An award-winning retail guru has been hired to help revive Durham city centre after the coronavirus lockdown.
Graham Soult, who is ranked as one of the top retail experts in the UK, will be working with businesses over the coming weeks and months to help them set up and improve their online presence and operations.
Along with this, Graham, who helped boost footfall in Chester-le-Street, will be promoting independent retailers in the city.
Graham has been hired by the City of Durham Parish Council and will be working with them to secure a variety of new retail and leisure occupants for business units.
It comes after Topshop and Topman announced it would be the latest big name retailer to close its city centre store, with Marks and Spencer, Pret A Manger and Krispy Kreme all shutting their doors in recent years.
With experience of generating around 400,000 impressions on social media, there will also be a social media campaign - under the @IndieDurhamCity strapline - to increase footfall in Durham city centre once the lockdown measures have been lifted.
Graham said: “I am thrilled to be working with businesses in Durham city. Durham is such a phenomenal place and it is clear that the Parish Council is keen to take a lead in supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes in the city centre in Durham and helping them to flourish.
“My immediate task is to ensure that businesses are well-equipped to survive the pressures of covid-19. But thinking past this, how the city centre recovers post-pandemic will be crucial.
“As chain stores leave town centres, a growing pool of independent shops and other businesses is needed to reinvigorate and sustain those places – not just in terms of filling empty units, but also in ensuring that there is a distinctive, quality, local offer, giving consumers have a fantastic experience.”
Chairwoman of the City of Durham Parish Council Councillor Elizabeth Scott said they are delighted to have Graham’s support during these “extremely difficult times”.
She added: “Graham has a fantastic national reputation for delivering excellent results for city centres across the UK.
“For many businesses, our immediate concern is obviously making sure that they have the best possible support with their online presence and operations in response to the Government’s lockdown measures and all the pressures this brings to our retail sector.
“But more widely, we want to give the city a real boost post-pandemic with a huge social media campaign promoting Durham as a place to visit and shop with your family, with the aim of achieving greater footfall, empty units filled, and a more diverse offer for consumers.
“Our work will not be finished until Durham becomes the all-units-filled, independent retail capital of the UK.”
Graham will be starting work in Durham later this month and his services are available free of charge to all businesses based in the City of Durham Parish area.
