Support Newport city centre on Small Business Saturday 2023

From markets to arcades and shopping centres, and – of course – the high street, there’s plenty of small independent businesses spread across the city centre which you can support on Small Business Saturday, which is held next week, December 2.

Let's begin at Newport Market...

City Treasures – formerly known as Times Past – relocated from Commercial Street to Newport Market with the hope of gaining more footfall.

The family-run antique shop is well-stocked with model railway trains, boxed vehicles, crafts, china, and other unique gift ideas. The shop also buys and sells gold.

Margaret Chapman, who helps her daughter run the business, said: “They’ve done a really good job of upgrading the market – we need people to come in.

“Some people say that Newport is hopeless, but that’s because they don’t come shopping here.

“If you don’t use it you lose it – if we don’t get the footfall then the market will just be food which is a shame.

“We try to be fair with our prices and we sell a fair bit of the model railways as they’re collector items.”

A newer addition to Newport Market is Dorothy Seed – a florist which prides itself on being sustainable, chemical free, and natural while avoiding single use plastics.

Along with the florist being open for Small Business Saturday next week, Dorina Mag will be running a wreath making workshop at 5pm on the day.

“Our Christmas wreaths are fully compostable, using mostly local materials and are all natural,” said Ms Mag.

“Our wreath workshops include a hot or cold drink and cakes – I also take on personal bespoke door decorations which I can do for you."

Find out more about the workshops here.

When asked why people should support local businesses Ms Mag answered: “You will get a friendly more personal service which you won’t get at a supermarket.”

Friendly Neighbourhood Comics is another well-established business in the city – the business was based at Newport Market before Loft Co's redevelopment of the historical building - and is still there now.

The business offers a range of products including comics – from the Silver Age and Bronze Age plus more modern editions - along with original drawings, vintage annuals, and action figures.

Tim Rees owns Friendly Neighbourhood Comics and pointed out: “Local traders are serving the local community.

“It’s important to shop as locally as you can because it’s good for the environment and creates community cohesion.”

Opposite the comic store is a more recent addition to Newport Market – Sugar, which is a sweet shop run by couple Deb Lynn and Mark Rostant (who will soon be getting married).

Ms Lynn said: “If you don’t go to local shops then we’ll lose them.

“Shopping locally boosts the local economy and you get these interpersonal relationships – you get to know your customers and form friendships.

“I’ve got quite a number of regulars – some I know when they’ll come in and what they will order – and it’s lovely.”

Newport Trading Cards is another recent addition to Newport Market – it’s currently the only branch of the business and sells trading cards and accessories.

Jake, a YouTuber who runs the business, said they will run special offers on the day and added:

“People should shop local because it helps Newport get to where it should be and supports the local economy.”

For food fans there’s plenty on offer at Newport Market – along with the food venues around the food hall and opposite Newport bus station there’s Ostuni bakery, Castle Farm Shop, Whocult, with doughnuts and milkshakes, and Anna Cake Couture.

Anna Cake Couture offers macrons, chunky cookies, filled cupcakes and their trademarked cubi cakes – all baked by their team of highly-skilled bakers.

“Our front of house team in Newport are local girls and agree that supporting independent businesses is so important,” said general manager Ms Evans.

“We support the other businesses in and around the market – plus further afield – and have a fantastic customer base, as well as new customers, and we enjoy chatting to them.”

Newport Market is also home to FotoSandra Photography – a gallery with photos of Welsh landscapes in frames with hundreds of pictures available in all sizes. You can order online on www.sandragallery.co.uk or face to face in Newport Market

“Supporting local businesses is a great way to bring a community together,” said photographer Sandra Kepkowska.

“It brings people together with face to face interactions as well as helping the local economy!”

You can find her work on Instagram @phototravelwithsandra

Other small businesses based at Newport Market include:

• Pure Pets (pet food and accessories);
• Kash Crafts (novelty shop) ;
• Be Flawless by Sarah (beauty treatments).

Further afield in Newport there’s also plenty of small businesses which could use support – including within the arcades, shopping centres, and lining the city centre streets.

Newport Arcade has an abundance of small businesses including Arcadia Coffee House, Pot Café, Harrison Rabbitt Hair Studio, Kriminal Records, Freestyle (skate shop), The Arcade Collective, Heart of the Home, Ffoto Newport, Nuthouse (hair salon), and the recently opened Mythos Tattoo Studio.

Dean Beddis, of Kriminal Records, said: “Shopping locally supports local ordinary working class people.

