Oooh Chufstuf!! www.chufstuf.co.uk
Cornwall Retail Network
All about retail in cornwall....
July 04, 2011
nullhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13941964
Take a look at the above.
How many more times does someone have to say it before Govt wakes up to this?
The solution is obvious...reduce business rates, increase costs to out of town developments...reduce in town parking costs.
Mary Portas we do not need, common sense we do
Barbara
June 13, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 13 June 2011
For immediate release
Bringing in the business with social media
Truro’s retailers are joining the social media revolution following a practical training session in Lander Gallery, Lemon Street Market hosted by Truro Chamber of Commerce, Cornwall College Business and Cornwall Retail Skills.
The workshop, led by social media consultant Aren Grimshaw, introduced the city’s retailers to the variety of networks available, and provided ideas on how to use them to improve customer service and better meet the needs of local shoppers.
“From talking to Cornwall’s retailers, we know they already recognise the opportunities of social media for business,” explained Kath Walker, Business Development Advisor from Cornwall College Business. “But they’re unsure which platform to use, and how best to make it work, so this evening’s event tackled those questions head on.”
The session included examples of how national chains are already using Facebook, Foursquare, blogging and Twitter successfully, giving delegates plenty of inspiration to put into practice for their own shops.
“We were delighted with the turnout,” said Jo Lake, from Cornwall Retail Skills, referring to the 40 delegates who attended, “Many of our local stores are keen to engage more with customers, and social media is a great way to do that. The feedback from tonight has been excellent and I look forward to ‘following’ more of the county’s retailers online in the near future!”
Aren Grimshaw, who presented, will be delivering on Cornwall College Business’s marketing course from this September, where he will build on the practical steps needed to develop a social media strategy that works.
“This type of event helps us evaluate local business training needs,” said Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College, “so we can better develop courses that meet those needs. Working with specialists like Aren, our clients can be sure that programmes include the latest industry developments and give them the skills to put into practice right away.”
Cornwall College Business will be offering more in-depth training in marketing strategy at its annual marketing conference on 21st June. In partnership with Pirate FM, Bang! 2011 will cover customer communication, social media, customer service and working with the media, as well as sharing the results of an insightful piece of consumer research conducted earlier this year in Cornwall.
The last few tickets for Bang! 2011 are still available so if you’d like to attend, you’re not too late – see www.ccb.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0800 731 7594 for details of how to book.
Notes to the editor:
1. Cornwall College Business (CCB) is part of the Cornwall College Group; it delivers business skills training, professional qualifications, consultancy and apprenticeships to businesses throughout Cornwall and Devon.
For further media details, please contact Lucy Thornton, Marketing Manager for Cornwall College Business on 01726 226636 or email lucy.thornton@ccb.cornwall.ac.uk.
May 31, 2011
Your best friend calls you and tells you he/she's really sick? How do you show you care?
Every time I sit down to put some thought to a blog recently, I always seem to start with where has the time gone! It’s the longest day three weeks today, we are already half way through the year, and I have been completely rubbish all year at keeping this up to date!
I’m not saying that this is a new lease of life or time management but it’s a good start!
There has been lots going on here recently. A new shed, an extension, exciting new projects and sad farewells different parts of things that we have run successfully for the last few years. It seems to us, well to me really, that we have come full circle in the lifetime of our work in Cornwall. When we started, it was difficult to get anyone to look at the high street as a whole – now we not only have the formidable Mary Portas taking up the fight on behalf of the government, but the local council is looking into ways to regenerate our high streets across Cornwall, in a bid to make them more profitable. I’m not sure how either initiative will work – but I am pleased to see that finally people are coming around to our way of thinking!
For those of you that are interested our interim project, that will be running in Truro throughout the summer is called My24/truro. It’s for designers, producers, makers and retailers living or working in the town – for more information drop me an email jclake@cornwall-learning-partnership.org
I’ll attempt another blog later this week!!
May 27, 2011
High street crusade ignores the facts | Comment | Retail Week
High street crusade ignores the facts | Comment | Retail Week.
Also our very own Barbara Ellenbroek in yesterdays Daily Mail!!
March 02, 2011
Roger Burnley - and the spar shop in St Ives!
