Archive for the ‘Shops’ Category

A new sweets and coffee shop which opened just before Christmas, is starting to build up a regular clientele.

Moleys, which sells traditional sweets and delicious flavoured coffees, is situated in Norfolk Street. There’s also a sleekly decorated cafe inside, where people can have a snack and sample the coffees.

“I’m building up a lot of regular customers,” said owner Wendy Graver, “but there’s still a lot of people don’t know I’m here, and don’t realise there’s a cafe at the back.”

“The shop front is so small, people just walk past the door, and don’t even notice we are here.”

Wendy is also creating a website where customers can buy online, and plans to be on the social networks soon.

Wendy is doing a promotion until the end of March offering any hot drink for £1.25. At this price well worth dropping in to sample her wide selection of flavoured coffees. (See Voucher below)

Moleys can be found next door to QD’s and opposite Holland & Barratt.

 

 

A new Craft centre, run by Emma Smith and her partner David Skeggs, has got off to a flying start in Norfolk Street.

It’s taken over the former ‘Wooden Tops’ furniture shop next to the old ‘Deck of Cards’. When we visited, the shop was a hive of activity, with people constantly coming and going.

“It’s a rent-a-shelf shop for artists and crafters. They can come in, rent a shelf and sell their items from here. We charge them £10 a week, and there’s no commission charged,” said Emma

“At Christmas there was a mad rush for all the craft fairs, so I thought it would be really nice to set up somewhere that gave people their chance to buy the crafts all year round.

“We also run a craft group that meets every other Saturday. It’s free for anyone to come along to, and they can make something different each time. All they have to do is bring along the materials.

“We’ve got a photography studio upstairs, which is run by my sister, and have plans to open an art gallery. We want to open a little tea room too.”

“A lot of people say they come in and don’t want to go, because they feel like it’s their shop. It’s building into a really nice little community.

“At the moment we’ve got over 40 sellers, and we’ve only been open 4 weeks. It’s going really well, and we’ve got more people on a waiting list. I want to keep plenty of variety.

“My great grandad ran a rent-a-shelf antique shop in Market Deeping, so it kind of runs in the family.

“Sixty years ago this was a haberdashery shop that was run by a lady, and a photographer called Dick Goodchild had a studio on the second floor. So history has come full circle!”

Emma, from Cherry Baby was stocking up her shelf:

“I’m displaying lots of jewellery and customised phone cases, glasses and shoes. I also rent a shelf at a couple of other places in Yorkshire and Chelmsford. People have approached me on Twitter and asked to put stuff in their shops.

“I’m inspired by every day life, art, and what I see people wearing. I’ve been doing this for about 2 years, and absolutely loving it. I started off in floristry , but I found my passion is with the jewellery. I adore making up something unique and fun.

“My jewellery has even appeared on the X-Factor, worn by some of the backing dancers!”

The brains behind a secret cake club is coming to King’s Lynn.

Thousands of baking fanatics have been meeting covertly in hidden locations around the UK with the same simple mission: bake, eat and gossip about cake!

And now the founder of the club, Lynn Hill, will be visiting King’s Lynn to sign copies of her Clandestine Cake Club book.

The event is taking place from 11.30am to 1.30pm on 14th February at Cook to Perfection in the High Street, and yes there will be cake! Members will be bringing along cakes with a Valentine’s theme.

“In 2010, I created the Secret Tea Room & Clandestine Cake Club and in 2011 National Cake Week,” said Lynn.

“I’m passionate about bringing people together where baking is at the heart of this. Meeting in secret and clandestine locations add mystique to the occasion and incorporating Themes at Clandestine Cake Club events add an element of adventure and experimentation when baking a cake.”

The Clandestine Cake Club now has over 6,000 registered members, and over 8,000 Twitter followers and Facebook fans. There are 150 Clandestine Cake Clubs predominately in the UK with clubs in Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even the Cayman Islands. It has featured in many national publications and appeared on BBC’s The One Show.

Melanie Done of Cook to Perfection said “If anyone would like to join the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk CCC and make a cake to bring along to the book launch then they need to contact me to book a place. Otherwise, anyone can attend to meet Lynn and purchase a copy of the CCC Cookbook to be signed.”

