General Discussion
Sunday Trading
some of the shops in Dawlish are keen to open and trade on a sunday ( ones who dont already) of course to try and encourage locals back into the town, would this be viable?? how many people would come to shop local this time of year on a sunday ? any view on this would be great!
Advertise this and it will work. Lobby TDC to extend their free parking to year round. Don't just open the once and then not do so again if it doesn't pay off first time - it may take a few weeks for the momentum to build. Be reliably open every Sunday so that customers can be sure you are open. Try themed Sundays. Try a Sunday Loyalty Card. Do something to encourage young families to spend time in the town. Don't let the haters put you off. Support the campaign to smarten up the sea front!!! Good luck and well done.
Free parking is a good idea. Councils should provide parking in small towns like Dawlish to encourage people to visit and spend. I don't go to Exmouth much now because of their parking charges. Even in the winter when the place is dead you still have to pay to park.
Councils benefit from a healthy local economy anyway don't they because of local business rates? Perhaps if they also got a share of the tax revenue, this may give them an insentive. I'm not sure if they already do get money this way.
Having seen that the church on the Strand is trying to steal customers from local cafes, why don't they turn the tables and hold a sunday service in their cafes? Just saying.
I was speaking to an elderly lady outside the United Reformed Church yesterday and she told me she visited the church regulary for their bacon roll and coffee on a monday.
She told me she has made friends and enjoys the atmosphere and being a pensioner she could not afford the cafe' prices. Maybe the cafe's could do an offer as many other towns do.
What sort of offer that 'many other towns do'? Perhaps the church should stick to conning vulnerable people into thinking that there's a god? Churches and Cream Teas don't mix. Cafes around here aren't expensive - and they don't pass the collection plate around after you've finished your cappuccino......
What are you objecting to Jools?
The 'vulnerable people' bit of Nelson's statement or that he is implying there is no God?
To get back to the original thread - yes, I think Sunday opening is a good idea, essential even. But it's going to take determination on the part of traders, as getting Sunday customers will take time. It needs all the shops and cafes to join in, including the charity shops. Why not aim to start from Easter? Use your shop windows to advertise Sunday opening.
But most of the shops and cafes open on Sundays from Easter anyway. There's no point in opening on a wet Sunday in January but once the season kicks off at Easter most places go right through until October half-term. I tried staying open in the winter in a previous business - got as far as end of November when I stopped breaking even and started losing money.