Business' success is heartening (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Business' success is heartening
4:02pm Tuesday 17th July 2012 in Opinion
By Telegraph comment
RETAILERS throughout Britain are going through an extremely tough time as the recession bites and people have less to spend in the shops.
Margins are being cut and alarming numbers of high street frontages are boarded up and empty.
But at least one retailer is bucking the trend across the country and what’s more its headquarters is right here in East Lancashire.
The Original Factory Shop was founded in 1969 selling over-makes and seconds manufactured for Marks and Spencer.
Now the Burnley-based business has 180 stores in town centres all over the UK and a strong internet operation selling fashions, homeware, electrical goods and toiletries.
While others have been cutting back in the past year Original Factory Shop has opened eight stores, revamped five more, tripled is online ‘extra’ range and launched an in-store catalogue.
The result has been a 12 per cent increase in revenue and a business which CEO Angela Spindler says is “swimming upstream and bucking the trend.”
In short the Original story is one of deservedly great success in a sector which hasn’t until now been hugely represented in the area.
