Could a pop up shop hire help establish your business in Banbury town centre?

Independent businesses looking to establish themselves in Banbury town centre have a new opportunity to be part of the town’s pop up shop project.

As part of its Cherwell District Council-funded role, Banbury town team has made a number of pop up shop opportunities available to give businesses a way to test their venture without needing to commit at the outset to a long lease, and to build a track record they can demonstrate to future landlords who can be reluctant to agree leases with start-up retailers.

Current options include units at the heart of Banbury’s independent-focused Old Town, including Church Lane and Parsons Street. A pop up shop can be hired on a weekly fee inclusive of rent and utilities. It’s likely that incentives for small business will significantly reduce the cost of business rates.

The town team are looking for businesses or groups that add to the existing retail mix in the town centre or strengthen Banbury’s reputation as a shopping destination. They could be a business that’s already operating in another town and is keen to expand, or one that has traded at markets or fairs or online and is looking to take a next step.

Banbury Town Team co-ordinator, Neil Wild, says: “There are so few opportunities to hire a town centre shop on a flexible lease that I’d encourage anyone looking to establish themselves in the independent heart of Banbury town centre to jump at the chance.”

A number of businesses have already been through the Banbury pop up shop project, including baby and children’s clothing store, Kids Exclusive, which ran for 6 months in Banbury’s High Street pop up unit before taking a lease of its own on Church Lane. Owner Lyn Pettinger, (pictured with husband James), says: “The pop up shop we hired from Flashop was an excellent way for us to develop our brand and expand our customer base before committing to the long term lease we have now.”

The pop up shop project is one of the ways Banbury town team has been working with landlords and agents to help overcome barriers to empty units being let. When the project started in April 2014 there were 54 empty or available town centre units. At the last audit in November 2016 that number was down to 35.

For full details of the available pop up shop opportunities in Banbury, please email neil@wild-property.co.uk or call Neil on 07801 164034.

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