Wandering around Worcester Park High Street recently you may have noticed these key symbols around the place and perhaps even wondered what they were all about. You may have seen the explanation in the Sutton Guardian but in case you didn't - they are part of the new Worcester Park Key initiative designed to tempt local people into actually using our local shops.
Each home in the local area will soon receive an A5 booklet and a blue 'key card' which will entitle people to discounts at over 30 local shops. 8,000 of these booklets and cards will be distributed from next Friday (6th June) in two tranches with a further 2,000 being available at local participating shops.The booklet lists the many shops available in Worcester Park High Street and details the ones offering a special deal or discount upon presentation of the Worcester Park Key card. As it says in the preface:
"The Worcester Park High Street has many interesting and unique independent businesses offering an excellent range of products and services catered around your needs."
The Worcester Park Traders Association has been trying to find ways to encourage people to use the many local shops available and has had a few good ideas. This particular scheme was the brainchild of Raj Jain who has run Preview Menswear in Central Road for 20 years. Many local traders put money into the pot to produce the booklet and card and Raj has put a great deal of time and effort into making it happen, with help from the Traders' Association.It is fairly well known that there has been a marked drop in customer footfall over the years in Worcester Park and it is good to see the traders working together to do something about it. Another idea was the OWP - Our Worcester Park Traders' Club re branding. This plan is going to include several other aspects but more on that at another time.
14 COMMENTS (Add Yours Now!):
Excellent idea. I hope people make use of this scheme and it takes off. I will use mine on it's maiden journey with a visit to Preview. It's a really cool shop!
I wonder who was paid to dream up the daft "OWP" label. OWP means Office of Work and Pensions, as far as I am concerned. Why on Earth it should make us think of Worcester Park I have no idea. I wonder how they will tag Sutton and Cheam - OLBS and OCH perhaps. As for Kingston - ORBKUT?
And there is no "High Street" in Worcester Park - it's Central Road. If you want to refer to it as "a high street", fair enough, but please drop the capitalization.
I use Central Road several times a week, on foot or by bus, and have done so for decades, but had no idea there was a shop called "Preview Menswear". That may reflect on my observational skills, but more likely on lack of promotion by the trader, now being rectified after "20 years" - 'nuff sed.
This is great news. Well done Worcester Park and well done this blog for bringing it to our attention. :-)
I just wanted to take this opportunity to say what a great shop the Toy Shed in Windsor Road is. It's not that big but It has a surprisingly large selection of toys and games.
Excellent. I'm delighted to see that WP Traders Association is no longer just a talking shop (if you'll pardon the pun) but is actually doing something tangible to help promote trade and drive up footfall. A simple but effective idea - let's hope it delivers the boost that the local traders deserve.
OK. Now disappointed. Got my card this weekend. 'Discount' at Preview Menswear = free trouser shortening!!
I'm not vertically challenged so this is of no use to me whatsoever. Oh well, I'll spend my money at Next instead. Missed opportunity.
'Missed opportunity’? I’m just a little curious: Exactly what competitive advantage do you expect from an independent, high street, sole trader, that you would deem significant enough, to draw your custom away from a multi-million/multi-billion store chain.
Not free trouser shortening!
Of course yet again Worcester Park residents who live in RBK are once again left out. Really beginning to feel fed up of being treated like a non resident in the town I have lived in my entire life
I live in Old Malden (RBK) and I got a WP Key - really useful and a great marketing idea.
Rather than sulking over it, why don't you call inside a trader where you see the sign and ask for one? And if that fails, ask where you can get one.
I picked up a copy of the Worcester Park Key today at Prestige Dry Cleaners. There were about 5 copies left so get them while you can!
I picked up the booklet and key in Megabytes - Windsor Road - this morning for a friend.
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