Leicester s once-thriving Market Street feels like it s still in lockdown
Covid-19 lockdown has hit the shopping street hard but a revival could be round the corner
Updated (Image: Leicester Mercury)
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“Four, five, six….well, it’s a lot, isn’t it?”
Helen Elmes is pointing down Market Street in Leicester trying to count the empty and boarded up shops and restaurants on the fingers of both hands.
So I started to dress like my new friends. It didn’t feel like me but I thought I’d get used to it. At the same time, my parents both fell ill. I had very small children, a house renovation, a fledgling business, and now terminally ill parents. Suddenly I was the lowest priority on my list.
I stopped exercising. I put a lot of weight on. My sense of self went out of the window. And it stayed that way for about 10 years. I just completely lost sight of who I was.
My dad died first, followed by mum in 2011, and there came a day in 2013 when, having avoided the mirror for quite a few years, I forced myself to take a look. I had one of those really big moments where I gave myself a bit of a shake and wondered, “My goodness, who are you? Where did you go? Who is the future you going to be?”
Fashion retailer, White Stuff, has appointed Journey Further to handle its performance marketing activity. Journey Further, which has offices in Leeds, London and Manchester, won the account following a competitive five-way pitch. It will manage an annual seven-figure spend across PPC, display and paid social, as well as creative development for these channels.
Seb Villien, head of e-commerce at White Stuff, said: “Journey Further impressed us with its data-driven approach and we’re looking forward to further developing our customer-centric strategy with its support.”
Chris Rowett, paid media director at Journey Further, said: “We’re really excited to be working with such a well known brand, and a great fit for our experienced paid media team.
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Are gardens a growth market for fashion retailers?
As Next and Joules both home in on the garden retail sector, Drapers explores whether this growing market offers real opportunity for clothing and lifestyle retailers.
Next reopened its stores in England and Wales this week (12 April), unveiling a Homebase shop-in-shop garden centre concept at six sites. The new venture, called Garden by Homebase at Next, sells pots, plants and garden tools, with staff on hand to offer customers advice on their gardening projects. The stores are located in Shoreham, Ipswich, Warrington, Camberley, Bristol and Sheffield.
“We know that people are spending more time outside and as we head into summer, they want to have their gardens looking at their absolute best,” a spokeswoman for Homebase told Drapers. “By partnering with Next, we’re able to provide customers with everything they need to brighten up their outdoor space and get it ready for the warmer weather ahead.”