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Expanding Oldrids is a local success story despite tough trading times
Times are definitely tough for the high street - and Boston has seen the full force of the recession with the loss of several big names.
But the town’s home grown big name continues to thrive - with Oldrids & Downtown adding Co-op stores from Lincoln and Gainsborough to its portfolio last month.
So how is Oldrids & Downtown able to flourish in a market that has proved too tough for national rivals such as Woolworths, Jessops, JJB, Comet and now Dreams?
Annmarie McClintock, managing director, puts it down to an in depth knowledge of its customers - and being able to deliver what people want in its stores, which have been established in south Lincolnshire for more than 200 years.
She said: “We are a local independent group of stores who have invested a lot of time in understanding the requirements of our customers and as such endeavour to provide them with a range of products that meets their needs and aspirations.
“We have an enthusiastic workforce who understand their customers and provide them with the quality service and product knowledge they expect.”
She said that the acquisition of the two new stores – Downtown in Tritton Road, Lincoln and Oldrids in Market Place, Gainsborough – are not the start of a further expansion plan but that the the firm is ‘open to developments’ and will ‘assess any opportunities which arise’ - a stark contrast to the doomy outlook of many big names.
The partnership with the Co-op also meant that Co-op travel branches in both stores have stayed open - and a new one has now opened in the Downtown Garden Centre in Grantham.
Oldrids says that the recent expansion also has a positive knock-on effect to its Boston operation - and hopefully to customers too.
Annmarie said: “We have over the last few years recruited a number of new staff to our head office function in Boston to enable us to support the acquisition of new stores.
“Now that the new stores are on board the increased buying power that they provide us with, means that we can negotiate better deals with our supplier base and pass on those savings to our customers throughout the county.”
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Weather for Boston, Lincolnshire
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: South west
