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Can the battle to stay Independent be won?
It is said that we are a nation of shopkeepers. A nation of Arkwrights in brown work coats rubbing their hands together in delight at yet another well- earned sale. Sadly, this image is in great danger of disappearing forever if we don't do something about it.
We have only ourselves to blame. As the generations change so does our attitude to shopping and, perhaps, life itself. The nation has gone from shopping daily for life's basics and making do to being able to get what you want when you want it. Everything has to be instant -food, entertainment, contact with people, knowledge, gratification - time is in seconds instead of hours.
To meet this demand shops became stores then developed into shopping centres. Even these began to move from town centres to out-of-town where shoppers could get all they hoped for in one spot. We've all done it and 'made a day of it'. Loaded the car up with bargains, had a coffee or lunch, bought more bargains and come home exhausted. No parking fee to pay just the cost of the petrol.
Mention parking and it brings forward one of the problems independent shops face.
In the trade magazine 'Housewares' June 2011 Gary Gordon made a very important point about parking charges 'If you don't pay out of town, you should not have to pay in town'. He also made a valid point that local authorities should be stopped for using car parking charges as cash cows. Unfortunately the local authorities have to get money from somewhere.
I live in a tourist town in Yorkshire, famous for tea rooms, hardware stores and a song about ducks, worms and forgetting to wear a hat. There is never enough parking, especially for those who work in the shops so they end up leaving their cars up side streets. Outside the hardware store there is a 20 minute parking limit. Better than nothing I suppose and yet there are those motorists who park illegally outside then get cross because we can't serve them quickly enough, worried that they're going to get a ticket! There is only one answer to that.
Gary Gordon also went on to mention problem two - Business Rates. I am no business person but even I fail to see the point of an empty building making no money for anyone and slowly decaying - when the rates could be made affordable for say 2 years ( the time it may take for any new business to start to make a profit) and make money for everyone. Or am I missing something? Surely nobody likes not making money?
In the present climate why can there not be a business rate 'holiday' for those independents who can show their business is stable and viable but need to make investment for the future but can't afford to because of the fixed costs they have to incur?
What else has the Independent got that the large stores don't? There's experience, patience and knowledge for a start. The Independents don't have quotas to fill, loyalty cards to sell and a high staff turnover. If you only want three nails to repair a fence do you drive to an out of town store and buy a pack of 20 or walk into town and get exactly what you want for pennies, if not for free, and get half an hours gossip with it for nothing!
One battle the Independent store on the high street cannot win is on the quantity and storage side. Few of them, for instance, have the space to store more than the 20kg bags of sand and cement or the vast numbers of products they would have to order to get a decent discount. Big names benefit from being able to order in bulk.
With the advent of Factory Shops the poor Independent is finding it harder and harder to get those bargains for the sale too. Gone are the days of storerooms filled with unbeatable bargains and queues outside the door at nine o'clock. Now the threat is met with discounts for a brief period and a lot of searching throughout the year.
Yet on the other hand Independents can sometimes beat the Big Boys at their own game and be cheaper. Numbers maybe small but think what you gain by buying on the High Street. If you want it in a different colour the Independent is in a better position to obtain it for you. If it goes wrong you bring it straight back, no arguments. Keep the receipt and Robert's your mother's brother.
In the end the solution is in your hands - the hands of the shopper. If big, a bit impersonal and bland is your thing then continue the way you shop. But if you want knowledge and sound advice mixed with personal service and maybe a smattering of humour mixed in then support your local Independent shop. If the Independent can stay in business then the rates will continue to be paid.
The country will be a great deal poorer for their loss if we let it happen. You could say they are our history, our rich heritage and something we should be proud of. Don't let them become extinct.
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