POP-UP shops in empty high street stores should be better encouraged and entirely exempt from business rates.

That’s the leading call from Welsh Conservatives in a new campaign aimed at boosting and supporting Welsh high streets.

Launched yesterday, Open for Christmas focuses on the importance of the festive period and introduces a number of measures that could be adopted immediately:

More festive pop-up stores in empty shops, with business rates scrapped for the period of opening

Christmas Miles: Local discounts for Christmas shopping, with a stamp card used to acknowledge local purchases and retrieve rewards. This could encourage more Christmas goods to be bought locally

Free parking – or innovative parking solutions – every week throughout the festive period

Town centre website offers – retrievable in local shops

Late night shopping discounts on food and drink.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Business, William Graham AM, said:

“Pop-up shops can be a huge advantage on the high street, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

“Scrapping business rates and encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs to set them up should be prioritised by the Welsh government.

“The high street is in decline and Welsh Conservatives are committed to seeing more measures put in place to encourage local shopping.

“The festive season is an ideal opportunity to remind people of the huge benefits that local shopping can bring. Councils, town planners and Labour ministers should be working together to boost footfall and reduce the vacancy rate.”