“Money spent at an independent business goes into people’s pockets to support their families and gets spent within the local economy.”

Lesley Skiffington, who runs Heart of the Home, added: “Often people say there’s no shops in Newport so we need to support the ones that we’ve got.”

Towards the other end of the city centre is Bubble Trouble, based in Kingsway shopping centre, which brought bubble tea to Newport more than five years ago.

Business co-founder, Greg Klusoczki, said: “Our journey has been fuelled by an unwavering passion for bubble tea.

“As a small family business we take pride in contributing to the local economy by employing talented individuals from our community.

“We are dedicated to continually innovating and introducing new flavours and recipes to delight our customers.”

Christmas specials at Bubble Trouble include chocolate orange and mint chocolate (available hot or cold) with the businesses offering additional top-ups for gift cards bought during the 2023 festive season.

“By choosing Bubble Trouble customers are not just enjoying a delicious cup of bubble tea,” added Mr Klusoczki.

“They are supporting a small business which cares deeply about its people and community.”

Meanwhile, in Friars Walk there’s The Port pop-up (which will run until December 23, 2023) housing numerous independent traders during the festive period.

No-Comply Newport is also currently based in the shopping centre (with plans to move to a larger space once financially able).

No-Comply Newport is an indoor skatepark which has added to the “vibrant” skate scene in Newport; Freestyle skate shop has operated in Newport for more than 30 years and Skate Extreme was one of the largest indoor skateparks in the UK (before being destroyed in a fire).

Alan Caines runs No-Comply Newport which opened in October 2022 and has been used more than 10,000 times by nearly 3,000 people.

“A week doesn’t go by without new people visiting the skatepark,” said Mr Caines.

“Our small space aimed at learners is perfect for getting used to the modern terrain, preparing users for larger adventures.”

No-Comply Newport is not-for-profit and spending or donating to the business means the “difference between staying open or closing” with the community helping it stay afloat thus far.

“We rely on repeat use and good relations with our customers and family to keep us going,” explained Mr Caines.

“Getting in a car and buying or spending money locally may be harder than buying something online but it makes a massive difference to people like us.”

There are also many small businesses dotted around the city centre – here are just a few you could support on December 2…

Gallery 57, which is celebrating a year since opening this weekend, is run by former editor of South Wales Argus Nicole Garnon who said: “There is a growing band of independent businesses opening in the city centre, which is great to see.

“Yes, Newport has seen the loss of some big-name stores but so has every other town and city across the country. Shopping habits have changed dramatically in recent years and that is a change which is here to stay.

“What we have to do is try to offer something a bit different - and a lot of businesses in the city centre are doing just that.”

La Belle Femme Boutique, on Llanarth Street, will run discounts on Small Business Saturday.

“People need to support small businesses because we’re losing our towns,” said owner Tracy Stokes.

“Lots of businesses, big and small, are on a cliff edge and it’s crucial to have custom this side of Christmas.

“Online people don’t get the personal experience they do at local shops – when people can’t find what they want online they’ll support local but without that support the local shops won’t be here for people to turn to."

There’s also New Pastures Home which recently relocated from Friars Walk to its new base on Commercial Street. The shop boasts a candle making bar (also hosting candle making workshops) and sells a range of candles, soaps, oils, crystals, and more.

Thanks to their customer base Dean Carbin and Hywel Jones - the couple who own the business - have been able to take on an additional staff member for weekends, demonstrating the ripple effect of shopping locally.

“Ultimately when you shop on Amazon you’re filling the pockets of someone living elsewhere,” said Mr Carbin.

“Shopping locally brings money into Newport – you positively support Newport and invest in the city.

“We are doing what we love and people love what we do – what we offer is unique and can’t be found online.”

Mr Jones added that local businesses offer “personal experience and interaction” which may be lost when shopping at big corporations or online.

There’s also Top Image Nursery, on Commercial Street, which is a small independent nursery retail shop offering prams, pushchairs, car seats and accessories.

It was established in 1980 and is owned by Maniver Ali who said: “It is very important for the general public to support local as funds are redirected back into Newport city.

“If you shop local you can physically see the product – you can fold it down, push it around, check its weight, and use our layaway scheme to order with a small deposit.

“We are one of the few lucky stores which has managed to retain a member of staff with more than 30 years of knowledge in the nursery industry – why not pop in store and have a look around?”

People can find out more about Small Business Saturday online at smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com