Business booming as Rotherham welcomes new names

Twenty-three shops in the town centre have closed in the same period but council chiefs believe that local incentives are helping Rotherham to buck the national trend.

The latest to join the list was The Wedding Lounge, which officially opened last Thursday in Imperial Buildings, the restored retail arcade.

It joins the recently opened Whistle Stop Sweet Shop which sells old fashioned sweets and gifts.

A spokeswoman for the borough council’s business and retail investment team said this week: “The reason for this, is the huge amount of independent business owners that are setting up with help from the council’s business vitality grants, offering 50 per cent off rent in year one, 25 per cent off in year two and help towards fit-out costs.

“But it’s not just the independents that are opening in Rotherham town centre. Rotherham is starting to strike a healthy balance by also attracting major national names. Of the 33 businesses, nine were assisted by the grants scheme. These join big names such as Toymaster and The Works.”

The council’s business and retail investment manager, Tim O’Connell, cited the Shop Loyalty Scheme as one of the leading factors in bucking the national trend.

Three more businesses are expected to open before Christmas\_Jayne’s Blinds and Home Interiors on High Street and Sayas Coffee and a travel agency within Imperial Buildings.