shopping – Page 17 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Searching for the Great British High Street

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt today urged town and cities across Britain to get their applications in for the Great British High Street competition before it closes on 30 August.

The minister has written to all town teams and the local community to encourage them to take part in the competition, run by the Future High Street Forum, to find Britain’s best high streets. Many town teams have already entered the 7 separate categories: city centres, town centres, market towns, coastal communities, villages, parades and London.

The minister said this national competition was a fantastic way to celebrate the nation’s greatest high streets and it was essential that all parts of the United Kingdom are represented.

The winners will win £50,000 of prize money and dedicated support and mentoring from industry experts. This could range from one to one coaching to advice on creating business plans to attending workshops on digital marketing.

The government is committed to high streets as part of it long-term economic plan. It is supporting local shops and businesses with a billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “This competition is about celebrating the work local people do to make their high streets great places to live, work and shop. Our high streets are bustling again and we want to find the hidden gems the country has to offer and share their tips for success.

So if your area hasn’t entered already then get cracking – don’t miss the chance to be named the Great British High Street.”

Morrisons to offer online shopping

Morrisons, the UK’s fourth biggest supermarket chain, is to launch an online grocery service.

Morrisons is currently the only one of the big four – Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s are the others – not to offer an online shopping option to their customers, but a deal with internet grocer Ocado will see it offer the new service by January next year.

Delivery vans will carry the Morrisons brand, with Ocado supplying logistical support from it’s distribution centre in the Midlands.

Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips told BBC Radio 4: “This is a very good transaction for both parties. We’re going from a standing start to the fast lane in the blink of an eye.”

Business analysts Conlumino predict that the total food and grocery market is forecast to grow 22% from £127bn to £155bn by 2017, with online food sales are expected to grow by nearly 70% over the same period, from £5.9bn to £10bn. Almost 30% of people in the UK now shop online for food and groceries.

Ever tried online grocery shopping? What’s the verdict? Let us know!

Nearly-new market can keep Christmas costs down

NEARLY NEW IS THE “NEW” NEW!

It is reported that the average family can spend up to a whopping £700 at Christmas, while the lowest price expected for a family to pay is £182. The easiest way to save money this Christmas is to shop for quality nearly-new items at your Local Jack & Jill Market. Thousands of shoppers collectively tell us every month across all our markets about the fantastic savings they have made.

One happy shopper recently told us “This is the sixth Market I have been to, and every time I leave with a bag full of fantastic goodies for my boys which I am putting away for Christmas, I will be all finished soon and will probably have spent under £100”

Our children don’t know or care that an item has been played with and loved before it reaches them, in fact I am sure we can all relate to how they always seem to get more enjoyment playing with toys everywhere else that you go. If it’s New to them then as far as they are concerned its NEW!

There are lots of reasons why its sensible to shop at The Jack & Jill Market, here are our favourites:

Everything is cheaper – Your money goes a lot further!
Your money stays in the community – You are buying your items from local Families and helping their family budget at the same time as yours!
The Thrill of The Hunt – Scouring the Market for that must have item at an unbeatable price is exciting in a way retail shopping isn’t!
Its Green – Buying nearly new cuts down on the amount going to landfill!
It’s All Under One Roof – Generally you can find everything you might need or want all in the same place and leave with it that very day!

A recent stallholder told us “I am thrilled to have made over £300, that’s money which is going into the Christmas fund and will make a huge difference”

Join us at the very last Jack & Jill Market in 2012 on Sunday 9^th December at Meadowbank Stadium from 10:30-1:30. It’s going to be bursting with bargains to stuff your stockings and treats for under your tree as well as all the rest from start to finish!

Pauline, Jack and Jill Market

Visit Stockbridge for Scotland’s best customer service

St Stephen Street in Stockbridge is the first retail destination in Scotland to be accredited with a world acclaimed award for excellence in customer service. The street has been accredited as a WorldHost Recognised Destination for customer service excellence recognised by the World Host Customer Care programme.

The programme was originally developed by the Province of British Columbia to train the 44,000 volunteers and tourism staff who made the 2010 Winter Olympics such an outstanding success. More recently, the programme has been adapted by leading employers and training providers for the UK market. It was also used to train the volunteers at the 2012 London Olympics in customer care. Nearly one million people in over 20 countries have been successfully trained using the World Host programme.

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “High quality customer service is key to ensuring that your customers want to use your business again and again. This is a tremendous achievement for everyone working in the Street and this will help to put the location firmly on Edinburgh’s retail map. As part of the Council’s building stronger town centres initiatives, businesses in St Stephen Street have shown commitment to excellence through their training from Edinburgh Skills Shop.”

Kirstine Hale, Director of Edinburgh Skills Shop said: “We are thrilled to have been involved in the accreditation of St Stephen Street becoming the first World Host destination in Scotland and want to offer our congratulations to all of the businesses who successfully completed their part in the WorldHost training.

“It is a huge achievement for a group of traders to come together and recognise the importance of excellence in customer service. To officially become the first World Host retail destination in Scotland is an accolade in itself. The street is filled with wonderfully different boutiques and independent businesses, all of which deserve the highest of recognition for this accreditation.”

George Robertson of Vox Box, said: “A significant numer of businesses in the street benifited from the excellent training day sponsored by the Council. We all learnt the importance of how to improve customer service, attract new business and very importantly encourage repeat business. The value of businesses interacting and supporting each other was another key factor of the day. The more business a reatil steet gains the greater the likelyhood of more staff being taken on, especially young people and thus in the long term providing more employment in the area. Small businesses, I believe, are key to reducing unemployment.”

Extended opening for Stockbridge Market

With the Christmas countdown well under way, Stockbridge Market could be just the place to pick up those quirky and unusual personal gifts you just won’t find in your high street stores.

And there will be more opportunities to pick up these bargains as Stockbridge market extends it’s opening times over the festive period. In the run up to Christmas the Market will open on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 as well as on Sunday 23rd December, and the Market will again be open all weekend from Friday 28 – Sunday 30 for those pre-Hogmanay purchases.

It’s a lovely bright morning – why not call in at Stockbridge Market today? The market’s open from 10 – 5pm.