Retail guru Bill Grimsey has some expert advice for Worksop and Retford high streets

Bill provided insight and advice on how to reinvigorate the town centres, as well as kicking off the formation of a framework to re-shape their offering and help businesses to recover post-Covid.

He said: “Following the impact of Covid19 on local high streets and the subsequent rise in online shopping, it is now more important than ever for local authorities to invest in their town and city centres and solidify their commitment to revitalising the local economy.

“Both Worksop and Retford have the potential to be bustling hubs of community activity, but they each require the investment of both time and money to make the changes needed to have a substantial impact on the success of their high streets.

Sally Gillborn, chief executive of North Notts BID, said: “We were incredibly excited to welcome Bill to north Nottinghamshire as a respected voice on revitalising town centres.

"As expected, he provided innovative ideas on how the BID and council can improve the local area to increase footfall and simultaneously improve community connectivity and wellbeing.”

North Notts BID has rolled out a number of initiatives during the pandemic to help businesses get back on their feet including a free maintenance service, the LoyalFree loyalty app and MarketPlace and, more recently, a free virtual social media marketing course for hospitality businesses.

The visit also complements the work of the Worksop Town Commission, which aims to bring together businesses, employers, transport providers, landlords and retailers to work on a long-term strategy to increase Worksop’s retail, entertainment and experience offers.

Coun Simon Greaves, council leader, commented: “Inviting a nationally-recognised expert on the future of the high street was a great initiative by the BID, giving local business leaders and retailers the opportunity to learn from his experience and insight about the future of retail and how best to transform our town centres.”