Traders looking for support as costs rise

Shopkeepers in a Shropshire town are asking people for their continued support, with prices set to rise again.

The new financial year has brought with it increases to energy, water and council tax bills, and employers will also have to pay more in National Insurance contributions and the minimum wage.

Helen Upton, from Catherine’s Bakery in Bridgnorth, said traders would have to pass some of those costs on, but added: “I’m hoping the public of Bridgnorth will see that price increases are going to be coming for their survival, not for making extra profit.”

Sally Themans from Love Bridgnorth said: “If a local community doesn’t want to see its high street fall over it needs to get out there and spend that money locally.”

Ms Upton believes shops in Bridgnorth were suffering for a number of reasons, including parking fees, and she said: “A lot of them are on the borderline and have just decided enough’s enough.”

She also said she had noticed people being more careful with their money in recent years and buying smaller loaves to cut costs.

But, she said, Saturdays were the exception because tourists visiting the town were “just feeling a little bit easier because they’re on a day out”.

Becky Bratt from The Petal Bar florist said she had a good weekend for mother’s day and Bridgnorth is a relatively affluent area.

But she said parking was a “big, big problem” and the recent closure of part of the Severn Valley Railway line due to a land slip had had an impact on trade.

She said one pub landlord had told her the loss of the extra visitors had made a big difference.

Despite this, Ms Themans, who is also on the Love Bridgnorth group who campaign on behalf of the town, said: “There are some signs of people still wanting to come in and open businesses on our high street.”

She accepted it was a “challenging” time but said the town offered “value for money and a bespoke customer service”.