First PopUp Britain shop opens in Richmond

22/07/2012

By Daniel Hunter

StartUp Britain has today (Monday) opened the first of its revolutionary PopUp Britainshops, offering start-up businesses a unique low-cost opportunity to experiencelife on the high street.

The initiative, StartUp High Street, has won the support of Business Secretary Vince Cable, and Housing Minister Grant Shapps and comes days after the Government announced that it intends to cut red tape to allow more empty shopsto be turned into pop-ups.

The unprecedented scheme has the added benefit of helping to rejuvenate the complexion of the UK’s flagging high street by making use of empty shops, while at the same time providing start-ups with an opportunity to co-fund the cost of getting onto the high street.

Part of the national campaign’s blueprint for start-up support includes PitchUp, a scheme which will see start-ups given the opportunity to pitch their products to highstreet retailer John Lewis, with a view to getting their merchandise onto the British department store’s shelves.

Emma Jones,co-founder of the national start-up campaign, said: “StartUp High Street gives small start-up businesses a fantastic opportunity to think big and become apart of their local high street. We’re seeing record numbers of people settingup businesses, and this new wave of entrepreneurs are starting out small and online, so to get them onto the high street is a great achievement.”

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "The best local high streets offer more than simply shopping - they are the beating heart of their neighbourhoods: places to meet, work, relax and come together in open-air community centres. The Government is already breathing new life into the nation's high streets through Portas Pilots and the High Street Innovation Fund and so it's great to see innovative new initiatives like StartUp High Street bringing new people and new uses to empty shops.

"Projects like this support new businesses, provide local jobs... continued on page two >

 

 

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