TOWN centres all over the country might be struggling but one Westbury shop is bucking the trend!
Card and gift shop, Cards Plus, is celebrating 20 years in the town at the heart of the community.
Cards Plus was first opened on Edward Street by Chris Longworth in 1998, where it resided for 12 months before moving to its current home on the High Street. Twenty years later, Chris can still be found behind the counter working and chatting to her customers alongside her daughter, Claire Rumary, who joined the business in 2012.
“It’s a great place to meet people and I’m still enjoying it,” said Chris. “I’ve watched youngsters grow up in the town, marry and have their own children. Customers almost feel like friends – here at the shop we get involved in the happy and the sad times in their lives.
“People are always pleased to see that we are still here – people come from far afield to shop here, from places like Bath, Frome and the surrounding villages. We even have one regular who comes to see us from Bournemouth!
“We are like an old fashioned corner shop and pride ourselves on our personal touch – I’m always interested to hear what is going on in people’s lives – it’s what keeps them coming back – to have a chat.
“I feel very fortunate to have been here in Westbury for 20 years and to still be supported by our regular customers and welcoming new ones. I think that small towns need little shops like ours – friendly and caring.
“I also need to thank my dedicated team of staff. Your shop is your staff, and we are very lucky to have a good team of people here.”
To celebrate the milestone, Chris and Claire threw a small party last weekend, inviting the community to come and enjoy cupcakes and take part in a ‘guess the name of the bear’ competition, which helped to raise money for Parkinson’s UK – a charity close to the heart of the mother and daughter duo.
Looking ahead to the future, Chris said, “I would love to see the shop still standing here in 20 years! But for now, I want to thank everyone in the town for their continued support.”
