Marple traders reported their busiest Christmas ever as shoppers spurned out-of-town retail centres and decided to shop locally.
Marple Business Forum, which represents the leading retailers in the town, says its members were delighted that so many people decided to do their Christmas shopping locally.
It’s a real vote of confidence in the town,” said Marple Business Forum chairman Paul Whatmough, who runs a menswear shop on Market Street.
“We increased our sales significantly over the Christmas period. In fact in the week before Christmas our sales were up 30 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Many of our retail members have been reporting similar sales success stories.”
The ambitious Christmas lights pulled in more shoppers to Marple this year, but Paul believes it was the convenient car parking and the wide range of shops that were the main factors in the upturn in Christmas trade.
“Shoppers decided to avoid the hassle of queues and crowds at out-of-town centres and opted instead for the convenience of shopping locally,” he said. “Thanks to the wide range of shops, including high street names and specialist shops, people found they could do all their Christmas shopping right here in Marple. There was a real buzz on Market Street and Stockport Road all through the festive period.”
I'm pleased about this, there are plenty of really good shops in the centre now and the atmosphere before Christmas was superb. I particularly enjoyed a cake and hot chocolate, with all the kids, in Toast deli on Market Street.
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