Melanie can be contacted on 01553 767575 or by email at cakeclub@cooktoperfection.co.uk

Cook to Perfection is owned by husband and wife team Alastair and Melanie Done. Last year they were winners of The Housewares Innovation Award. A wide range of kitchenware and sugarcraft is stocked, as well as offering cake tin and stand hire and a knife sharpening service. Brands at Cook to Perfection include Emma Bridgewater, Cath Kidston, GreenPan, SodaStream, Le Creuset, and Polie Pottery.

www.cooktoperfection.co.uk

www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

It’s your chance to ‘shop till you drop’ every Thursday evening in the lead up to Christmas, as King’s Lynn stores keep their doors open till late.

Participating shops are open until 9pm every Thursday evening from 29 November to 20 December. Most of the town’s big shops will stay open until late on these days.

Car parking will be free on all of King’s Lynn’s surface car parks from 5pm until 9pm on Thursday 29 November and Thursday 6, 13 and 20 December.

For details of shops in Lynn, visit our Shops Page.

Our intrepid newshound Alan T Shearer has been asking shoppers what they think of the new Sainsburys super-store in King’s Lynn …

We also asked people on Twitter what they thought …

MJ Ray ‏@mjray
no because the roadworks by it destroyed my tyre yesterday http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/hazard/72747

James Wallis ‏@JamesWallis1979
It’s laid out well,seems to be a lot more choice and products.

Glynn Burrows ‏@NorfolkTours
More nails in the local shopkeepers’ coffins. Lynn High Street is dead already, we don’t need more out of town shops!

Kevin Smith ‏@bigsmudger
was expecting better from @sainsburys after all the hype. The store looks nice but, staff seemed miserable and prices too high

alison tilly ‏@atilly67
just popped over to sainsburys, amazing what they have done to the area lovely shop

Yvonne Hume ‏@Hume_Author
Nice store, gentle lighting and good environment.

Norfolkwren ‏@norfolkwren
Won’t be going anywhere near it…at least til after Xmas. It’s Ely for me for shopping…..

Lynn Sharpe ‏@GenieWiz
Loved it. We’d been using Sainsburys at Longwater but wished we had one nearer – now we do! Much more choice with bigger store.

Abbie Panks ‏@abbiepanks
Been to have a look at new giant Sainsburys in King’s lynn. They sell virtually everything and more. Makes me fear for town centre.

c king ‏@chris_king1970
a lot of empty shelves for a new store prices still expensive not very impressed at all

Canaries Soccer FC ‏@CanariesSoccer
I like the new road.
Retweeted by King’s Lynn Online

Canaries Soccer FC ‏@CanariesSoccer
haha the store was ok really, a supermarket is a supermarket at the end of the day. Good for the town in general though.

Dave Williams ‏@manc_dave_69
just been 2the new sainsbury’s…big store but it actually looks quite empty, 2many staff looking lost #OverHypedOverPriced!!

Louise Frost ‏@LoulabelleF
beats Tesco hands down, amazing range, loads of great offers & no empty shelves even at 19:30!

You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Kings_Lynn

Sainsbury’s officially opened the doors of its new store at Hardwick Road, King’s Lynn today, creating over 400 new jobs for local people. The 72,000sq ft store is Sainsbury’s eleventh in Norfolk and one of the most energy efficient in the country.

Henry Bellingham MP has welcomed the addition of the new store to King’s Lynn: “I am absolutely delighted that one of Britain’s favourite companies has made such a significant investment in King’s Lynn. Not only is it a state of the art store featuring many environmentally friendly systems, it is going to be a very significant employer in the town. It is also an important endorsement for King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, and sends a very strong signal that this is a truly great place to work and live.”

All the familiar favourites will be in store including a variety of Sainsbury’s own-label food ranges, such as ‘basics’, ‘by Sainsbury’s’, ‘Taste the Difference’, ‘Be good to yourself’, ‘SO Organic’, ‘freefrom’ and Fairtrade in a modern and comfortable shopping environment. The store will have many key features, including deli, meat, fish and bakery counters.

The new store will also boasts a range of green technologies helping it consume less energy and also generate its own renewable energy on site. These will help reduce the store’s impact on the environment and contribute to the company’s overall environmental target of reducing its carbon emissions by 30% by 2020.

