The travails of the retail and restaurant sector has been much publicised over the last year.
Wales has been particularly hit by falling footfall on our high streets and retail parks which has led to shop closures.
This does not tell the full story though with local retailers like Clogau and elevate your sole adding stores.
The casual dining sector has also been under pressure - leading to big brands closing sites and also cancelling expansion plans, like Pizza Express withdrawing from the Tudno Point scheme in Llandudno.
But this trend is being bucked in North Wales with the smaller chains like Dylan’s continuing to thrive and look at future expansion and brands like Midland successfully growing - with a deli to compliment its successful tapas restaurants in Beaumaris and Conwy.
Dr Edward Jones, lecturer in economics at Bangor University, said the brands that were seeing growth were all those who focused on the “experience”.
He added: “The brands that are doing well are not just selling products, things that people can get on the internet. They are selling an experience which gives people a reason to come.
“Clogau is a good example, people are buying into a story.
Most Read
“It is the same with restaurants, local brands that are doing well are not just selling food as a commodity, they are also using that local link, making it relevant to the local area.
“That is easier to do in North Wales where you have the countryside on the doorstep of the restaurant - again it is about selling that story.
“These brands can also respond more quickly to what customers want and change things in different sites based on the local market, rather than the big chains that tend to put identical restaurants everywhere.”
Jewellery brand Clogau, based in Bodelwyddan, has opened stores in Llandudno, Bangor and Broughton Shopping Park since spring 2018.
Ben Roberts, managing director of Clogau, said: “It might seem like a rather foolish notion to be moving to the high street in these times but I promise that there is method to this madness.
“Traditionally Clogau’s model has been to supply a network of 250 to 300 stockists around the 海角视频 at an agreed wholesale price, this has given us a perfect insight into where the brand works and the ability to, in time, open up our own Clogau branded store in these hotspots.
“The fact that the brand is then sold in a single brand environment, totally under our control means that we sell more jewellery at the full-retail price.
Don’t miss
“With just 11 stores we now create greater revenue from these stores than the 250 stockists.
“Naturally the plan is to continue to develop own stores in these areas.”
Hal Holmes-Pierce runs the elevate your sole shoe brand - which started in Prestatyn and has expanded to Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno.
He said: “It’s tougher than ever, but I’m determined to keep the business moving forward. We’ve had record sales in Rhos and Prestatyn, but with base costs increasing year on year, it’s imperative to continually seek out new opportunities.
“Those who work in the business have a passion for the shop and everything shoes, but most importantly they have a fantastic relationship with our customers.
“The warm/friendly approach to business that we strive for creates the perfect welcoming environment for our customers to enjoy.
“It’s these customers that come back again and again and better still they also encourage their friends and family to visit the shop too.
“Our fantastic loyalty scheme has been well received and I recently joined ‘Blue Light Card’. This provides discount to NHS, Police, Fire Service, RNLI and Armed Forces.”
Sign up to the BusinessLive Wales newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn
As well as an in-depth early morning newsletter, we will be sending out regular breaking news email alerts. To sign up to this service
And, follow us on to catch the latest stories and to network with the Welsh business community.
He is now considering future growth.
It is not just the local brands that are leading the charge on the high street.
The Entertainer toy shop chain has added North Wales stores in Llandudno and Broughton to its portfolio over the past 18 months.
Phil Geary, chief marketing officer, The Entertainer, said: “We were delighted to bring The Entertainer to Broughton Shopping Centre at the end of August last year and it’s been great to see the store being enjoyed by the local community.
“Community retailing is at the heart of what we do and we’ll continue to invest into our stores infrastructure in 2020 and beyond.
“Families are looking for an experience when they go out shopping, so providing excitement and theatre in-store is one of the ways we love to put a smile on our customers faces as they walk through the door.
“Our toy demonstrations make shopping for a toy a hands-on and fun experience, just as it should be.”
Mark Neale, the boss of the outdoor clothing and equipment seller, said his business had a record Christmas, for the 22nd year in a row. The openings last year - which includes Llandudno - take Mountain Warehouse’s portfolio to nearly 400 stores around the world, with 50 more set to open this year.
“It demonstrates the success of our bricks and clicks strategy and proves the doom-mongers predicting the death of the high street are wrong.”
When it comes to restaurants there are some 海角视频 national brands that are expanding in North Wales.
Bar and restaurant chain Loungers opened its first site in the region in Prestatyn at the end of 2018.
Since then they have added a site on the high street in Bangor, with an application now in for Mostyn Street in Llandudno.
These brands are all showing that while times are challenging in retail and hospitality there is still money to be made for those who get their offer right.