To say go and support your local independent businesses

i don't think it has to be all or nothing. A few years ago, i started trying to make the effort to try and shop more locally. it isn't always convenient so i only do it if it suits me.

a clothing boutique gave me an extra discount on an item i was eyeing up that i was unsure about and they also wrap your packages very nicely, so it feels extra special.

i've bought vintage furniture cheaply (one item, i later found out is a brand popular with hipsters).

my local opticians have been a godsend for DS, who has a very high prescription. he hated going for eye tests, but he feels comfortable going to them and the staff know us. As DS is now in adult glasss, they are becoming too expensive, so i'll have to get his glssss elsewhere, but will still use them for eye tests.

i can buy cheaper herbs and spices, seasonings, rice, cooking oil etc from world foods supermarkets.

i wont buy £4 gift cards from a gift shop, but if i need a generic gift for someone eg work colleague, class teacher etc, i will check out the gift shops.

my local fruit and veg market is cheap, but its on the other side of town and is only open when i'm at work, so i'll shop there where i can.

I live in one of the poorest boroughs in London.

People are just doing what they can to get by on a daily basis.

There are no 'dreamy' bookshops (whatever they are) or 'gorgeous tearooms' and the vast majority couldn't afford to shop in M&S even if they cut their prices in half.

Will when we downsize and have more money.
Cant afford to atm. Most people can’t.

YANBU But it’s too late in most places, your message was needed 20 years ago.

I always go for independent if I can.

It's a mindset that needs to be changed. People's obsession with cheap and disposable which is so awful for the environment.

Cheap mass produced items can only be made in large scales and by cheap labour, so will be sold online or in chain stores, so until people can go back to the idea of quality over quantity, independent stores will struggle unless they can offer something niche.

Saying that, an independent store that offers quality and niche items will survive if they know their target market.

I agree to a point but there are too many cafes and coffee shops now. The quality is hit and miss. I've had coffee that is sour and very mediocre cakes for an extortionate amount of money.

Independent doesn't always mean good quality, so should poor quality businesses survive?

Those that are good I would absolutely suppoty but as pp pointed out it can be a gamble and when it costs a fortune you can't blame people for being reluctant.

Lifestyle businesses aren't always good for the actual customer.

I'm not well off but for me it's much more about time than it is cost. I work 8-5, the independent butchers, greengrocers etc. here are closed by the time I finish work and to shop there at the weekends is awkward because parking is crap and the shops are nowhere near each other.

Parking in my town is limited to two hours whether you pay for it or not - not long enough to cover shopping/browsing/hair appt./lunch.
If I have to stop halfway through it all to move the car I'm far more likely to just do the bare minimum and then head home.

Realistically, we live in a capitalist and consumer driven society, so if a small business wants to succeed it has to adapt and change to appeal to what people want. The onus cannot be on the consumer to prop up local business at their own expense. It needs to offer something better than you can't get elsewhere whether that is a great experience, much better quality, more personalised, more convenient etc.

In an ideal yes I would. In reality it's not that simple

I'm on a budget and independent shops are often much more expensive.

I'm time poor so I like to shop online at home and have things delivered quickly. I don't have time to traipse round lots of places that have no parking and odd opening hours.

The customer service and returns are usually terrible. There's a designer clothes shop in town my shop loves the clothes but returns are for vouchers only, no thank you! If it doesn't fit him I want to be able to get my money back! I will Google the item he likes, usually find it cheaper somewhere else, get a blue light discount and be able to get it delivered and return it for free.

I can't say I've ever had amazing customer service from any independent business, some are fairly average, many abismal.

I like to know that the product is going to be good, for example I know in every Starbucks/Costa what the coffee is going to taste like and what I'm going to get, with an independent I'm taking an absolute gamble every time I try somewhere new, end up with rank coffee and have water my money wishing I had just bought a Starbucks/Nero/Costa (I know not to everyone's taste but I like it).

Agree, these shops will be gone soon and then we will miss them

Seems like the last few years we have been condemned for flying a union flag and encouraging folk to buy British but - hallelujah the tide seems to be turning

The reality is that most ( not all - 8 or 9 in 10 ) people actually have enough money to live off and are using COL as an excuse to get more of "cheapest now" with no regard for ethical purchasing , long term impacts etc

We can make choices - buy more stuff cheaper , or less stuff that's more expensive- one leads to a downward spiral - wages are pushed down , quality goes down, and eventually a few players dominate the market when prices go up and quality and reliability and service go down

Short term gain long term pain

( if you are one of the 10 to 20% who can not pay their bills through no fault of your own , please don't jump down my throat )

This is a real bugbear of mine. It is already too late.

I live in a town, albeit a smallish one, and end up having to buy stuff on line simply because there is nowhere to get the items I need. (Most recent was a sourdough set, bowls etc). Now admittedly that was rather niche, but 20 years ago I would have had 2 places I could have got them from.

I do support local coffee shops and butchers, but the independent shops where I am are cutesy gift shops, very few useful shops. Fortunately we do have quite a few large chain stores (like the Range etc) so I can get some stuff locally.

How can we turn back the clock?

The sentiment is lovely but the reality is people are trying to get by in a cost of living crisis. I shop wherever is cheapest. Does a butcher provide better quality meat, sure but I can't afford it so I go to Lidl. Most people work a lot of hours now so online shopping is more convenient. Why trawl round independent shops when you can have something delivered to your door and save the hassle? My free time is for nice long dog walks on the beach that don't cost me anything.

That would be wonderful but you can’t deny their prices are much higher.

Unfortunately butchers, bakeries, antique shops, homewards, book shops, florists and coffee shops are all places I avoid.

Buying coffee and cakes while I’m out is a flat no. I do not want to throw money away on things like this.

I also don’t want to spend upwards of £4 on a card when I can buy one from Home Bargains for 79p when so many people begrudge even receiving them.

On the flip side I do support nail salons and hairdressers. Barbers etc need a livelihood too.