Features include

• A wooden structure from sustainable sources – 30% less heat due to its natural insulation
• 1,000 solar panels on the roof generating electricity – Sainsbury’s currently hosts the largest multi-roof array in Europe
• Ground Source Heat Pumps under the car park using geo-exchange technology to provide the store’s heat requirement
• Natural refrigeration for fridges and freezers – reducing carbon emissions by 33%
• Rainwater harvesting and water saving measures – reducing water consumption by 50%
• Comprehensive customer recycling facilities
• Zero food waste to landfill

Sainsbury’s King’s Lynn is also looking forward to supporting the local community too, and it has already built a strong relationship with many local businesses, organisations and charities. Scotty’s Little Soldiers has been selected as the store’s local charity partner of the year and over the next 12 months Sainsbury’s colleagues will take part in a series of fundraising activities to support the charity.

New store manager, Chris Pardoe, who joins the store from Sainsbury’s Longwater in Norwich, said: “We are excited about opening the doors to our customers and showing them all the new things Sainsbury’s has to offer. The store provides a wide range of our popular Tu clothing and homeware, just in time for Christmas shopping. It’s also been built to reduce its impact on the environment.

“We’re looking forward to becoming part of the local community and working closely with this year’s chosen charity partner, Scotty’s Little Soldiers.”

Sainsbury’s will officially open the doors of its new store at Hardwick Road, Kings Lynn on Wednesday 21 November, creating over 400 new jobs for local people.

The new 72,000sq ft store is Sainsbury’s 11th store in Norfolk and one of its most energy efficient stores in the country. A wide range of new services will be available at the store, such as a mobile phone shop, nail bar, dentistry and holistic services – all of which are firsts for Sainsbury’s.

All the familiar favourites will also be in store including a variety of Sainsbury’s food ranges including the popular ‘Basics’, ‘by Sainsbury’s’, ‘Taste the Difference’, ‘Be good to yourself’,‘SO Organic’, ‘freefrom’ and Fairtrade ranges in a modern and comfortable shopping environment. The store will have many key features, including deli, meat, fish and bakery counters.

The new store will also boasts a range of green technologies helping it consume less energy and also generate its own renewable energy on site. These will help reduce the store’s impact on the environment and contribute to the company’s overall environmental target of reducing its carbon emissions by 30% by 2020.

Features include:

• A wooden structure from sustainable sources – 30% less heat due to its natural
insulation
• 1,000 solar panels on the roof generating electricity – Sainsbury’s currently hosts the
largest multi-roof array in Europe!
• Ground Source Heat Pumps under the car park using geo-exchange technology to
provide the store’s heat requirement
• Natural refrigeration for fridges and freezers – reducing carbon emissions by 33%
• Rainwater harvesting and water saving measures – reducing water consumption by
50%
• Comprehensive customer recycling facilities
• Zero food waste to landfill

Sainsbury’s King’s Lynn is also looking forward to supporting the local community too, and it has already built a strong relationship with many local businesses, organisations and charities. Scotties Little Soliders has been selected as the store’s local charity partner of the year and over the next 12 months Sainsbury’s colleagues will take part in a series of fundraising activities to support the charity.

New store manager, Chris Pardoe, who joins the store from Longwater in Norwich, said:

“We are excited about opening the doors to our customers and showing them all the new things Sainsbury’s has to offer. The new store will provide a wide range of our popular Tu clothing and homeware, just in time for Christmas shopping. It’s also been built to reduce its impact on the environment. We’re also looking forward to joining our store at the Vancouver Centre in becoming part of the local community and working closely with this year’s chosen charity partner, Scotties Little Soldiers.”

The new Sainsbury’s super store near the Hardwick Roundabout is now set to open on Wednesday 21st November, at 9am..

In addition to the store, Sainsbury’s and Morston Assets are constructing a new Link road between Scania Way and Queen Elizabeth Way. This will help improve access to this part of King’s Lynn, facilitating the expansion of the Hardwick Industrial Estate and helping attract new businesses and jobs.

The new Sainsbury’s superstore will cover an area of 70,000 sq ft, offering a wider range of products and services for their customers in King’s Lynn. There will be 600 car parking spaces at the store, including specific parent and child, and disabled spaces.