Retail and logistics director, Sainsbury’sWhat was your first job in retailing?Graduate trainee, B&Q.Which retail company do you admire most and why?Sainsbury’s - predictable but true - for our heritage, our food, our values, our people and our results.What is the trait you least like in yourself and why?Impatience. Next question…Who have you learnt most from in your retail career?John London, manager at B&Q in Poole.What advice would you give someone starting out in retail?Be ambitious but don’t try to plan your career too much.Just be the best you can in each role you do.What keeps you awake at night?The health and safety of our customers and colleagues.What’s the most satisfying part of your job?Seeing people in my division reach the position of store or depot manager. Getting those keys is the most significant step in a retail career.What’s your proudest achievement?The small part I’ve played in Sainsbury’s recovery and success over the past five years.What job would you have done if you hadn’t become a retailer?Meteorologist.What’s your favourite shop and why?The little Spar in St Mawes, Cornwall. It has been superbly run for as long as I can remember, balancing the needs of locals all year round with the influx of summer visitors - a top shop.What was your last purchase?A pair of Burton snowboarding boots. Gorgeous.
Roger Burnley - retail and logistics director for Sainsbury's says his favorite shop is a spar in St Ives Cornwall!!
February 28, 2011
taking stock of the little things
For some reason, vodaphone have seen fit to take their network down and its taken me an age just to get the internet up and running this morning, and I'm still without any phone communications, and in the absence of any other form of comms or interruptions, I seem to have noticed that its a beautiful day. The suns shining and the sky is blue here in Temple, looking out across the moor you can see just as far the sparkle that is the sea of the south coast. The gardens covered in daffodils and white bells, the chickens are busy sunbathing and basking in the dust of the wood shed, the dogs flat out on the doorstep and for a few blissful seconds, anyone would be forgiven for thinking this is the most beautiful peaceful place in the world.
Its funny but when spring finally comes around, and pronounces itself, like its done on a morning such as today, it always catches me by surprise, its like the whole fora and flora world arrive all together at once and firmly assert that today is the day. I know that if I had payed the slightest attention over the last few weeks, I would have seen the sprouting buds, and penned the chickens off the fragile snow drops and I wouldn't be surprised to wake up and discover spring, but like the majority of us, I'm always rushing between here and there busy with something else and preoccupied with what I'm going to cook for dinner.
Its not difficult to spend everyday in a space and not really see it, be it a shop, a work environment, your own front room, it always takes a stranger, a customer or just a fresh pair of eyes to point out what it is that we have missed. It doesn't take much for us just to stop every once in a while and appreciate our surroundings or get out our critical eye and decide that perhaps a spring clean wouldn't do our shop or business or our reputation any harm at all.
A good colleague of mine passed away last night, and while I hadn't known him for long, I know he would have appreciated the day and made time to smell the flowers. This morning, I'm taking a little more thought in my actions, and being a little more precise about my priority list, because in the words of the poet William Davies "a poor life this, if full of care, we have no time to stop and stare".
February 04, 2011
At the back of the que, behind the 8 ball. - 3 days to go - only 14 tickets left!
Few!! Another mad day, and we are soooooo close now that, well if you haven't got a dress yet - you had better hurry up! 14 tickets left, yes only 14, and only three days to go to the Allsorts Ball at Lanydrock Hotel and Golf Club - just incase I haven't said it enough.
For those of you that have asked - which is great as it means that you do actually read my Blogs! - yes the trees are now all gone, they came back and finished them all off today...
Rehearsals tonight - 7pm RFC St Austell... see you there - or see you on Saturday! :-)
February 02, 2011
Once there were trees... there are four days to go!
Morning, Morning, Morning! Hopefully we managed to boost the ratings of BBC Pasty yesterday afternoon - if not please use the listen again option 3:45 Martin Bailey Show - I could do with the feedback. Hopefully what came across was that on the 5th of February at 7:30pm the Allsorts Ball in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care is taking place at Lanhydrock Golf Club. If it didn't then, well, I didn't do a very good job!
Its a bit early for me to be putting finger tips to the key pad, as I've only just stuffed my porridge, and the early morning caffine is still to get to work on my 'little grey cells'. But this morning is a different morning, as I write, there is a tree surgeon, slowly making his way around my lovely garden removing centuries of history from the hedgerows. I've moved myself and my laptop from our normal window spot so I can't watch the fall of the branches, I'm just hoping that he manages to miss the chicken coop!
