A LEADING Bridge trader is positive developments in the area are a good thing. Martin Search, of Ray & Scott Jewellers and former chairman of the Bridge Traders’ Association, said that he thought the Leale’s Yard development ‘would bring thousands to the area’.
‘I think as in all towns, and as we’ve seen in St Peter Port here, retailers come and go in line with the coming and going of trends,’ he said.
‘Shopping habits change and so we all need to move with the times.’
However, Mr Search said that though he thought the development on the Bridge would be ‘fantastic’, he would be sad to see it have a negative effect on independent retailers.
‘I don’t like to see individual, independent shops shutting down,’ he said. ‘That’s sad.
‘So there’s got to be some balance.’
Shoefayre, the Co-op’s shoe shop, has been bought by UK discount seller Shoe Zone. Chief executive Anthony Smith said that it would stay open and he hoped would continue to trade well.
However, a spokesman for the new owner was unable to say whether jobs would be affected.
The shop is currently holding a sale of existing warehouse stock before new supplies are brought in.
Mr Search said that there was a positive side to having more English high street stores establish themselves in Guernsey.
‘If the English chains come over, sometimes they can offer the customer better value and choice as they are able to bulk- buy stock,’ he said.
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