SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS FOR CUP CAKE RETAIL FACTOR WINNER

A LANCASHIRE mother-of-three is having her cake and eating it thanks to The Mall Blackburn.

Cupcakes and Cookies entrepreneur Sophia Patel has been named winner of the prestigious Retail Factor competition.

Sophia captivated judges with her hard work, enthusiasm and dedication – working throughout the night to produce fresh, daily supplies of beautifully presented cakes and cookies for a two-week trading trial at The Mall, Blackburn.

The Retail Factor competition was launched in January to provide budding entrepreneurs with a fantastic opportunity to showcase their products and services.

A total of three finalists were selected to trade in The Mall for just two weeks on a retail merchandising unit, near The Mall’s ‘Ask Me Point’ and a panel of judges assessed how each business performed taking into account trading results.

Sales of Sophia’s new line of cakes known as ‘pop cakes’ - cake and fondant balls dipped in coloured chocolate and brightly decorated – were extremely successful and even outstripped sales of her popular cookies!

Sophia wins a laptop, tailored business mentoring sessions and two months of rent-free retail space in The Mall Blackburn, which she has already started.

Sophia said: “I’m really amazed to have won the competition. What started off as a hobby has turned into a business, and winning the competition has given me a huge vote of confidence. Now with two months of trading in The Mall ahead of me, it’s going to be a very busy time!”

Sophia, who only launched the business four months ago, was in competition with fellow finalists Eastern Artworks which specialises in hand-painted canvases featuring Islamic prayers in a contemporary style; and Aquamania - which is an established aquatics, pets and reptile retailer.

Retail Factor Judge, Dawn Smyth, Manager of Primark, said: “It was Sophia’s enthusiasm and dedication which was so impressive. Her products were very original and she produced them single-handedly.

“We thought that she would really benefit from having a platform in The Mall Blackburn and wish her every success for the future.”

Retail Factor Judge, Matt Cooper, Manager of Debenhams said: “Cupcakes and Cookies’ products were extremely well-presented and as an everyday purchase, they were appropriately priced for a large target audience. She also made the most of themes such as Mother’s Day and the summer wedding season.”

Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall Blackburn, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce that Sophia Patel and her business Cupcakes and Cookies is the winner of The Mall Blackburn Retail Factor Competition.

“Sophia demonstrated incredible drive, ambition and enthusiasm. She was very passionate about her work and very responsive to the needs of customers. We think she will make an excellent addition to The Mall Blackburn and wish her every success for the future.”

Sophia will now be entered into The Mall’s national Retail Factor competition with the chance to win a place on an exclusive retail business course at the BHF-BSSA Oxford Summer School.

Notes to Editors:

Picture Caption: (L to R) Dawn Smyth, Manager of Primark, Matt Cooper, Manager of Debenhams, Sophia Patel, Owner of Cupcakes and Cookies, Loraine Jones, General Manager at The Mall Blackburn and Samantha Butcher, Marketing Manager at The Mall Blackburn.

• The Mall is the UK's leading community shopping centre fund. Managed by Capital & Regional and Aviva Investors, The Mall Fund owns 11 shopping centres across the UK - home to approximately 1400 retail units and attracting approximately 2.3 million shopping visits every week.

• For further editorial information about The Mall, Blackburn, contact Denise Dawson, Julie Hackett or Paula Holden at ICG on 01772 679383.

Tags: