People driving into Market Drayton will be greeted by a burst of colour thanks to an initiative supporting town centre businesses.
Keep It Local Week took place just before Easter with the aim of encouraging residents to support small, independent retailers in the town.
Shoppers were invited to visit one or more of the 40 businesses that took part in the scheme, which was organised by Market Drayton Chamber of Trade, Taste of the Town and Drayton Civic Society.
For every item bought from a town centre shop, traders made a donation towards a fund to “revitalise” the town centre and residents voted for new floral display to be placed at the four entrances into Drayton.
One of the organisers of Keep It Local Week, Charlotte Hollins of Fordhall Farm, said: “It’s just fantastic to know that something has come out of it and there’s something now that people can actually see.
“Keep It Local Week went really well and there was a lot of positive feedback from people in the town who were glad that someone was doing something.
“It was easy for them to get involved in it as well and people driving into town now will see the planters, knowing that they are there because people supported the town.”
Almost £400 was raised during the week and organisers said the TV and radio publicity surrounding it also brought extra visitors to Market Drayton for April’s farmers’ market.
Two businesses that were part of the initiative were Steve Raines Auto Service and Talbot Components, both based at the town’s Adderley Road Industrial Estate.
Talbot Components’ owner Ray Gorton said: “People were fully supportive of it and the fact that we’re slightly outside the town centre meant that we were able to bring a few more people into the centre of Market Drayton.
“The advertising of it helped put our name somewhere up the ladder and we’d be keen to see something like this again.”
Market Drayton mayor Councillor Roy Aldcroft said: “Keep It Local Week has been a very worthwhile exercise and it brought the town into the media’s eyes.
“We’ve ended up with a tangible result in terms of these plants which assists in making the town look a little better.”
