Owners of Bridge Street Stores, Canvas, Cygnet Interiors, Flowers of Distinction, Padbury Meats and Paula Stevens believe that shoppers are not aware of the range of products available within the town.
Mike Foster, chairman of the town traders association, said: “The time is right to get together and put a concerted effort towards a co-ordinated effort to marketing the town of Buckingham as an entity.
“We have been discussing this with fellow retailers for over 18 months now and the six of us decided we should just get on and do it for the benefit of the town. We need to pull together or risk our livelihoods.”
Mr Foster has been working with town councillor Mike Smith, Aylesbury Vale District Council’s economic development manager Bill Murray and Sue Farrington Smith, managing director of Padbury-based marketing agency Believe UK, for the last 12 months to get the initiative off the ground.
AVDC put up the initial funding towards the cost of marketing the town, subject to retailers matching the money. Focus DIY, which has a store in Buckingham, has added its sponsorship to the brochure and its distribution. Buckingham Colour Quest will be printing the brochure at cost.
The brochure is designed as a coffee table read to promote the town rather than a magazine full of advertisements and will be distributed via Royal Mail to neighbouring towns and villages as well as via the retailers themselves.
Mrs Farrington Smith said: “Buckingham has a lot going for it. All too often people I meet are not aware of some of the wonderful products and services that are available in the area. A co-ordinated marketing approach is so desperately needed.
“We are delighted that this initiative has finally got off the ground and cannot wait to distribute the finished brochure.”
