Two new shops have opened this week.
Pedro the Cobbler opened up a new shop on Stert Sreet. He mends shoes, and sells a few shoes, cuts keys, and engraves. (Beyond Bubbles, who used to be there will be selling more at craft fairs, local events, and online, but some of her products are still available from Pedro, I believe.)
Meanwhile on East St Helen Street, Belinda Chong opened a new studio selling artwork and jewellery.
Great to see two new independent businesses opening – good fortune to you Pedro and Belinda
Absolutely, now we ALL have to support them!!
Have been away over half term, cannot wait to visit our new shops. Also plan to spend money in them!
I see the Wetherspoon pub is set to open on 8 October.
whats happening to The Grapes?
I see its up for sale.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/abingdon/10436698.Grapes_ripe_to_pick_at___325k/
Also the cross keys is now closed
I visited Belinda’s shop today (and boughtsomething)!! It is very good and the owner is charimng I would recommend everyone to go and have a look inside.
I did not know about this shop until itwas mentioned on here (thank you Backstreeter). Is there no means by which new businesses can get some support and advice regardig publicity?? Surely the Town (relevant officials?) are keen for new businesses to be a success?
@cassandra trust me the relevant offices do not care about any shop or its owners in this town . The town and footfall has been destroyed by the new units . The sales in every shop are down 50% many shop owners have asked for reduction in rates and none given . The people open shops in this town as they are local employ local and support local they are not a drain on society . However if you are unemployed you get rent council tax and heating free now you will understand why shop owners are upset
Re 7 – there are two business associations (Chamber of Commerce and ABA) in Abingdon who help member businesses to promote themselves via all sorts of routes, including social media and networking events. I am sure they would be happy to offer advice/assistance.
Both of these also belong to the Choose Abingdon Partnership which does promotional events of various kinds – Local Excellence Markets where shops can take their wares on to the Market Place, annual Good Living Event, Loyalty Card scheme (now including weekly promotional e-mails). They also frequently publish features about Abingdon’s independent traders in the various free magazines.
Re 8: Rents are set by the landowner (i.e private companies and individuals) and as far as I understand it, business rates are set nationally – local authorities can only subsidise them by “robbing peter to pay paul”.
The Town Council does offer a “shop front grant scheme” to help businesses make their premises attractive and inviting and the District Council has an Economic Development Officer who offers support and help to people setting up businesses in the town.
…and a PS to my previous post – I forgot to mention the new town website which has a detailed list of shops in the town and links to their websites http://www.abingdon.gov.uk/shop-eat-drink/shops I believe that this is still being worked on so if your favourite business is not there it can still be added..
Many thanks Cassandra, not just for buying something, but also for your encouraging comments.
It is a big step opening a business and the many customers and browsers who have complimented me on the shop make all the hard work worthwhile.
I would like to especially thank Dr Sands and his wife, and business partner, Fiona for making this possible.
I look forward to seeing many more of you in the shop.
Belinda
Thanks for flagging up Pedro the Cobbler on the Abingdon Blog. I took some boots in for re-heeling and he did a great job – for a fair price too. Pedro said that he was getting a good number of customers. Several of them mentioned that they had seen the shop promoted on the blog and that’s why they were there. So keep up the good work.
Does anyone know what is happening with Pedro the Cobbler??
I took in a bag to be mended early July and have been unable to collect it for 2 months now! He has been closed. 🙁 I tried calling him as he put a contact number on my ticket but have not heard back. I knew he would have to close for a few days in July as he had warned me he had family issues. Of course, I hope he is ok but I am not happy at not having my bag! I now want it back mended or not!
There must be other people unable to retrieve their shoes or bags! It’s annoying but sad too as his business is suffering!
What a load of Cobblers!!
Like many I was so pleased to see the new shops opening in Abingdon. I had a pair of much loved brown boots that needed restitching so dropped them off there a week last Friday. Pedro was very friendly and suggested I also have the heels done, to which i happily agreed. He asked me to pay up front in cash (which I did) and issued me with a pink chitty. As he was really busy he said it would be a week but that was fine with me as I was happy to get them done.
I called in on the Friday to find they had not been done. I called again on the Saturday but again Pedro apologised that they had not been done. He was waiting for a new nail (I think he meant needle) for his machine to sew through the elastic but assured me that it would be arriving this afternoon. I agreed to call back from them on Monday.
On the Monday I called again at lunchtime. I just wanted my boots back now and when he told me the needle had still not arrived I asked if i could just take them away as I needed them. He told me they were being glued and so I could not take them at that time but again said the needle would be arriving that day and took my address agreeing to drop them at my house between 5-7pm that evening.
No boots appeared!!
On the Tuesday I waited outside the shop at 9am to get my boots back but had to go to work before he arrived. I called back at lunchtime.
Pedro looked surprised to see me and asked if my boots had not been delivered last night. they had not. He said the part had not arrived and he had not been able to do them. he searched around and found them in the back of the shop – NOTHING had been done to the boots (no gluing of heels). I told him I would like to take them away and get a refund.
I am not sure what happened next but let me say I left the shop feeling very insulted. Pedro insinuated that if I did not give him the chitty back I could return and demand the boots. He told me he would compensate me and wrote a chitty for £100 but when someone else came into the shop he said I had called him names and asked me to leave the shop and he that he would not give it to me due to my insults. I was all but manhandled out!!
I thankfully left with my boots but I am still fuming at the way I was treated. i would advise people to take their shoes or boots there with great caution!!!
I’m also having problems with the cobbler. I left my favourite, most useful boots there 12 days ago as they needed reheeling. On his request I paid up front. told him I needed them done quickly, as I wear them all the time, and he agreed to do them within 48 hours. The shop has been closed ever since. It is incredibly inconvenient not to have my favourite and most useful boots, and I’ve had to make loads of fruitless trips into town (wearing unloved, unsuitable, unmatching footwear) to attempt to get them back.