New Owners invest in future of Antiques Centre
The Antiques Centre at Gloucester Docks, recently acquired by new owners Evan Maindonald and Raine Thurston, is undergoing a radical set of changes aimed at making the Centre more attractive to customers. In addition to removing the weekend door charge, the new owners have started investing in improvements to smarten up the presentation of the centre.
The new owners have decided to reinforce these changes by extending the Centre’s opening hours – until 7pm – on the two Thursdays leading up to Christmas, the 14th and 21st of December as well as on Friday the 22nd of December. The centre will also be open on Saturday the 23rd of December.
Evan Maindonald, Managing Director of Gloucester Antiques Centre, said “We’ve replaced all of the old dilapidated checkout areas with new desks, we’ve bought in other new furniture and we’ve also started to re-vamp the signage for the building. The majority of the old electrical systems which were cluttering up the building have also been removed in preparation for decoration. New policies and processes have been introduced to sharpen up professionalism and customer service. We’re making a big effort to improve the customer experience at the centre”.
A new web site has also been released, which can be found at www.gacl.co.uk. This contains information about the various products for sale at the centre, links to dealers web sites and other information, such as details regarding the café and the centre’s location. The web site is part of a push by the new owners to improve the quality of marketing and promotion material produced by the Antiques Centre.
The new owners are committed to keeping the centre open in the Docks and have struck back at recent speculation that the acquisition has created uncertainty regarding the future of the Antiques Centre. Despite clear statements from the new owners regarding their commitment to keeping the centre open, speculation and rumours regarding the future of the centre have continued to circulate.
Raine Thurston said ”Evan and I are committed to the future of the Antiques Centre as a tourist attraction and shopping experience in the docks. We are not closed and we are not closing. We are open for business and the Centre is better than ever. A significant amount of time, money and is being invested to improve the business. The removal of the weekend door charge is a great example of this and has met with a fantastic response in terms of increased visitor numbers and sales at the centre. A few hours spent at the centre shopping for antiques, followed by a bite to eat while relaxing in the café and enjoying cup of tea or a cappuccino is a great form of retail therapy.”
Along with a selection of unique gifts for Christmas, Gift Vouchers are also available which can be used to purchase items from any of the 140 dealers at the centre.
Gloucester Antiques Centre
Open:
Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday from 1 - 5pm
1 Severn Road, Gloucester, GL1 2LE in the heart of Gloucester Docks.
For further information.
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