bill moss town centre manager twelve years retail with john lewis partnership three years retail...
TRANSCRIPT
Bill MossTown Centre Manager
• Twelve years retail with John Lewis Partnership
• Three years retail with House of Fraser• Twenty years with Kent Messenger Group• Ten years as Town Centre Manager
Maidstone…the facts• Kent’s County Town• Biggest shopping centre in Kent..125m sq
ft• Biggest night economy in Kent…420,000
sq ft• Biggest retail spend (ex Bluewater) in Kent
Maidstone…the facts• 2011 footfall increase of 2.45%• Empty shop rate of 10%• 667 “face to face“ town centre businesses • 1,500 people employed in night economy• Night economy spend of £65m pa• 3,500 meals served in the town centre on a typical
Saturday
About town centre management
• Started in 1992 as a council appointment• 1998 TCM became a Limited Company• Chairman and Board. Town Centre Manager reports to the
board• Sub Groups: Business Forum, Marketing Group, Night
Economy Forum, Stakeholders Group, Independent Traders• Active Members of LSP, CDRP and Fairtrade Group
We try to punch above our weight
Marketing• Make your organisation appear bigger
than it is
• Become invaluable in your own area
• Be the first name on the invite list
• Be available to people
• Give opinions-don’t be afraid
Marketing• Adopt a personal high profile• Try to be in your local paper every week• Go to as many groups and comittees as
possible• Speak at Rotary, WI’s, Chamber of
Commerce etc• Become well known - become invaluable
MarketingGet your message across by using all or
some of the following• Local media- newspapers, radio, TV, Facebook, Twitter
(@MaidstoneTCM)• Events in your town or local area• Face to face …go and see people• Newsletter• Your own publications• Website…but don’t expect lots of visitors!
Marketing• Be available for quotes• Get to know local journalists• Always say YES to requests for interviews (take
training courses if necessary)• Give local press tip-offs and stories• Trust your local people---they will want to come
back
Marketing• Treat journalists and sales people differently• Don’t always insist on speaking with “the editor”.
They have lots of other things to do.• Don’t rely on press releases.
Never underestimate the power of a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit
Image
Image
Image
Image
Marketing• Create a corporate image and keep to it
Professionalism
Professionalism
Professionalism
