Sales slump adds to traders' woe (From Western Telegraph)

Sales slump adds to traders' woe

Pembrokeshire retailers have reported a generally slow start to the January sales coupled with a disappointing pre-festive shopping period.

Although some individual businesses have enjoyed buoyant trade, the Christmas period has been an anticlimax for many.

The larger stores opened their doors on Boxing Day as bargain hunters braved the chilly, wet conditions to get the first pick of the best deals. But many shoppers had already taken advantage of stores' decisions to cut prices before Christmas.

At Haverfordwest, retailers blamed the redevelopment of the town's main parking area for poor trade.

Town centre partnership manager Gordon Doughty said 40 parking spaces had been temporarily lost at the multi-storey car park while work was under way relocating the bus station.

"The car park has been a problem. People got used to the fact that there was a shortage of parking but the message had failed to get back to shoppers that from December there was adequate parking,'' said Mr Doughty.

While Carmarthenshire County Council waived parking fees for large chunks of December, Pembrokeshire County Council only granted a reprieve on Sundays.

Mr Doughty said that anecdotal information suggested that business had been slow both before and after Christmas.

"It was very much a last minute rush before Christmas, generally slightly down on last year,'' he said. "I think the rise in interest rates hasn't helped and people are worried about credit levels. Haverfordwest kept up as well if not better than most.''

Woolworth started the sales at its Pembrokeshire stores on Christmas Eve in an attempt to stimulate trade.

A spokesman for its Haverfordwest store said the stores re-opened on Boxing Day but said trade appeared to be less buoyant than previous year. "The parking situation in Haverfordwest pre-Christmas certainly didn't help,'' he said.