Town centre managers pledge support to retailers
Town Centre Managers from across the UK have pledged to support independent retailers with free training sessions.
15 Town Centre Managers have committed to hosting taster training sessions for retailers in their towns in support of Independents’ Day, Skillsmart Retail’s national campaign to encourage the public to use their local shops and their local retailers. The hour and a half long sessions will be conducted by retail experts and provide retailers with the opportunity to trial training and improve their skills.
Jane Rexworthy, Head of the National Skills Academy for Retail said: “We have been delighted with the response of the Town Centre Managers and their commitment to offer training sessions to retailers in their areas. Independent retailers often wear lots of ‘hats’ in their businesses; they are the accountant, sales assistant, buyer, merchandiser to name but a few and we want to support them to the be the best they can be. It is excellent that so many towns have come forward to support their independents and recognise how diverse and skilled the retail sector is.”
The following towns signed the pledge: Daventry, Great Yarmouth, Ely – Cambridgeshire, Bury St Edmunds, Norwich, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Dunfermline, Rotherham, Worthing, Douglas – Isle of Man, Tendring, Wolverhampton, Fareham, Worcester, Leeds and Belfast.
Martin Blackwell, chief executive of the Association of Town Centre Management, said: “We have been delighted with the response to Skillsmart Retail’s Independents’ Day campaign. Providing all retailers, and independents in particular, with the tools they need excel is vital to ensure a diverse high street is there in years to come.”
