A Nation of Shopkeepers?
- Thread starter Floh
- Start date
reNnIe said:every high street seems to have a tesco metro/sainsbury's local now, a starbucks or equivalent, a boots/superdrug, and an H&M/Zara/Next/etc.
The rise of the clone town ...
It's the 'Tesco Metro' etc and the like that worry me most. They're a real threat to surviving small shops, because unlike the realy big outlets they're in direct competition, and in the same street. Here, Sainsbury's recently took over the local Jackson's chain of convenience stores. Needless to say, they've had a facelift and re-emerged as 'Sainsbury's at Jackson's' - same overpriced shit, different packaging, but with a lot more marketing muscle behind it.
I'd like to see much stiffer regulation of these mini-supermarkets. in fact, I think that takeover deals like the Shitsbury's/Jackson's one should be vetoed by the Competition Commission. But there's no chance of that - the Competition Commission gave the supermarkets a virtually clean bill of health back in 2000, and they walked off grinning and counting their money. It was a complete travesty. If i'd been writing that report, they'd certainly not have walked away grinning: in fact, I'd have given them such a battering they wouldn't have walked away at all!
moose
like some cat from Japan
The council in my smallish (pop 69,000) recognised that something should be done about the fact people now prefer to go to nearby out-of-town developments because there's free parking, rather than shopping here where there used to be lots of small independent retailers and interesting little shops. So they launched a competition in which 4 organisations were invited to submit their exciting plans for virtually remodelling the town.
Unfortunately the 4 organisations were Walmart, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose. Whoever is the winner gets to open a huge store in return for putting in a few bits of paving, a large multistorey and the odd tree.
Unfortunately the 4 organisations were Walmart, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose. Whoever is the winner gets to open a huge store in return for putting in a few bits of paving, a large multistorey and the odd tree.
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Oh another thing. We submitted our details to the Spitalfields Development Corporation earlier on in the year after seeing they were after 'different' 'independant' retailers "Where small businesses will flourish" (from their booklet).
Had a meeting with the big letting agent who said "We ticked all the boxes for what they wanted" then had a meeting with the developers up in Park Lane and they liked what we did, and the fact we were prepared to sell the house and finance it all ourselves. Great we thought, a busy London area for us. A few months passed, so I rang and just got a frosty response from the (initially) nice letting agent woman.
It was supposed to open on Sept.22nd, and as we were in London on Sunday we thought we'd have a look. Only a couple of units had opened, one being Evans Cycles (the UK's biggest cycle retailer), a restaurant chain, soon to open a big cosmetic chain, some Chinese herbal chain and basically it looked a fucking soul-less monstrosity, full of big names.
Really in keeping with the Spitalfields ideals as we were originally led to believe.
Sitting in a nearby pub after seeing this we were so glad they didn't pick us in the end, it looked fucking horrible.
It just shows you the power of the developers and wanting to keep to a 'winning' formula.
Had a meeting with the big letting agent who said "We ticked all the boxes for what they wanted" then had a meeting with the developers up in Park Lane and they liked what we did, and the fact we were prepared to sell the house and finance it all ourselves. Great we thought, a busy London area for us. A few months passed, so I rang and just got a frosty response from the (initially) nice letting agent woman.
It was supposed to open on Sept.22nd, and as we were in London on Sunday we thought we'd have a look. Only a couple of units had opened, one being Evans Cycles (the UK's biggest cycle retailer), a restaurant chain, soon to open a big cosmetic chain, some Chinese herbal chain and basically it looked a fucking soul-less monstrosity, full of big names.
Really in keeping with the Spitalfields ideals as we were originally led to believe.
Sitting in a nearby pub after seeing this we were so glad they didn't pick us in the end, it looked fucking horrible.
It just shows you the power of the developers and wanting to keep to a 'winning' formula.
Griff said:
Bad luck, Griff. Tbh it sounds like you've been fucked over from every direction - not only the council and the big chains, but also the downturn in retail this year.
Given the examples you and Moose have just posted, and what I've seen happen in Hull over the last year or so, I can't help thinking that any proclamations from local government on how they want to encourage small business/promote alternative retailers/delete bullshit as applicable, should be greeted with a cynical laugh. They're in the pockets of the big chains, really - simple as that.
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Roadkill said:
Bad luck, Griff. Tbh it sounds like you've been fucked over from every direction - not only the council and the big chains, but also the downturn in retail this year.
To be honest after seeing what they've done, it was pretty good luck not getting one of those new shops.
We also wondered if the London bombings had put on hold/put people off the development too, as they were very strict on the 22nd launch date. Also some of the names given to us on the first meeting weren't there nor was there any sign of them opening up soon. One of the big restaurants is still up for lease too (£120,000 per annum rent). 
Best well out of it really.
.Somehow, I don't know how, my local town (Bisbee, AZ) manages to be a really old-fashioned town with streets and tons of thriving independent shops and food co-ops and cafes and bars. It's an oasis surrounded by the usual Wal-Mart superstore hell, though.
It seems as if the only places that small shops do well are places like this where there's an existing culture which supports them. In another local town, people often try, and I feel a kind of dread every time I see a new little place opened with such optimism, knowing that they'll close after 6 months, unable to compete with WM and Target.
