Shopping in Royal Leamington Spa

BID Leamington has launched the first ever comprehensive guide to retail and leisure businesses in Royal Leamington Spa.

The shopping guide, which will be produced annually, showcases the broad range of shops on offer and is aimed at targeting people to shop, eat and drink in the town.

The promotion is yet another effective initiative from BID Leamington in attracting new customers and driving footfall to businesses in the town.

15,000 copies of the complete 102 page colour guide have been printed. 10,000 copies are being distributed to over 127 locations including the Tourist Information Centres (TIC’s) in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire plus hotels, attractions and airports. A further 5,000 copies are being distributed through BID Leamington and will be available from the Leamington TIC and from shops and businesses in the BID area. Those in the BID area are helping to increase distribution by stocking copies throughout their stores nationwide.

The guide lists all retail and leisure businesses located within the BID area. Each levy payer was entitled to 50 words about their business including a photo, address and contact details. The guide was free of charge for BID levy payers to be included. Businesses have been listed under the following headings: ‘Shop’, ‘Eat/Drink’, Enjoy’ featuring entertainment and activities such as salons, hotels and cinemas and ‘Services’ featuring businesses such as recruitment, design and travel agencies, opticians, banks and garages. The guide also includes a list of car-parks and a detailed map of the town showing the main streets, facilities, shopping centres and tourist attractions.

Feedback from industry professionals has been extremely positive with many claiming that this is the first complete guide produced for a town and is both superior in its quality and size. The compact guide, which is the size of a large wallet, has been produced so that it can be carried around easily.

Helen Smith, Executive Director of BID Leamington, stated “This is another great initiative to encourage people to experience Leamington and sample some 400 shops the town has to offer. The guide can help people plan their day out and give them a taste of what is available. Once here, the guide will help visitors locate the stores they want to visit. We are confident that the guide will become an extremely important and effective marketing tool and inspire people to visit the town”.

The shopping guide is just one of many promotional initiatives undertaken by BID Leamington to entice visitors to the town. New 3D maps of the town have been positioned on windows of empty shops and businesses to help visitors navigate the town centre. In April, BID Leamington launched their first ever magazine “Parade” aimed at promoting the town as a shopping destination. In March a successful initiative entitled “Pamper Leamington” was launched to encourage visitors to visit health & beauty salons.