WORCESTER’s retailers have turned to Queen of Shops Mary Portas to help them survive in the tough economic climate.

A new academy will help the traders by teaching them the TV shopping guru’s principles of successful retailing.

The academy is just one of a number of initiatives being launched in Worcester to give high street stores and independent shopkeepers a well-needed boost.

An independent survey carried out last September by Worcester Business Improvement District identified unique and independent stores as one of the core reasons that people visit Worcester instead of other shopping destinations.

In the internet survey, which was sent out to more than 20,000 people in Worcestershire, nearly 30 per cent ranked the presence of independent shops in their top three reasons for choosing a shopping location.

Retail guru Ms Portas, who is best known for her television programmes Mary Queen of Shops and Secret Shopper, has been employed by the Government to carry out a review aimed at preventing the decline of the High Street and is due to present her findings in the autumn.

One of the initiatives shopkeepers and shoppers im Worcester have been urged to embrace is Independents Day on Monday, July 4, which has shops in Worcester and the Worcestershire branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The national campaign has been organised by Skillsmart and the National Skills Academy for Retail, who have teamed up with retailers across the country to celebrate diversity on the high street.

Shoppers are urged to buy at least one item from their local independent shops to help keep the high street alive.

Simon Benhamou, owner of clothing store Fuel, in Reindeer Court, said: “People like coming to independents because it’s different to shopping on the high street. We provide a personal service.

“There’s thousands of shops closing down all the time on Britain’s high street and if we don’t get local support there will be more.

It’s not cheap to stay in business and we just need more people coming into the city centre to support us.”

Store manager Emma Lathwood and sales consultant Lucie Roche, from Stripes, in Foregate Street, said: “We believe independent shops are vital to any town or city because they add personality and variety to the increasingly super brand dominated high streets.

“They offer the customer a different and unusual experience that has unfortunately been lost from many other shops on the high street. We are always trying to reinvent ourselves to attract different customers from far and wide which in turn will have a positive effect on the rest of the high street.”

John Kendrick, from Land Securities, which owns Cathedral Plaza, said: “We need to be able to show how we differ from other towns and cities around the UK and the independents are absolutely critical to providing the uniqueness of the city centre and the surrounding streets. They are what keep people coming back and finding something different.”

CrownGate shopping centre has 70 retail units, about 15 per cent of which are independents.

Centre manager Erica Burlace said CrownGate had chosen to support Independents Day because of the shops’ popularity with shoppers.

Miss Burlace said: “Our diverse and unique range of independents are one of the key reasons people choose to come to our city and we need to get behind them.”

CrownGate was approached to be included in Independents Day through its links with the National Skills Academy and the Worcester Fashion and Retail Academy.

The Worcester Fashion and Retail Academy has been set up by Miss Burlace and Rachel Gowers, head of marketing at Worcester College of Technology, and will run courses based on the Mary Portas guide to successful retailing.

The academy also got support from the Black Country Skills Shop, the National Skills Academy and Land Securities.

The academy will be working to promote training opportunities to independent stores through apprenticeships and other work-based learning as well as retailing masterclasses.

The programmes will combine work experience with three days of study a week. House of Fraser, Stripes, Barbarella, Animal and Creative Hands have already pledged work placements.

Apprenticeships and masterclasses will start in September and full-time courses, which will be open to school leavers, the unemployed and current shop staff, will start next year.

Miss Burlace said: “I previously worked with agencies such as Advantage West Midlands to provide customer service courses to retailers and I feel it’s critical that our customers get the best possible levels of service and expertise from retailers.

“We recognise businesses are struggling and we wanted to do something for our customers that would ultimately boost trade.”

Earlier this year, local independent retailers were offered two free taster sessions at the Worcester academy to help them overcome tough trading conditions.

The sessions, which took place in May, focused on good customer service as much as business skills.

Miss Roche, who attended the sessions, said: “The taster course gave us insight into other aspects of retail that are easily overlooked, but that can make a dramatic difference to the running of the shop.

“It was also really motivating to brainstorm with the other independents who were also in attendance during a team activity.

Overall it was a clear and concise overview of how we can always improve our businesses for ourselves and our customers.”