Have you been into Atkinsons recently on The Moor in Sheffield?
The chances are increasing, pretty much by the day, that you’ll be in the vicinity of the city’s iconic department store as more and more development work is completed down that end of town.
The Moor is thriving and with it a renaissance for Atkinsons, according to an old friend of mine David Cartwright who now finds himself as the store manager.
On a visit there last month I bumped into him and he gave me the Grand Tour around the store, which at the time was in the middle of its £million storewide sale.
I’m not alone, he tells me, in commenting to him that ‘it’s ages since I’ve been in here’ and also not the first to say I didn’t realise the range of goods that they sell.
Atkinsons is a Sheffield institution and David is at the forefront of encouraging the city’s independent traders to get in touch to see whether there is space in store to display their products.
Of course, there’s the High Street versus online battle being fought all over the world for shoppers money but Atkinsons will soon launch their new website which will enable people to purchase from the comfort of their own homes.
Let’s not kid ourselves that High Street stores don’t have their problems but it’s great to see a famous old Sheffield name still being relevant in one the city centre’s busiest areas.