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PopUp Britain announces two new Shop Openings

PopUp Britain has announced it is to open two more empty shops, at either end of the country, to groups of collaborating start-up entrepreneurs.

PopUp Poulton, in Lancashire and PopUp Chard in Somerset, will welcome their first retailers, recruited from the surrounding areas, next month.

The shops will be the seventh and eighth the campaign has opened in under 12 months and the first in each region.

PopUp Britain co-founder Emma Jones said: “We’ve proved there is a demand for short-term, low-cost access to the high street from the growing number of online businesses that start-out online.

“We’re delighted to be announcing our first shops in the North West and South West of the country. It means we can offer a pop-up opportunity to online retailers who want find out how being part of their local high street can benefit their business.”

PopUp Britain, the retail arm of national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain, is working with Wyre Council and supermarket chain Booths to open PopUp Poulton on July 8 in the Teanlowe Centre - and is already taking bookings from local online retail businesses.

It will run for six weeks with a view to giving more than 30 a high street experience. The shop has the capacity to house between five and six local start-ups, co-working and co-funding the space.

Meanwhile PopUp Chard will open in the Stringfellow Gallery on Holyrood Street at the end of next month. This store is due to run for 12 months. The shop has the capacity to house between four and five local start-ups at a time.

The day-to-day running of the shop will be undertaken by the Chard Town Team, which is headed up by Gary Shortland and Jason Clark.

Jason said: “Initiatives like PopUp Britain go to the heart of our mission - to work towards developing an economically and socially vibrant community in a sustainable environment.

“PopUp Chard will offer local businesses a chance to get onto the high street, meet customers and fellow entrepreneurs and grow their business for the long term.

“We are delighted we can offer this opportunity to businesses as well as bringing a new shopping experience to local residents.”

Applications can be made here

PopUp Britain

The PopUp Britain initiative is backed by private sector funding and was piloted by StartUp Britain in 2012 at a vacant unit in Richmond. During a five month period more than 60 start-ups occupied the unit and 91% of the retailers reported a boost to business. PopUp Britain now has shops open in London’s King’s Road and Camberley.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Liz Slee .