Sainsburys have also promised:

• A wider range of products and services for customers in King’s Lynn
• A customer restaurant
• Sainsbury’s To You online delivery service
• A new petrol station
• Around 600 car parking spaces
• Over 300 new jobs created at the Sainsbury’s store
• Funding to enable Pinguin Foods to invest in new buildings and facilities, ensuring the firm’s long-term future in King’s Lynn

The new link road will bring a number of important benefits to King’s Lynn:

• Creating better access to the site of the proposed new Sainsbury’s superstore
• Enabling access to the expanded Hardwick Industrial Estate and opening up this key site for new employment development
• Improving access and traffic movements for businesses already located in the area
• Helping to divert traffic from the busy Hardwick Roundabout

To keep up to date on progress, you can visit the website sainsburys-kingslynn.co.uk

The UK’s biggest shoe manufacturer, Hotter Comfort Concept will create 10 new jobs when it opens a new store in King’s Lynn on Thursday 29th November.

Located at 83 High Street, the new opening is part of a dynamic expansion programme for the shoe maker, which has seen it open 25 new shoe stores across the UK in the last two years with plans to open an additional 15 by the end of 2012.

Hotter Shoes enjoys high street stand-out thanks to its exceptional retail environment where shoppers enjoy a full shoe fitting service by trained staff that are hand-picked for their customer friendly approach and manner.

The leading shoe brand has expanded rapidly over recent years selling shoes direct to its customers from its onsite call centre, via www.hotter.com and has been nominated to be part of the Made By Britain campaign.

Shoe shoppers in King’s Lynn can enjoy a high standard of customer service in the new store and some of the most comfortable, stylish shoes they have ever worn.

Retail Director, John Nicholas, commented: “We’re delighted to be bringing British designed, comfortable and quality shoes to King’s Lynn while creating 10 new jobs! Once you’ve tried on a pair of Hotter Shoes, you’ll understand the true meaning of comfort and never want to take them off.”

He added: “I’m proud to say we have a really enthusiastic and dedicated team here and we’re looking forward to welcoming new customers, giving them great service and shoes that will make their feet happy! Hotter Shoes is the UK’s biggest shoemaker and we are committed to designing and making comfortable footwear, we will make 1.5 million pairs of shoes in our Lancashire factory this year and every pair is carefully crafted to offer the ultimate comfort feel and fit.”

Hotter prides itself on the technology of each shoe made in its Lancashire factory, where designers work hard to create stylish shoes with hidden comfort features; including deep toe boxes with space for toes to wiggle, softly padded heels and lightweight, shock absorbing soles. Hotter believes that the first time you try on a Hotter shoe you have a Hotter Moment as you experience how comfortable and spacious shoes can be.

The store will open on Thursday 29th November where the new Hotter team will be ready to welcome the King’s Lynn crowds.

Entrepreneurs are being encouraged to test out their business ideas on markets in King’s Lynn and Hunstanton once again this November as Test the Market returns.

In June the borough council launched the Test the Market initiative to help bring diversity to the regular markets by attracting new traders and raising awareness of the markets amongst shoppers.

The scheme, which enabled would-be traders to take a stall for free proved popular, attracting thirty new traders over the course of the promotion week (7-12 August).

From Tuesday 6 November the scheme will become a monthly event. In the first full week of every month free stalls will be available to people wanting to explore the feasibility of a business idea. Regular traders will also be given their pitches for free at this time.

Anyone who would like to take up a free stall on the King’s Lynn markets on Tuesday 6, Friday 9 or Saturday 10 November or Hunstanton’s Sunday 11 November market should call 01553 616222 or email markets@west-norfolk.gov.uk before 31st October 2012.

Cllr Alistair Beales, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “We are working to promote and support entrepreneurialism as a way of boosting the local economy. Market stalls are a great low-risk way for people to try out a business idea and a good number of people responded enthusiastically when we first launched Test the Market last summer so I hope it will be just appealing this time.”

Mr Darrel Keen of DK Fresh Cut Flowers & Plant Supplier, said: “Holding regular initiatives, such as Test the Market, is a good idea. It helps to improve the market and increases customer numbers which will benefit everyone. We all need to encourage more stalls on to our markets so that we don’t lose them – just look at Norwich Market which is full of different types of traders. This initiative will help fill the market with unique stalls and encourage shoppers to take a new look at their local market .”

