6:24pm Saturday 9th January 2010
By James Nadal
SHOPS in High Wycombe town centre are losing trade due to the snow, managers said today, with one seeing a drop of up to 70 per cent.
Retailers have suffered from fears over slippery pavements, staff being unable to get to work and shoppers simply staying out of the cold.
Nighat Saghir, manager at discount book store The Works, said: “It’s been really down, about 50 per cent today while yesterday by about 60 to 70 per cent.
“I think people will start coming back because they have to learn to live with it.
"It’s hard times for businesses in Wycombe but this has made it worse.”
The shop had to close for two days because staff could not get in.
Debbie Patel, who also works at the store, said: “People don’t want to come to town because it’s too slippery, they are not confident to walk on the pavements.”
Jason Ray, mobile manager at Timpson in Queens Square, said: “It’s been a nightmare, we have been shut Wednesday and Thursday, we just couldn’t get staff in.
“Monday was really busy, people were buying stuff catching up from the week before but the two days closed has had effected takings.”
Despite trade being slow, it was two per cent better than the same week last year, although Mr Ray said bosses had explained the chain has lost around £140,000 in stores around the South East region.
Mr Ray added: “Nothing has been done on the pavements at all.”
Miluse Payne, shop assistant at the British Heart Foundation in White Hart Street said: “We managed to get people in to cover but we didn’t have many customers.
"I think people just try to stay at home. Trade goes down after New Year anyway but the weather makes it ten times worse."
A homeware shop manager, who did not want to be named, said neighbouring shops had been closing early and admitted trade had been “ a bit less”.
All shops have been affected, she said.
Ally Piercey, a florist at Pollination in Cornmarket, said: “We have not had many customers. Saturday is usually our busiest day but we’ve only had about four customers.
"People are snowed in and just can’t get out.”
She added the snow had effected trade more this time than before Christmas and said the closing of Wycombe Market had also made a difference because it brings more shoppers to Pollination.
However, Polish shop Smaczek manager Irene Buzala said the snow had brought a rush of customers, leaving it short on bread.
Despite an extra delivery, all of the store’s bread had gone by 2.30pm today.
“We have had much more customers because lots of people are scared they won’t be able to get out,” she said.
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