Welcome to our Huddersfield BID town centre blog where every month BID manager SAM SHARP highlights a town centre business with a story to share, and then gives a round-up of some of the exciting things going on in the town.
Redd Boutique is bucking the retail trend keeping women’s fashion firmly on the high street.
As clothing sales have boomed online in recent years, Redd Boutique has built a loyal following for its ‘Made in Italy’ fashions.
The independently-owned business, which has two shops opposite each other in the Packhorse Centre in Huddersfield, has been trading in the town since 2017 and its customers keep coming back.
Owner Jay Rajput said: “Younger people tend to shop online but we cater for slightly older customers, probably from the age of 25 upwards.
“Our customers like the experience of coming to a shop where they can see and feel what they are buying and make sure they are happy with the sizing.
“Our Made in Italy brand is seasonal fashion and is always colourful, bright and up-to-date. We have plus sizes too which gives us a niche in the market.”
Jay had his own clothing factory for 20 years before moving into retailing. He says many people don’t like buying fashions online with the hassle of returns and prefer to see before they buy.
Jay is passionate about fashion and providing quality clothing at prices that are affordable and on trend. He always ensures his stock is current, high quality and well stocked for a range of sizes and he is always on hand to offer advice on co-ordinating wardrobes and the best fit for each customer.
Jay works hard to ensure his shop is well presented and everything is displayed to a professional standard with care and a high attention to detail.
Over the past two years Redd Boutique has been hit by the pandemic, lockdowns and economic conditions which have made it hard for a fashion retailer but Jay opens every day and is stood by the threshold of his store, greeting customers and passers-by.
In the next couple of months Jay will be moving to bigger premises next door and combining his two shops into one as the development of the Packhorse Centre continues.
So what else has been happening in the town centre over the last month?
Yet again, this month we welcomed new businesses to the BID zone area and the town centre footfall has increased by 26% on the previous month.
BID plans have mainly been centred around organising and running the new working groups, joining forces with the Huddersfield Civic Society on the Tidy Trader competition and planning for the next quarter.
We now have seven artisans stocking their goods in our Hello Huddersfield! shop and we will be including them in our It’s BID Business offers, which are available to levy payers.
Plans for spring are always hopeful and, as the weather brightens, cafes enjoy serving customers outside in the sunshine, we can finally feel hopeful that we are getting back to normal.
The current economic situation of rising utility, fuel and food prices, mean that our “It’s BID Business” campaign is more vital than ever and I will continue to add to the money saving offers available to levy payers.
As the Easter holidays approach, retailers will be gearing up for extra footfall and basket spend, which can be assisted with improved marketing campaigns and techniques. We helped with that with our Marketing Workshop.
Coming up this month for Huddersfield BID is an Egg-Stravaganza of an Egg-cellent adventure around town to find 10 giant Easter eggs with the reward of an egg at the end. The Giant Easter Egg Hunt is running from April 9-25 and information is available at the Hello Huddersfield! shop.
