WITH jars full of sweets and pink candy cane-striped walls, when you step into Sweets and Celebrations on Commercial Street in Pontypool, you could be mistaken for thinking you’d stepped back in time.
And this is exactly the experience owners Wayne and Kathy Jones want for their customers.
The shop opened on Commercial Street, opposite Principality Building society, on January 18, having previously been housed in the town’s Indoor Market.
Mr Jones said he felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring a traditional feel back to the town centre.
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“We have found that Pontypool is the perfect place for us,” said Mr Jones. “It’s what we are all about, bringing that tradition back in to the high street.
“We have a lot of older customers, as they come in and say that it brings back memories of going in to sweet shops when they were younger.
“But we also have a lot of younger customers too, and we have started to do an American range too to cater for their tastes.
(Wayne Jones, owner of Sweets and Celebrations, with their traditional sweet jars.)
“We try to create a personal shopping experience which you don’t really get at bigger stores.
“It’s about being more than just a sweet shop.”
The business is still relatively new, having only been established in 2018.
“I was working in sales for 20 years,” said Mr Jones. “With the money I had saved I left my job and set up my dream business.
“When we started in 2018, we started out just doing events - with our sweet carts and selling candyfloss and popcorn.
“After that proved popular, we were able to move in to Pontypool Indoor Market. But we have now outgrown the market and moved into our own shop on the high street.
(Sweets and Celebrations on Commercial Street in Pontypool.)
“People seem to appreciate and recognise when you put your all into something.
“With the decline of shops in the high street, I think the town needs more and more small, local businesses.
“The Welsh Government have helped us with the relief on business rates,” he said.
“Without that, we couldn’t have moved into our own shop.
“That’s what we need, more and more stores moving into the high street.”
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