PARENTS who are getting kids ready to go back to school are being encouraged to head into the city centre and support local retailers.
The ‘Back to School’ scheme launched by Coventry BID highlights how to city has everything parents need ahead of term.
The last few weeks of summer holidays are a busy time for businesses as they can see a major boost in trade.
Schoolwear specialist Cat Ballou has been operating in the city for more than 50 years and has been at its current location in The Burges since 2010.
Throughout August and September the shop brings in nearly half of its annual turnover.
Cat Ballou partners with more than 65 schools across Coventry to supply uniform and is also a popular choice for workwear year-round.
Ashok Kapur, director of Cat Ballou, said: “It’s been a busy month already and we are expecting it to continue to ramp up as we approach the new school year.
“It’s a very important period for us as a business, and while we are open year round we do the bulk of our business during this period and in fact that accounts for nearly half our turnover.
“We know that budgets are tight at the moment for families, so this summer we have been offering a deposit scheme to reserve uniform and then families won’t have to pay until collection.”
Joanne Glover, chief executive of Coventry BID, said: “We’re encouraging families to visit the city centre this year and tick off everything they need from their back-to-school shopping list.
“The city centre has an incredibly strong offering for school wear, equipment and supplies, with a wide range of shops that can cater for all the essential items, as well as special unique items from our independent shops.
“Back to school is a busy and important period for our retailers and a great opportunity for families to support city centre businesses.”
