Bury St Edmunds business leader welcomes Phone Shop to town
The manager of a new mobile phone shop said the connections and presence of Bury St Edmunds made it the obvious town to open in.
Phone Shop, which opened in Buttermarket last week, has become one of the first enterprises to set up shop in the town after lockdown.
Ash Sharma, who has also managed shops in Kent under a different brand, said the business is set to have two full-time and one part-time staff member.
“I am from Ipswich and I have known about this town for a long time,” he said.
“For many people, Bury St Edmunds is a town of convenience. A lot of people come in from the smaller villages in the surrounding areas. I like that the town is not too busy compared to Ipswich or Norwich.”
As the name suggests, Phone Shop is selling mobile phones, as well as phone chargers, cases, and accessories. There are also accessories for iPads and tablet devices.
Mr Sharma is an experienced phone and computer repairer, and he says that he can fix some issues while the customer is waiting.
“It has been going well so far,” he said of the shop, which opened its doors on September 21.
“We have had really positive feedback from customers who have said they like the range of electrical products here.”
He added that all products sold have a one year warranty.
News of the shop opening has also sparked a positive response on social media, with many happy to see the former Gifted premises was no longer vacant.
Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds – the company which controls the town’s business improvement district – was among those to welcome Phone Shop.
He wrote on Twitter: “Good to see another empty unit with a tenant. Welcome to Bury!”
Mr Sharma said he expects his customers will share his eagerness to get back to work and to normality after the lockdown period.
He continued: “There is obviously the pandemic going on, but in this line of work it is possible for us to trade.
“We do not make physical contact with the customers. We are selling things they need everyday. There is social distancing inside of the shop.”
Mr Sharma added: “The world cannot stop because of the pandemic.
“We had the lockdown but not everybody can stay at home for a long time. We have to come and work for ourselves and for our families.
“So, I think we can do it as long as we keep the distance.”
Head to our business page for all of the latest news about businesses in Suffolk
