The owner of a boutique store in Sheerness, Kent, has threatened to close her business if the local council continues to ignore or reject her applications for new signage.
Seventy five year-old Ann Burbidge owns Crafts and Gifts 4 U, which can be found on Hope Street. The problem for Mrs Burbidge, who has been in business for the past six years, is that relatively few people are actually able to find her store.
The shop owner has requested permission from Kent County Council to install a sign on the high street that points shoppers in her direction, but council officials deny having received a completed application.
Mrs Burbidge explained: “It’s going to put me out of business if I don’t get a sign. I love doing it and don’t want to give it up, but it’s a real struggle.
“They say no but they never say why and there’s never anyone available to talk to. The council says it is trying to help little shops but they don’t seem to be doing anything.”
Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we sympathise with proprietors whose small shops are being overlooked by shoppers on the high street. Appropriate signage really can make all the difference.