NEW traders in Wick town centre are generally feeling optimistic about the future following 18 months of activity.
Over the past year-and-a-half several new shops have set up in the town and, along with existing traders, have been spurred on with help from the Caithness Chamber of Commerce.
However, uncertainties remain for the future of shops in the town and concerns raised by traders include a lack of customers at weekends and businesses not directly in the town centre still suffering from a lack of trade.
While these retailers have been setting up in a tough economic climate, the local chamber has been pushing the drive for the regeneration of both Wick and Thurso town centres including implementing a new loyalty card scheme.
Its chief executive, Trudy Morris, is "really pleased to see renewed confidence in Wick town centre" and hopes the trend will continue.
"Business Gateway has provided some support to these businesses and it is encouraging to see this has made a difference," she said. "Wick retailers have also embraced the 'Spend it Here' loyalty card scheme that the chamber is running and thanks to the efforts of Highland Council staff at the service points, along with Caithness Horizons, Dounreay.com and the town centre development officers, more than 2000 cards have been put out with another 1000 printed."
The chief executive added: "It has proved very popular with shoppers."
Ms Morris said Wick town centre regeneration manager Andrew O'Sullivan will be working with retailers to gauge the success of the scheme over the pilot period and a decision will be taken in May whether to keep it running or not.
She also explained that as part of the town centre development the chamber is planning to host leading high street marketing consultant Mary Portas's retail training workshops in the coming months.
"We hope they'll prove popular especially for those who are new to the retail sector," she said.
'People are delighted to have an ironmongers'
KEVIN Milkins, of Birons Ironmongers, in Bridge Street, set up his business "at the worst time ever" as far as the recession is concerned.
However, since moving to the town half-a-decade ago he has seen a marked improvement to its centre.
"In the five years that I've lived in Wick it certainly has improved for the better," he said.
"When I first moved to town the Tesco and Homebase effect looked like it was devastating the town centre but it looks now like the wheel has turned the full cog as you see more people on the street. But from a shop owner's point of view, it's difficult for me to make an assessment as I've not been here that long."
Mr Milkins is happy with how business is going and has been getting a "very good reception" in the town.
"People seem delighted to have an ironmongers on the main street, particularly the older folk who enjoy the old-fashioned way of shopping - coming down the street, having a blether and getting a bit of help," he said.
The local chamber of commerce's town centre regeneration is "helpful", in his opinion.
"There are people there to talk to and to bounce ideas off," he said. "Possibly in the fullness of time I think it will have a positive effect. If it continues the way it is going and it can grow outwards then I see a positive future for the town centre."
'I can be busier on a Monday than I am on a Saturday'
BRANDY Miller opened up her women's clothes shop - Brandy's in Bridge Street - in July last year.
When opening her store local traders gave her advice on when to expect busy and slow times.
However, she was still surprised to find that weekend trade was one of the particularly slow times.
"I can be busier on a Monday than I am on a Saturday," she said. "Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays tend to be my better days."
Mrs Miller said she finds people still don't always realise the shop is there as fewer numbers actually stop and walk through the town centre, choosing instead to head to the retail park and Tesco.
She is trying to combat this out-of-town effect by supplying a good range of stock.
"It's very hard with the recession and everything because no-one has money to spend," she said. "At the same time people need affordable clothing."
The town centre regeneration is good, said Mrs Miller, but she has concerns that the building of the new council offices may impact on shopping in the town centre.
She also thinks something should be done with the bigger empty commercial properties in the town.
"I would love to see something done with the old Safeway [former Haldanes supermarket in Macleay Lane] and the old cinema in the High Street."
She added that generally "it's really looking good considering we have almost been in a depression in the past few years".
'Things are going in the right direction'
KARYN Mackay set up her women's fashion shop - the Dressing Room - at the end of October above J. Gunn & Co in Bridge Street.
She said business has been "pretty good" with a steady stream of customers before Christmas.
"I've had a lot of really positive feedback," she told the Groat. "It's going quite well."
Her customers tend to be people who are looking for something in particular, rather than the casual shopper.
She said the town centre lacks something to draw crowds in at weekends.
"It's nice seeing that there are a few new shops but apart from that I'm not sure what other regeneration is taking place," she said.
"But it does make a difference, especially having Woolworths open again [now The Original Factory Shop] - it makes a difference to the Market Place.
"When you think about it there are quite a few new things on the go and I think things are going in the right direction."
Mrs Mackay questioned what will happen to businesses in the town centre when work begins on the new council offices in Market Place.
'Regeneration project is definitely well worth it'
SEAMSTRESS Jennifer Easton, of JAED (Jennifer Ann Easton Design), set up her shop in High Street in December 2010.
Despite having a quieter January compared to last year, she has been keeping busy.
"I don't know if it was still people coming in out of curiosity or what," she said. "Due to the nature of the shop I get a lot of people coming in and if they are not buying something they are getting something altered. So it's not always that they come in and spend lots of money.
"But I'm kept busy with proms before Christmas and weddings in the summer - it's a bit of a mixture."
Jennifer won the Caithness Chamber of Commerce's George Bruce Award for Young Entrepreneur in 2011.
She believes the town centre regeneration project is well worth it and has high hopes for it improving the town in years to come.
"It's nice that people are going round thinking what could we do to bring more life into the town," she said. "Because it does need it sometimes.
'We can't survive without customers'
OUT of the town centre a new shop owner is not so positive about the future.
Weigh2Save, in Dempster Street, is the first-time business venture of Pauline Foyle, who moved to Caithness from North Yorkshire in 2010.
The scoop shop stocks everything from sweeties, cereals and pasta, to pet food and health supplements, and many other goods in a pick 'n' mix fashion.
Mrs Foyle said her business is not doing very well and that, in part, is because of its location.
"Although we probably have had more customers visit our shop than some other businesses in the area, because our products are inexpensive we still need more customers," she said.
"Generally, anybody that visits the shop is very complimentary about how light and clean the shop is and also the wide range of products we stock. Some admit that they forget about our shop when they are shopping and then could kick themselves when they could purchase that item at our shop cheaper and probably better quality."
Mrs Foyle said the Caithness Chamber of Commerce has been "very helpful" and she likes the idea of the loyalty card scheme but at present cannot take part.
The scoop shop owner would also like to employ staff but can't.
"Unless the local people are willing to use their local shops then there is a saying 'use it or lose it'," she said. "Any business, whether it be small or large, cannot survive without customers."
