Wrexham’s Independent Retailers Amongst Top Four In UK

An independent shop and a market stall in Wrexham town centre have scored top marks in a mystery shopping assessment, becoming two of only six businesses out of 5,000 nationally to ever get 100%.

Martin Rees Jeweller on Chester Street and R. Platt Butchers in the Butchers’ Market were assessed on the customer experience they provide as part of Wrexham’s independent retail evaluation which was carried out by Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail.

In total 38 independent retailers, including eight market stalls from the Peoples’ and Butchers’ markets took part in the mystery shopping exercise.

Each shop or stall was visited twice during August and September and Wrexham’s retailers achieved an average score of 90.4%, well above the national benchmark of 80%, placing the town fourth out of the 84 towns and cities across the UK which have been assessed.

The vast majority (92%) of the mystery shopping visits rated the customer service either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ and 92% said they would recommend the store to a friend.

The shops also had eye-catching exteriors (97%), good store interiors (89%) and were accessible to wheelchairs (76%).

Mrs Ruth Rees from Martin Rees Jeweller said: “We are really proud of our results and to get confirmation that how we run the business is right. We love jewellery and gemstones and get a lot of pleasure out of running the business. It is nice to know that this passion comes across to our customers.”

Robert Platt and wife Sina from R. Platt Butchers, the first market stall to gain 100% in the Location Model mystery shop said: “It’s great to have the hard work that we put into the business recognised. We try and make sure that every customer that visits gets great service whenever they visit. This personal expert service, alongside our quality food helps make sure our customers keep coming back.”

The project was funded by the Welsh Government’s Sector Priorities Fund Pilot (SPFP) programme that also receives additional support from the European Social Fund (ESF). It was also supported by Wrexham County Borough Council.

The research also included a town centre assessment and conducted 100 street interviews with residents and visitors. These found that the majority (61%) of people generally felt safe in the town, the town centre was free from litter and chewing gum and there was good signage to public facilities.

People were also asked what facilities they would most like to see added to the town. The most frequently mentioned were; more facilities for children (30%), cheaper/better parking (19%), entertainment facilities (16%) and restaurants (15%). Regarding the retail mix, only 31% of respondents thought there was a good variety of independent shops in Wrexham.

The assessor said: “Wrexham town centre has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The People’s Market and the shops in the back streets gave a touch of nostalgia, and plenty of flower boxes made it colourful. According to local people Boots, M&S, Debenhams and Wallis have moved away from the town centre which has reduced footfall. With such big retailers pulling out of the town centre, it did not feel as vibrant and the pulling power was not there.”

The report did highlight a few areas for improvement in the town, particularly around car parking and the retail mix to keep and attract shoppers to the town centre. These issues are already being looked at by Wrexham County Borough Council to find ways to support local retailers and fulfil customer demands.

Councillor Rodney Skelland, Wrexham County Borough Council Lead Member for Regeneration and Corporate Governance, said: “Congratulations to our independent retailers for producing such outstanding mystery shopping results. Local businesses are vital to maintaining the town’s identity and the council will continue to support them so they can be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.

“The results of this survey give us a real feel of where we stand compared to other similar towns and cities across the country. We will now spend time looking at the recommendations to see how we can make the town’s shopping experience even better.”