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Original poster

Which businesses are going to go under?

551 replies

Nobledeedsandhotbaths · 26/08/2022 23:45

I've been thinking about the upcoming crisis and wondering which 'non-essential' businesses are likely to lose most custom once things begin to bite.

Things like:
Tattoo artists
Nail technicians
Children's party entertainers
Just for a few examples.

There are many others I would class as non-essential that will potentially be ok because their client base is the wealthy, who will be less affected by what is going to happen.

What are other people's predictions for businesses that may struggle?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
18
NoWordForFluffy · 27/08/2022 13:04

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/08/2022 09:09

I hope sainsburys plummets - it has taken the piss for years, tesco goods at M&S prices imo.
I switched to aldi years ago, and the odd thing I have to get from sainsburys makes me wince.

Show quote history

Sainsbury's isn't that expensive at all; certainly not M&S prices. It came out cheaper than Morrisons in a recent Which list.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 27/08/2022 13:13

Sadly, I reckon a lot of animal shelters are going to see a big influx of abandoned pets. Pets that were perhaps bought during lockdown and two years down the line are costing more than their owners thought/expected. A friend of mine bought a puppy when she was WFH, but now she’s back in the office she’s struggling to pay for her canine crèche.

ThreeRingCircus · 27/08/2022 13:18

I worry for restaurants, not so much takeaways as for many people getting a takeaway may replace going out for dinner as a treat.

We'd cut right back on eating out anyway but now are almost never getting a takeaway where as previously we had one once a week. I went to Aldi yesterday and filled the freezer with frozen pizzas and bought some popcorn. Having that and a "cinema" night at home will still be a treat for the DC but not cost the earth.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 27/08/2022 13:19

I think libraries will flourish. Why buy a book when you can borrow it for free? My aunt said that she’s going to sit in her local library when it gets too cold at home, and I can imagine lots of people using the Wi-Fi there too. I can get half an hour of free computer + internet use per day on my card if I needed to. Thankfully I’m not at that stage yet!

Fivemoreminutes1 · 27/08/2022 13:21

How much do driving lessons cost now? I’m contemplating teaching my DD myself!

Dalaidramailama · 27/08/2022 13:23

@BerryBerryBerryBerry

The weed market is incredibly saturated now. The Albanians have taken a large foothold and cultivating cannabis is nowhere near as profitable these days, certainly not for the English dealers. Lower profit margins and higher more dangerous stakes.

mishmased · 27/08/2022 13:25

Kerrrmieee · 27/08/2022 03:23

You know me, I have no fear. One wrong look and he's a goner!

Only the best for my kids 🤣

Love this 🤣🤣

glassofgreen · 27/08/2022 13:25

There are waiting lists for tattoos according to friends. Whether that will change I don't know.

Children's dance and sports classes? I've already heard of people dropping those. Sadly.

glassofgreen · 27/08/2022 13:26

Do dance schools and sports/rec class providers

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 27/08/2022 13:28

Fundays12 · 27/08/2022 08:35

Everything as a family we stopped going to soft play, cancelled all the kids paid activities except swimming lessons, stopped takeaways, only buying clothes as needed rather than because we like or fancy a new top, keep saying no to invites for drinks, nights out, liquid lunches, hair appointments are now further apart, no nail appointments though I stopped them a while back as I garden a lot.

We kept the monthly leisure centre pass as it covers swimming pool access for us all, swimming lessons, football, athletics for the kids and spin classes for me and is £34 a month. It's most likely going to increase but we will pay up to £45 as ds2 and ds3 are at the top of the lists for free swimming lessons with them which will save us £110 a month. I meal plan now and we waste no food now (we were shocking before). 2 of the 3 kids have to go school dinners which are free due to there age as we are in Scotland. Eldest has complex additional needs including ARFID so has a set packed lunch. We walk far more to reduce fuel costs, put of booking a foreign holiday and now shop in different places for food. Today's trip is 3 free library kids activities and the park. Tomorrow is swimming that's included in our membership.

These are preventative measures for us as a family. We are lucky as we have saved this money for the energy bills. I fear for those who can't afford to save or alternatively those that have stuck there heads in the sand over bills. However these are all businesses that no longer get my money.

@Fundays12

WOW. Your Leisure Centre Sounds fabulous & SO cheap! It's £50 at my one just for 1 adult, no pool.just the gym & classes.

the nearest one with a pool is 20 miles away & each adult has to pay for a pass (then kids can go in the very few 'family swim times' but there aren't any lessons.

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 27/08/2022 13:34

ByeByeMissAmericanPie · 27/08/2022 08:49

On a positive note - Bearing in mind that lots of people read these threads, maybe we should all try and adopt a local independent business over the next year to support?

That could make a difference to a lot of business owners.

@ByeByeMissAmericanPie

what exactly do you think 'adopting' a local business would entail?