Griff, that's really sad.
It seems as if the only places that small shops do well are places like this where there's an existing culture which supports them. In another local town, people often try, and I feel a kind of dread every time I see a new little place opened with such optimism, knowing that they'll close after 6 months, unable to compete with WM and Target.
Griff, that's really sad.
moose
like some cat from Japan
It's not all bad - my town, in common with many smaller places round here, has one street of 'boutique' shops - small, one-off gift/fashion shops (rather like Griff's) which are very popular but can't squeeze on to the High Street. However the fact the council are going to be building on existing car parks and raising parking prices generally means they will suffer as less people come into town.
I just took a trip to an independent bicycle shop, which is a 40 minute ride away (i'm not so fast on my tourer, or anything else, come to that). i live at the edge of Hamburg and this bicycle shop is in the next (small) town to me, outside of Hamburg.
there is a 'chain' bicycle store which is just that bit closer to me which opened up very near to this bicycle shop which has been there for years and years and years. soooooo, they are selling job lots of bikes for cheaper than the old bike shop. which was something which worried the owner, obviously. the chain store didn't need to open where they did, because there is whacking great 'nother one of their shops only 10 kilometers in the other direction. they did it to cripple her business.
the main difference i see with independent shops is the service! i needed a couple of things done and a replacement bulb for my back light. they took 20 minutes to do the bits and bobs i needed, wouldn't accept anything for the labour and i ended up paying just ¢00.99 for the bulb. sold with smile and the knowledge that customers will keep going back to that shop for anything they need, because, happily, the owner has learned over the last 6 months, since the chain store opened, she's kept her customers. every time i go in, there are always lots of people (i go in at various times in the day and on different days of the week).
every year i pay €30.00 for a complete service. originally the bike cost €700 (and another one was purchased by b/f for €900). i've bought a cycle helmet (€50), glasses €60) and various other accoutrements (GOOD LOCKS!!!), always from this shop. anyone i speak to about bikes in this area always goes there too.
i wish there was more positivity for small businesses on the horizon, but this is one tale of a small shop which appears to be having a happy ending.
p.s. anyone who has bought a bike from the new chain store has learned they are sold in bits. they always end up at the small bicycle shop paying them to put the bikes together because the chain store doesn't.
so Mrs Hauschild (bike store owner) has decided she's reaping benefits from people who possibly wouldn't be all that serious about buying a bike normally, but just getting one cos it's cheap and then spending money at Mrs Hauschild's shop anyway because they find out putting a bike together isn't as easy as they'd thought.
there is a 'chain' bicycle store which is just that bit closer to me which opened up very near to this bicycle shop which has been there for years and years and years. soooooo, they are selling job lots of bikes for cheaper than the old bike shop. which was something which worried the owner, obviously. the chain store didn't need to open where they did, because there is whacking great 'nother one of their shops only 10 kilometers in the other direction. they did it to cripple her business.
the main difference i see with independent shops is the service! i needed a couple of things done and a replacement bulb for my back light. they took 20 minutes to do the bits and bobs i needed, wouldn't accept anything for the labour and i ended up paying just ¢00.99 for the bulb. sold with smile and the knowledge that customers will keep going back to that shop for anything they need, because, happily, the owner has learned over the last 6 months, since the chain store opened, she's kept her customers. every time i go in, there are always lots of people (i go in at various times in the day and on different days of the week).
every year i pay €30.00 for a complete service. originally the bike cost €700 (and another one was purchased by b/f for €900). i've bought a cycle helmet (€50), glasses €60) and various other accoutrements (GOOD LOCKS!!!), always from this shop. anyone i speak to about bikes in this area always goes there too.
i wish there was more positivity for small businesses on the horizon, but this is one tale of a small shop which appears to be having a happy ending.
p.s. anyone who has bought a bike from the new chain store has learned they are sold in bits. they always end up at the small bicycle shop paying them to put the bikes together because the chain store doesn't.
so Mrs Hauschild (bike store owner) has decided she's reaping benefits from people who possibly wouldn't be all that serious about buying a bike normally, but just getting one cos it's cheap and then spending money at Mrs Hauschild's shop anyway because they find out putting a bike together isn't as easy as they'd thought.
Griff said:Long gone, mate. Just notice how the rise of Next etc. has taken over on every High Street, and look what it's like when they have a sale: People just want cheap, fuck individuality.
are you just pissed off about the branch over the road from u
, crap yes
Cloud
Omar Commin!
I dunno just look at decathlon - they really do make sports accessible to everyone. You can go in there and get kitted out for less than half the price of independent bike shops and the stuff lasts. Heart rate monitor £25, speedo £6, lycra shorts £6.99, two tyres £6!!! Cycle tool £1.99. Sorry don't mean to be an advert for the place but they made it really easy for me to get the whole family on two wheels on a very limited budget. I can thoroughly recommend their kids bikes and the repair service is very good. I bust a spoke on my daughters bike packing it in the boot of the car and they replaced it in 1 hour at no cost - find a bike shop that will do that!
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