Retail expert Mary Portas to open West Midlands small business show
Retail expert and 'Queen of Shops' Mary Portas will formally open a pop-up marketplace for small business in Birmingham this week.
Thrive Street will see small businesses from across the West Midlands descend on Birmingham's Bull Ring Centre on Friday, November 8, with shoppers able to browse and buy wares from indie retailers over the course of the three-day event.
Organisers Mastercard and Worldpay say Thrive Street, a pop-up high street allowing small business owners to access prime retail space for free, is a "celebration of entrepreneurialism in the UK and the small businesses that form the backbone of the UK economy".
The event comes as Mastercard’s research shows that almost three-quarters of Birmingham residents say they want to shop more from local small businesses ahead of Christmas, with 50% saying they want to do so to support their local community.
Thrive Street forms part of Mastercard’s Strive UK programme, an initiative that supports micro and small business owners with free access to training and targeted advice, particularly digital skills.
Last year's event saw Mary Portas cut the ribbon at the Arndale Centre, together with Kelly Devine, President of UK&I for Mastercard, welcoming the local community to the event that showcased the products of some of the area’s finest micro businesses.
