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Trading up means trading is up!

Councillor Jonathan Wood, Cabinet Member for Business, has revisited three Doncaster businesses who ‘traded up’ to bigger town centre premises in January.  Ten months on 4 new jobs have been created and on all three are reporting increased profits.

Shoe Healer do repairs, key cutting and also sell high quality gents shoes.  The business moved from a small shop on Sunny Bar into a big double fronted shop on Scot Lane.  The unit had been vacant and boarded up for the past two years.

Owner Anthony Frith says that the move has allowed them to take on more work and an extra member of staff.  He said: “I am very happy with the way things are going in the shop.

“Doncaster in general is on the up, when you look around the market and the pedestrianised areas you can see it is looking a lot smarter.

“We go to a lot of country fairs to sell our shoes and encourage people to come up to Doncaster to see the town and its historic markets - often they do and they love it!”

Churchill’s Tailors moved from a lock-up unit on the front of Doncaster Market into the smaller shop being left by Shoe Healer.   Churchill make bespoke suits as well as doing dry cleaning, embroidery and alterations.

Owner Dan Churchill said: “The new shop has made such a difference, there is room for more machinery and lots of space to cut out fabric.

“This has allowed us to take on an extra member of staff - a 25 per cent increase for us!

“Customers have responded well to the new location and the business has grown with new corporate clients using our embroidery services for shirts and overalls.

“We have also been very busy recently with the St Leger Festival dry cleaning and altering suits and dresses.

“We have been in business for 42 years and this has been our best yet.”

The lock-up market unit Churchill’s left was taken over by fruit and veg trader K.D. Davis and Sons, a 70 year old family business in its fourth generation.

Partner Michael Davis said: “Taking on the extra stall has been good for us in terms of increased takings and good for the customers as we are able to offer them more variety.

“I have taken on two more staff, bringing the total up to 12 on the team.”

Doncaster Council works hard to promote the town centre and help fill empty shops by encouraging businesses into the area.  The Markets section of Town Centre team has a user-friendly system specially designed to help traders set up in business quickly.  Success Doncaster is a government funded initiative to encourage enterprise, run by Doncaster Council.  The authority's Invest in Doncaster team is constantly working to draw investors into the borough from across the UK and overseas.

Councillor Jonathan Wood, Cabinet Member for Business, said: “Expanding a business can be a tricky time but Anthony, Dan and Michael all seem to be doing really well.

“I am delighted to come back and see all three businesses thriving and creating new jobs for local people.”