May 28, 2012

josh

How Wolverhampton will prosper from Portas Pilot win

Congratulations to Wolverhampton which has been selected as one of 12 towns and cities in the UK to receive a share of a £1.2 million government project designed to rejuvenate rundown shopping areas.

The city plans to use the money to enhance its student culture by running a Dragon’s Den-style competition – Wolf’s Lair – to support young entrepreneurs with a start-up business. It will also bring the high street to life with modern-day town criers, street artists, musical theatre and storytellers.

James Merrick, equity partner at retail specialists Johnson Fellows, said: “The competition that Wolverhampton has proposed will encourage small or start-up businesses to see the city as a strong location for an office or retail unit. The street entertainment will create a buzz in the city centre, which will help to boost the number of visitors and enhance their shopping experience. By increasing footfall, the city will then be able to secure more high profile retail brands to put Wolverhampton back on the map as a destination for the latest must-have fashions and a thriving café culture.”

Wolverhampton beat off stiff competition from more than 300 other UK locations – Here’s how they did it:

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