Harrogate-based business Play Outdoors has opened a pop-up shop in Victoria Shopping Centre. The store will be open for 12 weeks and sells paddling pools, water slides and outdoor games, as well as their signature inflatable spas.  

The inflatable hot tubs have proved extremely popular among shoppers on the online site, and can be delivered and installed for free in any HG postcode.  

Owner Mark said:  

“During the lockdown these became a must-have item and their popularity as a must-have garden accessory has continued to soar.” 

The Victoria Shopping Centre has seen a series of successful pop-up shops in the past year. The most recent venture was a digital museum experience, created by Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Harrogate Chocolate Factory to hold networking event  

Local business Harrogate Chocolate Factory, is holding a networking event this Friday 20th May.  

The event is free of charge and will offer coffee and cake, a tour of the chocolate factory, and a chance for informal networking.  

The Harrogate Chocolate Factory is a social enterprise which aims to help young people with learning disabilities and autism gain valuable skills for the world of work.  

The networking event will be held on East Parade next to the Odeon.  

Contact Angela at angela@hs4lc.org.uk to book a place. 

Read More: 

• Harrogate Chocolate Factory hosts business networking event
• Success of Harrogate pop-up shop continues

Almost two-thirds of businesses surveyed by Knaresborough Chamber of Trade have reported reduced takings during the coronavirus lockdown.

The survey of chamber members, published this week, also revealed 50% of traders believe their footfall has decreased.

Lockdown encouraged several businesses to diversify, for instance by offering online sales or delivery or take-away options. Of the businesses that changed strategy, 75% said they were going to continue offering their new services.

More than 80% took advantage of the government rates relief grant and about two-thirds used the furlough scheme. Just under half have reopened with restricted trading hours.

The chamber wants to encourage people to support small, local businesses and hopes the survey will inform ways to do this.

Bill Taylor, Knaresborough Chamber of Trade secretary, said:

“As the country came slowly out of lockdown in July the chamber wanted to assess what businesses in Knaresborough had been up to during the lockdown.

“We also wanted to establish what support those businesses had obtained and see what measures were being taken to keep everyone safe.

“It was reassuring to see so many businesses using the time to understand the needs of customers through the provision of additional services, training and understanding what the post-lockdown landscape would look like.”

Knaresborough: the chamber wants to encourage people to return to local stores rather than use online retailers.

Read more:

• Ripon and Knaresborough market traders have launched a petition in retaliation to rent increases.
• Knaresborough’s Frazer Theatre struggles to open due to strict social distancing measures. 

Additional comments on the survey suggested business owners wanted further promotion of the town and what it had to offer. Currently the Chamber promotes the #shoplocalstaysafe message to encourage the town’s residents to support local businesses.

Whilst face masks are only compulsory in Hospitals and on public transport, many companies around the borough are asking staff to wear them, as they start to re-open in a COVID-secure way.

Face Mask Supply, a local company which is made up of 50 sewers, has provided 7,500 masks in a month.

£1 of each sale goes to Harrogate Hospital, with the aim of raising around £5000.

Read more on this story:

• Charity shops reopen across the district 
• Harrogate Charity receives a huge amount of donations.

Cal Macpherson started the company, he told the Stray Ferret that the local spirit has been amazing:

“The story started when my grandparents felt uncomfortable leaving their house without suitable protection and couldn’t get hold of a great quality face covering. I got in touch with a local sewer who agreed to make a couple of masks for each of them, and included a third layer filter pocket to add a little more protection and to put their minds at ease!

They are now also offering personalised masks, allowing businesses or residents to get there logo or name written on the front. Cal said that this is an “effective and stylish solution for current times.”

The team are continuing to expand at a time when life starts to resume to a ‘new normal.’