Colchester traders: We’re backing the UK’s bank holidays (From Essex County Standard)

Colchester traders: We’re backing the UK’s bank holidays

2:00pm Thursday 12th April 2012 in Local news

BANK holidays are good for business, according to Colchester retailers.

Traders have labelled calls to spread bank holidays more evenly across the calendar as “ridiculous”.

After benefiting from shoppers having time off over the four-day Easter weekend, traders are now looking forward to May Day and the two jubilee bank holidays.

They rubbished claims from think-tank, the Centre for Economics and Business Research, that each bank holiday costs the UK economy £2.3billion.

Ron Levy, secretary of the Colchester Retail Business Association, said: “Spread over a year the cost is swallowed up in the annual costs of running a business.

“Overall they are beneficial – if people are not working they are more likely to be on the other side of the shop counter.”

Lindsay Aylasse, manager of children’s shoe shop Stompers, in High Street, which does not open on bank holidays, warned moving them into current school holidays would harm her business.

She said: “Children don’t come in during school time so bank holidays then don’t change anything for us.

“If they are moved into our busy period in the school holidays, then that would be a problem.”

However, Andy Dean, of the Green Room restaurant at the North Hill Hotel, Colchester, said this year had been better for business than 2011, but it was still a difficult time of year with so many bank holidays in quick succession.

He said: “They are just another thing we have to overcome.”