Shrewsbury town centre is becoming increasingly busy on Sundays, with a growing number of traders opening their doors to customers.
Figures show that more people are now visiting Shrewsbury on a Sunday – footfall has increased by six per cent over the past two years, since parking became free on Sundays in Frankwell and Abbey Foregate car parks.
And more shops are open, with Wrekin Whiskies, The Soden Gallery and Oberon in Wyle Cop, among those recently taking the decision to trade on Sundays.
Dilwyn Jones, owner of Sabrina Boat Tours and board member of Shrewsbury BID (Business Improvement District), said Sundays were booming.
“I would say that Sundays have become one of the busiest days of the week for us,” he said. “The Quarry is always buzzing with people enjoying the park and beautiful views, and the town centre is increasingly busy – especially now more shops are opening.
“I think we are reaching the tipping point where more shops are open than closed on a Sunday, and that’s encouraging more people to come and visit.
“We get a lot of people saying to us on The Sabrina that they enjoy coming into town on a Sunday more than any other day of the week.”
One of the town centre shops to recently begin Sunday trading is Oberon in Wyle Cop, with owner Stacey Hill, agreeing that Sundays were proving popular.
“Shrewsbury has a fantastic laid-back vibe on a Sunday,” she said. “Oberon has now decided to open every Sunday and lots of other shops are joining in on the last Sunday of the month.
“Free parking in Abbey Foregate and Frankwell car parks is a big draw, and as more of us open, hopefully the popularity of Sundays will continue to grow.”