There is something I find quite calming about trees. They are a bit like an omniscient presence, with a hundred different stories to tell, yet they always sit silently while the action takes place around them. They, of course have their uses, providing shade, and habitats for wildlife, they help our early snowdrops survive the frost, by layering the ground with protective leaf drops, they keep the wind and the rain from lashing the side of the house and they are so beautiful in the snow. They also keep us warm in the winter, and next winter, thanks to them, we will have an abundance of fuel to see us through to spring 2012.
What always gets me about trees is there resilience - you cut them down, and they grow again. From any tiny stump, or half rotten acorn, they manage to re-sprout and root in the most amazing places. I lost the battle for our trees when the tree surgeon, the man that knows, said they were actually quite dangerous, as they were far bigger than the hedge they were in and I couldn't really argue with that. But it has got me thinking, we all seem to wander through life notching up experiences, making new friends that suit current situations, refashioning ourselves with a hair cut or a new wardrobe, however we grow and develop we are projecting our own story to the rest of the world, some of us loudly, some of us very quietly, in either sense, we are adding another ring to our trunk, and collecting a new set of experiences that mold us a little this way or that until we feel like ourselves again.
As Human beings we are resilient too, as are our stories and sometimes when things get difficult or situations become dangerous, we all need a little help replanting our roots. In a world where everything is media led, where fashion starts in Milan and by the time it gets to London is full of old hats in the wrong colours, its difficult to know what to wear or how to look next,or where to start with the replanting. Do I want to stand out of the crowd - or be part of it?
One of the campaigns designed by the hospice shop teams, 'Nothing ever forgotten, Nothing ever Lost', simply sums up the whole situation, everything at some point comes back and is of value, every fashion returns at some point to reframe its decade and make its mark on a different generation and from every acorn, an oak will grow.
I'm looking forward to a new hedge and you should get yourself down to the Allsorts Ball on the Saturday to find out exactly what I mean.
February 01, 2011
on my soap box - 5 days and counting
Yes, here I am again, reminding all of you there are 5 days left until the Allsorts Ball on the 5th of Feb at Lanhydrock Hotel - and yes there are still tickets available, either from me or from CHC shops in Wadebridge, St Blazey, Newquay, Truro and Hayle. Don't forget to tune your radio's into BBC Radio Cornwall today at 3:45 where I will be plugging the event again, and trying to just sell those last few remaining tickets!
While I'm on my soap box and after a somewhat reflective blog yesterday, I thought I'd just follow it by sparing a few thoughts on films. After trying twice to see the Kings Speech, and failing both times to make the start for various reasons, I'm starting to feel like I probably don't need to actually see the film to discuss its qualities. With the award season in full swing and Colin Firth winning more trophies than a prized game hunter, it really is a credit to British film industry that it can deliver glamour, celebrity, office controversy, breakfast TV and ensuing frivolity, packaged into one of the most successful marketing campaigns I've seen recently. It is quite literally running away with itself across all media formats.
Since my student years, when visits to the afternoon matinee and the sunday late show were regular events in my calendar, I find less and less time to see the big lists of headliners that I promise myself I'll make an exception for this year. Notably I seem to take more time poring over who was wearing what on the red carpet, and what sort of bag or off the wall accessories they were trying to pull off for the occasion. The whole idea of self publication is one that the actors and actresses of the film world are incredibly good at. What is it we really want to see? The stars of the production or the film itself? Sometimes I wonder!
In truth the film industry has much to teach us about the way it communicates to its audiences. Films are all about action, both on and off the stage and its often when they take the biggest chances, that they win around a whole new audience of viewers and reinvent the whole idea of telling a story. What is underestimated about film production is that at the end of the day, when the director shouts 'cut' for the last time, what is left over is a raw product of artistic creation and development. It is not yet a blockbuster or making the critics list, its still just a piece of film that has to go out an generate a buck.
The Kings Speech as I understand it, is all about taking a chance on person and a range of techniques that might solve a problem and help enrich a life, or several, if you think about the implications for the wider British Empire. If a film about taking a chance can win over the hearts and minds of a nation, then I am convinced that the variety, spontaneity and personalized stories that will be presented on Saturday night, will make all the difference to the hospice and its work in Cornwall. Customers want personal experiences and every-time any shop opens for business its 'show time'. We have reminded our cast members of this, and we intend to change the programme moving forward, for the better.
Catch the performances Saturday night at Lanhydrock... 5 days and counting.
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