfall there actually is. It’s such a lively atmosphere come summertime. It’s really bustling and busy down here.”
Meg Olechowska, the owner of Cake Creations, said it is a “little street with a big heart”.
The independent cake making business has been owned by Meg since she took over from the previous owner six years ago.
She said: “It’s a lovely place with lovely businesses and lovely people. Small town, nice and kind. I think the community makes it special.
“You can sort everything for Christmas here, even for a wedding now. We’ve got dresses, cakes, jewellery and hairdressers, everything. Little street with a big heart.”
When Helen and Simon first opened their cafe, Helen was helping out on Saturdays and baking cakes around her full-time job as a lecturer at Southport College, with Simon running the cafe alongside his daughter and other members of staff.
Three years on Helen now spends almost every day in the cafe alongside her husband. The pair said the decision to open the cafe wasn’t a matter of making an extraordinary amount of money but to have a better quality of life.
The couple also has an emphasis on loyal customers and making them feel as comfortable as possible.
The staff continue to wear masks with an automatic hand sanitiser next to the door handle as you walk in, all in a bid to not just protect themselves but keep their customers safe and comfortable as well.
Simon said: “We have a lot of regulars. We’re quite lucky with the number of regulars we have.”
Helen added: “It’s about getting them all talking. Especially when they first come in and sit on their own. We try to get two or three tables chatting with each other, and I’m quite chatty as well if you haven’t noticed. It’s nice when that happens though because you think ‘I’ve had a chat with somebody today’ knowing they’ve not been stuck in on their own.”
Simon continued: “We’ve lost a few people over the years and we still have their partners coming in which is nice because we try and encourage them to come in.”
Helen said: “We have a knit and natter group on a Tuesday and Friday, they sit on the table over there. I’m not sure how much knitting goes on but there’s a lot of nattering. Again, a lot of people on their own come in and we don’t charge them. They just come and have a coffee.
“That’s us really.”
Victoria Hughes of OmNom Zero Waste, an organic whole foods, organic fruit & veg and zero waste shop, told the ECHO that Wesley Street is bucking the “dying high street” trend due to the originality of the shops and businesses, as well as the personality you find in each individual business.
She said: “We’re bucking the ‘dying high street’ trend because we offer more than a high speed, convenient shopping experience.
“When you shop down Wesley Street, you support business owners who are not only experts in their craft and have a demonstrable passion for what they bring to the community, but they’re also local residents who can relate to your personal experiences and remember the details about your life. We don’t just want the sale, we want to know what you and your family are doing well.”
She added: “Wesley Street is special because of the sense of community down the street.
“This, coupled with the variety of unique, specialised, and independent businesses creates an alternative shopping experience that the people of Southport are proud to support.”