When Anita Ashlin was made redundant a month ago she didn’t dream that four weeks later she’d be promoted and working in the same place as before.
The Shrewsbury mum was deputy manager of the Evans store in the town’s busy Darwin Shopping Centre when it closed in June but fast-forward to this week and Anita started work as manager of the new Yours store in the same Darwin Centre upper level unit.
That’s because fast-growing plus-size fashion store Yours have created five new jobs with the opening of their first store in Shropshire.
It is part of a major expansion of the brand which was founded by entrepreneur and former market trader Andrew Killingsworth who launched Yours in 2007.
There are now 58 stores in the Yours chain and plans to open a further 15 this year and 60 more in 2015.
Anita, 40, who lives in Harlescott weth her husband and daughter, said: “It’s been great news and it’s been such a roller-coaster time.
“I was deputy manager at Evans and it was a shame for them because I’d been with them for 11 years in Shrewsbury but it couldn’t have worked out better and I’m really looking forward to working for Yours.
“They’re a great company and this is a great opportunity because the Yours brand will fit in really well in Shrewsbury.
“It is very fashionable clothing with a nice range for the curvier figure and it’s affordable too.”
Area Manager Dannii Green said: “We chose Shrewsbury because there was nothing here for larger size ladies and we’re fashionable and affordable.
“We had a lot of feedback on our Twitter and Facebook sites and so we were looking here and we were lucky enough to find this unit here in the Darwin Centre and we think it will do really well.
“Anita applied for the position and she knows the area really well, has plenty of retail experience, knows the customers too and is just the sort of person I wanted and I think she’ll be a real asset to the store.
“We are still looking to fill a couple of positions here but if the store does as well as we think it will then within four to six weeks we could have more vacancies.”
Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “It’s great to welcome Yours to the Centre and to have Anita back again as well.
“Their range is extremely fashionable and competitively priced too and the success of the brand is shown by the rapid expansion of the business while it also means the arrival of another high street big name here in Shrewsbury.”
Andrew Killingsworth, Chief Executive of Yours, said: “We believe in fashion without limits, so it is important as a fashion retailer to understand a plus size woman is like any other woman and wants to be fashionable and on trend.
“Following high street and catwalk trends is a huge focus for us as we believe everyone should have the opportunity to be fashionable and on trend at an affordable price whatever their size.”
