A gallery and soft furnishings store has had a ‘fantastic’ reaction from shoppers since opening in Accrington town centre.
Anita’s Soft Furnishings and Gallery42 opened on Warner Street in January and has attracted visitors from across the county.
The store is being run by Anita Whelan and the gallery by her husband Chris. The couple expanded from a store in Accrington Market Hall after a positive reaction from shoppers.
Chris, 48, said: “We’ve got a lot of bespoke things that you would not generally find on the high street.
“One side of the store is selling curtains, blinds and soft furnishings and the other is a gallery.”
The Observer ran a special five-page report in February on future of the town centre in which independent businesses such as Chris and Anita’s were described as ‘key’ to the success of the town.
Chris added: “People get the impression the town is on its way out and you are more likely to see a pound shop than something like this, but Accrington has a lot of potential. People come from all over Lancashire to visit Warner Street. I think we need to go back to our roots as a market town and focus on what we do well.”
