Rajan Vaish, has met local MP, Yvonne Fovargue, in his Nisa store in Wigan to discuss some of the key issues that have been affecting his business ahead of the general election in May.
Rajan’s Nisa store in Hindley is a fixture of local community life employing 10 people and providing retail and post office services to the local community.
Across Ms Fovargue’s Makerfield constituency there are 56 convenience stores employing over 420 people and ACS, the voice of local shops, is calling for four policies that would make a difference for local shops.
- Reduce the burden of Business Rates
- Tackle retail crime
- Support proactive planning that encourages investment in our towns, neighbourhood and village centres
- Support growth by reducing trading costs and regulation to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in local shops
During the visit, Mr Vaish talked to Ms Fovargue about some of the key issues facing his business such as under-age sales, retail crime, parking issues
Yvonne Fovargue MP said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. It is important to understand and listen to them and that is why I really value the opportunity to talk to Rajan to understand the issues that impact on his business.
“It is clear to me that Rajan is passionate about the service his local shop provides to the local community and that beyond the traditional range of products that he is investing in technology and providing wider services through the post office counter.
“I really valued the chance to hear about the success of his store, but also the pressures that the store faces in a competitive market and how government could contribute to building a vibrant local shop sector.”
ACS Chief Executive, James Lowman, said: “It is great to see Rajan engage with his MP and discussing issues that are important to convenience stores in the run up to the Election. We urge all independent retailers to get in touch with their MP and arrange a store visit to show them the work you are doing in store, and your crucial role in the local community.”
ACS encourages all retailers to get in touch with their local MP, for help doing this, please contact Julie Byers on 01252 533 008 or e-mail: [email protected].