As a further way of helping new traders get started, the markets team is offering new traders a buy one month and get one month free deal. This will only be available once to each new trader and will require the new trader to pay for three weeks’ pitches in advance. Other conditions may apply. For full details please contact the markets team on 01553 616222.

King’s Lynn open air shopping centre, The Vancouver Quarter is getting ready to celebrate Halloween with free town centre activities.

On Wednesday 31st October, from 3pm, children will be able to head into King’s Lynn and take part in free trick or treating in the town centre.

Abbie Panks, Vancouver Quarter Marketing Manager said “we look forward to this event every year; it’s always lovely to see so many children and their families dressed up for the occasion.

Last year most of the stores in the town centre got involved, acting as trick or treat stations which alongside the other activities created a wonderful atmosphere, one we hope is replicated this year”

The Vancouver Quarter we also be joined by Norfolk based charity The Fairyland Trust who will be running a magic wand making drop in workshop (essential kit for witches and wizards). Other activities will be face painting and a fancy dress competition at 5pm.

Sainsbury’s held a special “Taster Day” on Tuesday in the ballroom of the Duke’s Head Hotel in the Tuesday Market Place, giving people an idea of what its new £40m superstore in Lynn will offer when its doors open at the end of November.

Various stalls showed off the wide range of products, plans were shown, the latest fashions were modelled, and sample food and goodies were given out!

Audio Interviews (click to listen)

Part 1

Part 2

Photos and Interviews by Alan Taylor-Shearer

Anglian Water’s ‘Keep It Clear’ campaign team is being sent into King’s Lynn to encourage residents to think twice about what they are putting into the sewers. Seven thousand residents will also receive a letter reminding them to not use the toilet or sink as a bin.

You might not spot the connection between fat from your pots and plates and wet wipes, but Anglian Water know it well. When used fat and oil, food scraps and sanitary waste go down plugholes and toilet bowls, they don’t disappear. They go into the sewer, get stuck together and cause a blockage.

At any one time there are 10,000s of tonnes of waste down there. And when the sewers get blocked, wastewater comes up in our streets, causing bad smells around our homes and businesses.

It’s bad for our environment. It’s bad for our businesses. And it costs £6 million to clear, every year.

The Awareness Roadshow will be held at The Community Café in the St Augustines Centre, Columbia Way, from 2:15pm with a stand and some information for local residents – and lots of freebies!

There will be more for shoppers to explore on the King’s Lynn and Hunstanton markets next week (7 – 12 August).

A range of new traders are preparing to set up their stalls on King’s Lynn’s Tuesday Market Place (7 & 10 August) and Saturday Market Place (11 August) and Hunstanton’s Southend car park (12 August) as part of a new initiative to encourage entrepreneurialism and entice shoppers to explore the markets.

Approximately 30 new traders have taken the opportunity to be part of the Test the Market initiative, which offered would-be traders a free pitch on the market during the week 6-12 August and an opportunity to test out a business idea at low risk.

The new stalls will be selling a range of goods including antiques, collectables, paintings, baby goods, cup cakes, eco-clothing, quirky crafts, garden ornaments, vintage clothing, pottery, jewellery, puppets and more.

Cllr Alistair Beales, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said, “Test the Market is designed to raise the profile of the market and give shoppers greater diversity. We have had an enthusiastic response from people wanting to take one of the pitches, now we are hoping that shoppers will want to test the market for themselves.”

Initially the council was hoping to attract up to 12 new traders to take on the stalls but there was such a high level of interest in the scheme that it was extended and now approximatley 30 new traders will be accommodated during the course of the week.

During the Test the Market period (7 – 12 August) charges for existing stallholders will also be waived.

Existing stallholders will not be charged for pitches up to 25 ft. Traders occupying larger pitches will only pay for the additional space.

Sainsbury’s have started recruiting for their new Hardwick store.

The jobs include General Assistants, Customer Service Assistants and Counter Assistants. Sainsbury’s are also looking for a Confectioner, Warehouse Assistant, Pharmacist and a Groceries Online Shopper.

For more details and how to apply visit www.sainsburys.jobs

Sainsbury’s super store set to open in November