Independent Retailer Month: Q&A with owner of Sunningdale Blinds

Name: Keith Williams

Business: Sunningdale Blinds

Location: 27 Henblas Street, Wrexham

Telephone: 01978 366661

Opening hours: 10am-4pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturday

When did you open and why?

I opened this business here in Wrexham 33 years ago, mainly because I wanted to be self-employed.

I had worked in a factory for most of my life beforehand, but I wanted more freedom, more flexibility to work the hours that I wanted to work and do the things I wanted to do.

Why did you open in this location?

Well I used to have a lot of passing trade at one time, but it has diminished somewhat as of late, but I do like Henblas Street.

It’s an area that I walked through many times as a child, and I had dreams of one day opening a business in Wrexham town centre and now it has come to fruition.

Tell us about your business...

We sell window blinds mainly, all aspects of window covering from roller blinds, vertical blinds, venetian blinds, all kinds of blinds, if it goes on the window then we will sell it here.

What's your most memorable/proudest moment in business?

Every day is a highlight to me to be honest, I just enjoy being here. I mean there are various things that have happened, big companies that I would never expect to be purchasing from me have purchased from me, but to be honest it’s the general, every day running of the business that I enjoy more than anything.

My favourite thing day-to-day though is meeting the people of Wrexham. The diversity of the business means you meet all different kinds of people from across the area and it’s great.

I’m an outgoing sort of person that loves a chat and to please people, and I think we do that with the service we provide.

Have you had any strange requests?

Somebody once wanted a roller blind that was four inches less than the size of the window, and when I asked why he said because it needed to fit from corner to corner in his suitcase, because he was taking it to Benidorm with him.