to "step on her toes"

[Oakmaiden]

I am feeling awkward about this one, and I actually think I shouldn't be.

The situation is thus: 5 years ago there were 2 shops in the city I lived in which sold a particular type of goods. I am not going to be specific as it is a bit identifying. Possibly. One of the shops closed as the owner retired. The other moved to a town about 25 minutes drive away. They traded there for a few years, and recently moved again, this time even further away - about 40 minutes, I'd say. So now there is the situation that if anyone in the city I live in wants to buy this particular type of good you have to travel about 35-40 minutes away.

I have been thinking about setting up another shop within the city selling this type of good. But I feel a bit awkward about it. Whilst I only know the owner of the other shop as a customer (I buy from her 2 or 3 times a year) I feel that I would be treading on her toes a bit. If there were more shops that sold this good locally it wouldn't feel so nasty, but the fact is you have to travel either to her or for the same distance in the opposite direction to find anyone stocking these goods.

Am I being unreasonable to want to set up the same sort of shop? It is not the sort of shop which creates demand, if you see what I mean. If there are x customers in the city, there will be the same number if there is another shop too. But the customers will have to choose to either go to a particular shop or shop online, whilst currently the choice is this one shop and online. (For some reason I don't know anyone who travels to the shop in the other direction).

[littleshirleybeans]

She made the choice to move which inconvenienced a lot of customers eg distance, petrol costs, time taken etc. She's lucky that they've stayed with her as you can buy most things online now (abs get next day delivery etc).
I'd say YANBU to open your own shop if you want to. Good luck.