Horsham traders 'just trying to keep business afloat' after Swan Walk closure

Swan Walk has been closed since Sunday, July 12, after a roof panel fell from the building.

Nobody was injured, but the centre was shut as a precaution while investigations continue into the incident and work takes place towards a safe reopening.

To see a list of stores that remain ‘open as usual’, visit: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/business/swan-walk-these-are-the-stores-that-remain-open-as-usual-following-the-temporary-closure-of-horsham-shopping-centre-8815011

For some traders, however, the closure has meant an uncertain future, with businesses forced to find alternative ways to continue trading.

Gobsmack Comics owner Drew Dewsall said the timing of the closure had been particularly difficult for his business, coming at the start of the school holidays.

Speaking from a temporary outdoor market store, Drew explained: "To be honest, it's obviously not good. Our business was already kind of struggling anyway. Rising costs have been prohibitive for quite some time.

"For what we do, this happening at the start of the school holidays is the absolute worst type of thing that could happen really."

Drew has been able to continue trading from a temporary market pitch, with the council offering free stalls to affected Swan Walk businesses.

He said the arrangement did not replace having a permanent shop, but had at least allowed him to continue bringing money into the business.

"The free pitch at the market is better than if we'd had nothing," he said.

"Obviously, it doesn't make up for having the shop, but it's allowed us to at least keep driving some cash through the business in the meantime. So, yeah, it's better than it could have been. I can't complain about that."

Drew said the council and Your Horsham BID had responded well to the situation, with temporary trading arrangements put in place quickly.

"Their response has been pretty good. The council side of things and the BID side of things, the response has been really excellent," he said.

He added that the temporary market opportunity had been made available almost immediately.

"Yeah, the council mobilised pretty quickly and I know they put together a task force for the BID and the council together.

"It was pretty much, they floated the idea and it was available the next day. It's been excellent, really. I can't speak highly enough of the response that they've given us."

Other businesses have also been making use of temporary trading arrangements.

Lianna Bassett, manager of Toy Barnhaus, said the store had been able to continue selling its products from a temporary location.

The business is trading from Wednesday to Saturday this week, with plans to operate from Wednesday to Sunday next week.

"To be fair, we're still obviously trading here. It's our first day here. Obviously, it's just disappointing to see what's happened this morning, but there's obviously nothing we can do about it," she said.

"Luckily, we are here and we can still sell products."

Lianna said regular customers are continuing to visit the temporary location.

"It's still got a steady flow, so it's been pretty good," she said.

"I'd say all my regular customers have been here, a lot of locals. They've asked if we can use their toilets over there, and there's drinks that you can get if you need to, so everyone's been very supportive."

But, like other traders, the business is having to take the situation ‘day by day’, while waiting for more information about when Swan Walk will reopen.

Lianna said businesses were being kept updated online.

"We've got an app that we use,” she explained. “It's literally daily, what's happening, when it's closing and when it's not closing.

"Day by day, week by week, we’ll keep checking the app, and then just go from there. That's all that we can do.

"But at least we can still be here, we can still trade, we can still serve, still have customers. I've seen a lot of my regulars, so it's quite nice."

While the temporary market has given businesses an opportunity to continue trading, comic store owner Drew said the scale of his operation was significantly smaller than at his Swan Walk shop.

"Obviously, this is probably about one hundredth of what we've got in our shop," he said.

"But we tend to try and pick the biggest sellers, Pokemon, etc. Saturday was really good for us.

"Today (Wednesday) has been okay. It does mean that hopefully I'll be able to pay my staff in a few days. So that's where we're at, just trying to keep the business afloat really."

The biggest challenge for Drew is the uncertainty over when he will be able to return to his shop.

He said he had been seeking a worst-case scenario to help him plan for the future, but acknowledged the lack of information available meant there was little certainty for traders.

“I guess they can't give us any more information than what they have, but it's been thin on the ground," he said.

“But as it is, they don't know, so they can't tell us. So it's a tricky situation for everyone involved really. We're just making the best of it."

The uncertainty has also created problems for businesses dealing with insurance companies, Drew said.

He explained: "I think it doesn't help because, as with all the traders, we're obviously speaking to our insurance companies. And without a fixed date of return, everything's open-ended.

"The insurance companies are kind of saying, well, we can't really pay out until we know exactly what we're paying out for. And in the meantime, outgoings are still happening.

"If nothing's coming in, or very little is coming in, I don't know how we're going to make it work."

Drew said he would continue speaking with the council about whether further support could be made available.

"So I'll be speaking to the council about that as well. We'll see whether there's any further help they can give us. But it's a bit of a worrying time, but it is what it is really."

A dedicated response team has now been established by Horsham District Council and Your Horsham BID, alongside Swan Walk and other local organisations, to support affected businesses and help maintain footfall in the wider town centre.

The group will look at ways for Swan Walk businesses to continue trading while the shopping centre remains closed.

For the traders affected, however, the immediate priority remains simple: finding a way to keep their businesses going until they know when they can return to their shops.