BRIDGNORTH residents and visitors have given the local shops a major boost by praising them for their “very good” customer service.
A nationwide survey conducted by a professional team of retail experts places the town in 12th place out of 80 that have so far been assessed.
Skillsmart Retail organised the visit to Bridgnorth by market research company ESA, which evaluated the performance of 36 independent retailers, producing an overall score of 86.5 per cent. An impressive total of 31 of the 36 shops recorded
individual scores above 80 per cent and 24 had their customer service rated as either ‘good or very good.’
The survey also revealed that 93 per cent of the 100 shoppers questioned would return to the town and the same percentage would recommend it to a friend. The best performing shop in Bridgnorth was Parker Taylor Menswear in High Street with a score of 96.2 per cent, closely followed by The Looking Glass in Bank Street and Tanners Wines on High Street, both with 95.3 per cent.
The variety of independent shops scored very highly with 95 per cent satisfaction. More than half of those questioned (52 per cent) said they had seen definite improvements to Bridgnorth over the past two years and more than nine out of 10 said the shops were close enough to make a convenient shopping trip.
Skillsmart also reveal that nine out of 10 shoppers interviewed felt the town was clean and tidy and more than half (54 per cent) said public facilities were easy to find.
And the general feeling of safety in the town was a positive 99 per cent.
The survey also revealed that car parking was easy to find, public toilets were clean, safe and smelt fresh and there was no sign of anti-social behaviour.
“The town is extremely well-maintained, clean and tidy,” said one of the assessors. The shops are inviting and have individual and appealing display windows.
“The people seem friendly,” he added. “Overall, this is a super town with lots of great tourist attractions, lots of independent eating establishments and interesting shops.”
Les Winwood, Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth West and Tasley, said the report was good news for the town. “We can be proud of our retailers,” he said. “Bridgnorth has a fair mix of retailers and it shows we are attracting visitors.”
