Welcome to The Ryemarket Shopping Centre

• A host of national retailers including Waitrose, Dorothy Perkins, Poundland, Costa Coffee, CeX and Carphone Warehouse to name a few
• Independent stores including Jessica's Sweets
• Friendly staff eager to help
• For local stress free shopping pop to The Ryemarket Shopping Centre, Stourbridge.

The Ryemarket is a community within a community

 

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THEATRE COMPANY'S NEW PRODUCTION - See our News pages below.

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SCHOOLCHILDREN SET UP A POP-UP SHOP

The Ryemarket Shopping Centre is helping a group of 14-year-old pupils at a Stourbridge school get on the first rung of the ladder in setting up a new business with a pop-up shop selling unique clothing and accessories aimed at the teenage market.

They are now working hard dying garments and making accessories, bags and shop displays ready for their opening day launch on Friday on June 7 when they will be joined by local dignitaries including Stourbridge Conservative MP Margot James.

The pupils from Pedmore Technology College and Community School have negotiated a short-term rent free agreement with The Ryemarket whose centre manager Kelley Dyas said she was delighted to help such an enterprising group of young people and help them on their way to what she hoped would be a successful venture into retail.

“It’s refreshing to see that these youngsters have the drive and the initiative to join the world of work and they are a credit to their school and to Stourbridge.”

The enterprise venture pop-up shop, which will be called “Lip Varvi” and will open every Friday and Saturday in June probably from 9.30am to 3.30pm, stemmed from the school’s Design and Technology subject leader Kate Hunter encouraging a small group of graphic design pupils to enter the finals of a competition to present their idea. The event was run by the Black Country Enterprise Challenge and Corin Gregory, programmes co-ordinator of Dudley Education Business Partnership, felt they had such an extremely viable enterprise idea that she offered to find a suitable vacant shop where they could develop their ideas.

As well as working on increasing their stock to sell in the shop the pupils are securing support/sponsorship from local retailers and business.

Lorraine Turner, director of communications at the school, said: “We are working with Young Enterprise to explore the possibility of entering a school team in next year’s national competition and secure Level 2 qualifications in Enterprise for the pupils involved in such projects. Local employers are also now enquiring about possible partnerships offering business mentors, work experience and eventual apprenticeship opportunities.

“We feel we are making a positive contribution to the future of our high streets together with real improvement in employer/education engagement and opportunities and increasing the employability of our school leavers.”