Coronavirus update – the latest news from Yorkshire businesses
Developer and asset manager MEPC has announced the return plans of retailers based at Wellington Place, Leeds, after lockdown measures were eased.
Opening plans have been scheduled over the next few months, with Wellington Place having first welcomed back a new-look Veeno, which has undergone a refurbishment during the break, followed by Hoist House, offering locals drinks, pizza and street food.
Mad Frans will return for weekend openings from 25 July with its Saturday bottomless brunch and Sunday dinner menu, whilst Good Luck Club and Sociable Folk will open their doors on 1 September.
The Whitehall Clinic, Sainsbury’s, Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Terrace are also already open for visitors.
Dominique Simcox, head of customer experience at MEPC Wellington Place, said: “It is fantastic to see the retailer operators at Wellington Place open their doors again.
“Each retailer will have their own precautions in place, following the Government guidelines on social distancing all created with the customers’ safety in mind – we are extremely excited to welcome back people to enjoy the fantastic food and drink on offer.”
Geoff Thornton, owner of Hoist House, added: “We’re incredibly excited about reopening our doors.
“We really hope people continue to share their support for independent retailers and help us through these challenging times.”
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Barnsley-based manufacturer, New Design Windows, has secured a six-figure Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan from NatWest, to help fulfil a £5m order book.
After closing due to coronavirus in March, the finance package will support cash flow for the next 12 months and has allowed the manufacture and installation of windows for new build properties to recommence.
The company also has £16m worth of pending sales and plans are underway to continue to grow its existing client base, supplying customers within a two-hour drive of Barnsley.
New Design Windows was established in June 2019 by Lynne Darwin who has 25 years’ experience in the windows industry.
Darwin, managing director, said: “The winter months are typically quieter in our industry but when the construction sector shut down in March due to Covid-19, we knew at that point that we would need some financial support.
“Paul, our NatWest relationship manager really understands the sector and the support from him, and NatWest, has been paramount in ensuring that we have survived as a business.”
Paul McCarron, NatWest senior relationship manager, said: “Although only operating for a relatively short amount of time, New Design Windows has already built a reputation for delivering on price and on time.
“We wanted to support Lynne and the team to ensure jobs were protected and growth plans were not derailed and since providing the funding, the business has already secured more contracts and is on track to meet its growth plans.”
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Car and bike dealership, Colin Appleyard, says it does not expect its sales to move completely online in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The company, which operates six dealerships across Yorkshire and Lancashire, furloughed 90% of its staff during the lockdown.
Managing director Robin Appleyard said the business had prioritised retaining it staff.
He said: “It’s short term thinking to get rid of people at the first sign of trouble. For us, the priority has been to protect jobs, just like we did back in the recession of 2009.
“We know it’s the people who make a business successful, and many of our 140 staff members have worked for the company for many years, with over 10% working with us for over 15 years.”
He added the family-owned business, which was founded in 1971, had worked hard to keep up staff morale during the height of the pandemic.
Appleyard added: “The customer experience has certainly seen an impact. There’s a lot more decision-making done online now through watching video walkthroughs of vehicles, even through to online payment.
“However people still want to come down and see the vehicle at some point during the buying process before they make that final decision, so I don’t think we’ll see a complete move to fully online sales.
“That’s where dealerships need to make the experience as safe as possible, even if that means going the extra mile through extensive cleaning, screens up and unaccompanied test drives.
“We’ve seen a positive uptake in sales with many familiar faces back in the dealerships.
“This uptake includes our motorcycle business as people are now looking at different ways to commute to avoid using public transport or car sharing options, so there’s plenty to be positive about.”
