A number of empty shop fronts in Boscombe that had been causing an eye sore on the high street have been selected to receive vinyl wrap around covers to transform their appearance. The much needed vinyls, which have images of a mock shop front on them, have been funded by the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID) and arereceiving much positive praise and comments from retailers, shoppers and community groups in Boscombe.
Rob Logue, Chair of Boscombe Business Association and owner of the Sugar and Spice Bar enthused, “As a business community we are working really hard to form a close knit community and can see a lot of potential in the area. The vinyls have provided a fantastic opportunity to clean up the shop fronts and give shoppers a more attractive aesthetic look. Hopefully, potential investors will be able to see far more clearly the potential of a shop front rather than that of just an empty building. We are very grateful to the Bournemouth Coastal BID for their support in making this possible.”
Coastal BID Chairman, Paul Clarke advised, “We encourage new business start-ups and noticed the detrimental impact of derelict shop fronts on neighbouring outlets. After careful consideration we decided that the vinyls would be a very worthwhile investment in Boscombe. The impact of their installation has been instant and we are delighted with the positive responses that we have received – they really have improved the look and feel of the high street. We believe that they will also have a positive impact on occupancy rates.”
Pam Ruthvan who is Chair of Pokesdown Community Forum which is set up by local residents to work with businesses to improve the local community added, “ We have been aspiring to achieve this goal of acquiring vinyl wraps for a long time now and have been working closely with the council, traders and landlords. The vinyls look amazing! It’s an excellent example of just how the High Street could look if all units were fully occupied. They are really making a difference to Boscombe and smartening up our local community.”
Jeremy Rucker, MD of City Dressing, the company that designed, printed and installed the vinyls advised, “These new vinyls are a result of a great working partnership between the Bournemouth Coastal Bid and City Dressing. It has been a very well received local creative solution to empty retail properties that will enhance the overall experience of visiting Boscombe for both visitors and shoppers. City Dressing work all over the UK and abroad and detailed research has shown that an impressive 40 per cent of shops with our window vinyls find a new tenant within 6 months.”