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Norwich Lanes | News Release
NORWICH LANES PUT THEMSELVES
ON THE MAP OF UK INDEPENDENT SHOPPING
The independent businesses within the historic winding alleyways of Norwich, known as Norwich Lanes, are working together to help achieve greater goals and raise awareness of the area.
With last month’s launch of the area’s first dedicated map*, a unified approach to Christmas in place and big plans for 2008, Norwich Lanes is looking to take on the renowned Brighton Lanes to earn a place on the country’s top list of destinations for independent shopping and socialising.
The beautiful and historic winding alleyways that make up Norwich Lanes and the diverse range of independent and cutting edge shops and businesses within the area are one of Norwich’s main draws for many of its visitors. Only recently however, have the businesses been working together to give Norwich Lanes an identity and work to raise awareness of the delights of the area.
One of the most visual aspects of the Norwich Lanes Christmas theme is the return of the popular mini-Christmas trees which are now in place, dotted all around Norwich Lanes. The trees are becoming synonymous with Christmas in Norwich Lanes for locals and bring a real festive feeling to the winding alleyways.
Many of the 150 shops and businesses who are members of Norwich Lanes Traders Association have agreed to open late on Thursday evenings and during the day on Sundays during December to help shoppers make the most of shopping in Norwich Lanes.
A white and blue Christmas lighting colour scheme has also been agreed to give the area an unmistakable festive feeling.
Whilst working together enables the businesses within Norwich Lanes to achieve so much more than working alone, the Norwich Lanes Traders Association still respects and promotes the independence of the businesses in the area.
“It’s the diversity which makes the area so unique, and even within our Christmas theme, there will be many shops who decide to do their own thing for Christmas and we think that’s great too”, said Norwich Lanes Traders Association Chairman and businessman, Clive Rowe.
“However, where the businesses have common interests, like the mini Christmas trees, or even commercial aspects such as insurance, it makes sense to co-ordinate a unified approach. Also, by unifying aspects such as our late-night trading hours, it means that the public can know when they can come to Norwich Lanes and make the most of the many shops, bars and restaurants in the area,” continued Mr Rowe.
The Norwich Lanes Traders Association was set up two years ago by independent business people who work within the area to help the different businesses share common interests to strive and also raise awareness of Norwich Lanes. Following modest achievements over the first two years, new faces to the committee have reinvigorated the association and exciting plans are afoot for 2008.
Co-ordinating 150 independent businesses is no mean feat, especially as the area thrives on its diversity. However, Chairman Clive Rowe believes that working together can help the area to thrive without losing any of its individualistic charm.
“By working together, we can adopt a unified approach to events and projects such as the new Norwich Lanes Map and make them happen. As individual businesses we can only achieve so much, but there is a huge amount of expertise and experience within the Norwich Lanes and by pooling our talents and resources we can achieve great things. We’ve already achieved so much in 2007 and we’ve even bigger plans for 2008”.
* The free map works as a visual guide to the area as well as a useful tool for locating the many independent shops, bars, and restaurant nestled around Norwich Lanes.
REPP013/NL/071207 |
