Bearwood pub and gold-buying centre team up to beat parking problems

Oct 27 2009 by Graeme Brown, Birmingham Post

A Bearwood gold-buying centre and pub owner have teamed up to beat the parking problems in the High Street.

David Johnson, of Rex Johnson Online, was so frustrated at the lack of parking in the area that he and Michel Bassot of the King’s Head, Hagley Road, have devised an innovative solution.

Anyone who visits the gold buying and cheque-cashing outlet at 526 Bearwood Road will benefit from free car parking at the pub – and a free drink – if they take a Rex Johnson Online flyer from the bar and return it with their receipt from the store.

“Customers were complaining that they couldn’t park anywhere, so we had to think of something to encourage shoppers into the area,” explained David Johnson, director of the company.

“The arrangement with the King’s Head is one that will benefit not only both of us, but the rest of Bearwood as shoppers will be able to look around the other stores in the area.

“We wanted to say thank you to our customers because we have had tremendous support since we opened in July.”

Bearwood High Street was closed down for a morning in July when TV antiques expert David Dickinson – the face of the gold buying campaign for Rex Johnson & Sons – opened the outlet.

It was the third site of its kind to be launched by the long-established family business in two months, as it benefits from rising gold prices.

The first was opened in Coventry city centre at the end of April and the second in Sheldon in May.