A new pop-up flower shop has opened in Kenilworth in time for the festive period and to bring some more colour to the high street.

The new shop, in Talisman Square, has been opened by The Orangery Flower Shop (also in Talisman Square) as a temporary unit to make the most of the Christmas trade.

And the owner Gabrielle Parry said it could become a permanent fixture to help fill one of the "worrying" number of empty shops in the high street.

She said: "We could perhaps make it permanent but we are just testing the waters and seeing how it goes.

"There are quite a few empty shops which is really sad to see.

"As a retailer in Kenilworth I really worry about what is happening to the town, so I thought given that we have got lots of stock this year why don't we open a pop up shop?"

The new shop, which opened last Wednesday (November 10), sells a wider range of flowers and plants, as well as décor, interior design and other Christmas gifts. Artwork from local artists is also available for purchase.

With the much bigger floor space in the old Charles Ager shoe shop, Gabrielle hopes that people will get back to enjoying shopping in person for gifts.

"Our main shop is a bit small so people aren't always able to stay and look round for long, so hopefully with the new shop people will be able to meander around and look about," she added.

"I think it is really sad because people do like to see things before they buy them, sometimes when you buy things online, especially with flowers, its not the same and doesn't have the same enjoyment to it."

After picking up the keys in October the shop was given a fresh lick of paint and was opened to the public within four days.

Gabrielle said she has already received a lot of positive feedback just a week into trading.

"It has been really good so far, lots of positivity. People are properly starting to think about Christmas and everyone has been really lovely so far."

Most of all though she said more needed to be done across the town to make sure Kenilworth remains as flourishing as ever.

"Kenilworth is growing, more people are moving here, especially younger families, and with the new housing estates that is going to increase.

"So hopefully long term that will bring more business into the town. We are going the right way but we just need to modernise it a bit I think."

Bill Wareing of Wareing & Co, who let the shop, felt having the unit occupied was a great way to encourage greater footfall in the run-up to Christmas.

He added: "While it is always a shame to see a business go, we felt it was important that the old Charles Ager unit was occupied before Christmas as it attract more people into the centre.

"This is not only good for the Orangery, but good for the rest of Talisman Shopping Centre too.

"And it's great to hear that Gabrielle has already seen lots of customers visit the pop-up shop and purchase flowers and gifts in the short time it has been open."

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