Lymm Village Traders
Lymm Village Traders
Meeting Minutes 22nd July 2009
Agenda
• Pay and Display going Live
• Publicity Campaign
• Promotions
• Snappy Tag Line
• Creation of Account
• Appointment of Treasurer
• Any other business

Attendees.
Mike Evans – Laura’s Choice, Anthony Battersby – The Sweet Shop, Ann Johnston – Lymm Festival Committee/Parish Council, Hilary Hoyle – Arches, Phil and Sara Sexton – Sextons Bakery, Mark Harrison and Pam Jordon – Harrisons, Gary Skentlebery – Lymm Life, Sandy de Guz and Jacqui Taylor – Sweeney Todd, Jayne Nash – Fashionista, Tracy Hodges – The Clothes Box, Helen Brislane – Bridgfords, Gill – Cross Interiors, Carol and Gursel Sahinbas – Flavours, Charlotte Sumbland – The Cheshire Set, Tamarin – Lymm Pages, Martin Heaps – Collect Art, Diane Jenning – Golden Fleece, Steven Adcott – Adcott Opticians, Alley Clarke – The Venue, Andy McLeish – Banner and Co., Karl Welsh –Floral Design, Steve Johnson – Lymm Electric, Graham Edgar – Edgar Art and Framing, Pauline James – Spread Eagle.

Apologies. Barbara Blundell – Bee Chic, Malcolm and Joanne Hopkinsons – Hopkinsons and The Terrace, Vogue, The Cross Clinic, Hair By Stephen, Lawlors.

• Pay and Display going live – the final date is Monday July 6th, with signs for shopper’s car park being unveiled at the same time.
Publicity Campaign – this is a great opportunity for a publicity campaign to bring shoppers back to Lymm. It is believed that many people have attempted to shop in Lymm only to go elsewhere in frustration, sometimes never to return. Other locals have probably never bothered to shop in the village, so they need to be targeted and made to feel a sense of community – a growing media trend generally.

The floor was open to ideas, and the following suggestions were put forward;
-Fliers round the village, through every door sent on their own, not mixed up with other publications. Lymm pages offered to help with distribution door to door. The fliers could be handed round at the Food Festival where 2,000 people are expected to attend, also put on display at other Festival venues. They could be left on parked cars not only in Lymm, but nearby areas eg. Stockton Heath, Heatley Mere, Warrington centre, Altrincham. Harrisons offered to do some black and white fliers in time for the Food Festival.
-Local publications; Lymm Pages offered to do a front page photo, Lymm Life will do a centre spread and also do a feature in its’ sister publications in Stockton Heath, Culcheth and Warrington. The Guardian would probably run a feature as well, particularly as they will be attending the Food Festival.
- Local Radio while running during the Festival
- Shop posters, also produced by Harrisons
- A second door to door mailshot later on, this time a full colour booklet featuring a village centre business on each page. All the traders would be asked to donate money towards the production costs. Harrisons are prepared to print it if someone would do the artwork. Lymm Pages may be able to help with this.
- Bridgfords felt they were unable to donate money as they were part of a larger organisation, but they could make a valuable contribution by taking mailshots into outlying areas, an offer gratefully received.

• Promotions – there needs to be a longterm pro-active campaign to keep customers coming, especially during the recession, so there would need to be promotions and special offers. There could be vouchers on each advert of the booklet tailored to suit each business. Lymm Pages could put vouchers in their magazine on a regular basis.
The possibility of a Loyalty scheme was discussed. Gary Skentlebury works with a company who runs such a scheme, which allows loyalty points to be redeemed anywhere within the village. This would need further consideration. Another scheme might be a loyalty scheme with a prize draw each month, but this idea was not warmly received as it may not be enough incentive and it was not sure who would run it. Other suggestions were a discount weekend/week.

• Snappy Tag Line – it was decided a tag line was needed to promote local feeling with a ‘use it or lose it’ angle, to be used on all promotional material. The leaflet was to be designed with the tag line the following day and emailed around for feedback. (Final decision was “Love Lymm, Shop Lymm, more than just a pretty village”)

• Fighting Fund – everyone needs to chip in for booklets, advertising etc. This may be based on a percentage, or perhaps based on the size or type of business. Charlotte Sumbland will look into available funding streams for stationary, adverts etc.
• Creation of Account – there needs to be a bank account for the fund, Mark Harrison was nominated as treasurer with Hilary Hoyle as co signatory.

• AOB – for the next meeting at the end of July. Everyone has had a letter regarding A-boards and other signage. Most businesses have been ordered to remove A boards. The general manager of Spar is to attend an open Parish Council meeting, and has also agreed to attend a traders’ meeting. There was a mutual feeling that footfall has been reduced in the village since the opening of the Spar shop, and that it could have a more negative effect than the parking problems.

The meeting closed at 7.30pm.

Chairman’s note –
The meeting was the best attended yet, the positivity was so pleasing to see, and walking round the village now it is superb to see all the ‘Love Lymm, Shop Lymm’ posters prominent in so many windows. This really is Lymm Traders working together.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 29th July again upstairs in the Spread.
Matters outlined in any other business and review of Pay and Display so far will be on the agenda, also there should be some very interesting information re Spar.
Regards
Philip