KEEP calm and carry on shopping is the message from an Evesham trader desperate to get residents back into the town centre.

Abbey Appliances in Evesham has announced it is bringing in a number of new measures to encourage shoppers to keep spending in the town.

The call for support from the business in The Courtyard, off the High Street, comes as footfall dropped when the roadworks on the Abbey Bridge began. And with the 10-week closure of the bridge due to begin in mid-September, staff at the electrical service store are planning to make it easier than ever to visit their shop.

Hanna Knight, office manager, said they were hoping longer opening hours, telephone sales and free delivery within a six-mile radius will mean people carry on shopping with them.

“We have noticed that footfall in the shop has really dropped,” she said.

“We have begun doing sales over the phone but it is hitor- miss whether the shop is busy since the roadworks came in.

“We had the same thing when they were doing the High Street. People want to avoid driving into town.

“We wanted to make the business more accessible to our customers so we decided to do telephone sales, the free delivery and the later opening hours.”

The shop plans to extend its opening hours from 5pm until 7pm twice a week, although which days are yet to be decided.

Ms Knight added: “We are pretty desperate to try anything and we are aware the bigger shops stay open later.

It is not panic stations but if this were to go on and on then we would get worried.

We need to make steps before it gets to that stage.”