IrishMumInLondon2020 · 27/08/2022 13:39

A small speciality cafe opened near me during pandemic and appears to be thriving right now. I also noticed that a local gift shop owner has announced the opening of a second premises. So hopefully she will weather the storm.

I have to admit that these threads are likely to increase anxiety. Yes, things will be tough but we’ve all gone through tough times before and managed. I hope this is the same.

Dinoteeth · 27/08/2022 13:43

@Diverseopinions I'd be wary of saying people had easier 80s, 90s & 70s childhoods. I can't say much about the 90s but there was visible poverty in the 70s and 80s, children who were clearly from poor families. Glasses sellotaped together, clothes which just didn't fit and weren't kept clean, shoes falling apart.
70s & 80s there was lots of industrial action, including teachers and the miners strikes.

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 27/08/2022 13:48

mam0918 · 27/08/2022 09:40

My mother had this kind of view.

'the only thing thats garanteed is death and taxes... and that we all need to eat' so she went into the food industry (not resteraunts but food science working with outbreaks of contamination).

She always tried to instill these thought process in us, she is very disappointed that neither me nor any of my siblings went into sewerage management as she thought since 'everybody poops' it was a solid job choice that wouldnt be hit by recession.

I studied medicine and my siblings are engineers (one electrical, one mechanical) and yet we are still somehow a disappointment to her lol.

Show quote history

You mother sounds like a right card!!🤣

love that your 3 choices are a disappointment that you didn't go into sewage 🤣🤣

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 27/08/2022 13:53

Badbadbunny · 27/08/2022 09:46

Spot on. Our village sandwich/pie shop has already closed. I'm an accountant and they were one of my clients (had been for years). Pre covid, they were doing "OK", making a wage for themselves and employing 3 staff. Covid wiped out their reserves and they were left hanging by a thread, only surviving due to loans taken out to cover costs during lockdowns and restrictions.

But trade returned and their turnover was back to pre-covid levels by the end of last year. Trouble is that ingredients pricing has simply not stopped rising, sugar, flour, milk, everything bought in bulk. VAT returning to 20% after the temporary covid reduction also hit them hard as it went back to normal far too soon before they'd really recovered! They've raised prices, bit by bit over the last 12 months to the point where customers started making comments and they noticed some customers stopped coming in (local village shop so they know their customers). So they were only breaking even.

The past 2 or 3 months' of electric and gas bills have ruined them - they made losses over Summer. I spent hours with them going over their accounts, preparing forecasts and various "what if" scenarios. On current prices of ingredients and fuel, even if they doubled their prices and didn't lose any customers, they'd still be loss making. It was clear it's hopeless, so closure was the only viable option. Now the village has another empty shop and 5 people unemployed!

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@Badbadbunny that's really sad. Such a shame to have good, local, businesses go under. I hope they're grateful for your help, even if it wasn't a great outcome, better than trundling along another year & getting in a lot of debt!

I hope your own business survives all of this!

JugglingJanuary · 27/08/2022 14:00

Lindy2 · 27/08/2022 09:59

My main line of work is working for a gas safe engineer. I think we'll see an increase in work this autumn as we're encouraging people to get boilers serviced to make sure they're running efficiently. We've cut our usual price to help people do this and prepare now for the colder weather.

My sideline for a bit of extra spending money is evening babysitting. There's really not a lot of that going on right now. I stopped during Covid and was just starting to build up my client base again but I'm not getting much business at all now. That's a shame as I could really do with some extra.

@Lindy2 I know it varies regionally, but what do you think is a reasonable price to pay for a boiler service?

and do you have any advice on finding someone reputable?

BG are offering them very cheaply £29, but I'm not sure I trust them
snd not sure they won't add on bits that need doing/replacing just to up the price.

notanothertakeaway · 27/08/2022 14:01

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 27/08/2022 00:02

Fuck me OP, where is your compassion?

You are talking about peoples livelihoods, and having fun predicting who will go to the wall.

What a horrible post.

Agree with this

This thread has a a ring of "knitting at the gallows" about it

RomeoOscarXrayIndigoEcho · 27/08/2022 14:05

notanoccultexpert · 27/08/2022 08:11

Not your average business, but I've been running an ebook website for 10 years. I take old, out of copyright books, format them nicely, and offer them for free in a variety of formats (pdfs, epubs, Kindle, and some are also available as online text). I ask for donations, but I also sell curated collections. It never earned a massive amount, but I love doing it, and it's kept my bills paid for the last 10 years.

Tuesday I've got a trial day for a full time job because sales have dropped so much (so have donations), I can't survive on what I'm making. I'm not giving up the site, I'll just have to cut back on how many books I add (usually 1 a day).

It's sad because it's been a joy and like I said, never a massive amount of money, but enough for me. No longer though :(

That sounds like exactly the sort of website I love. Could you DM me the link please? Ta. Or share it here for others?

Cleanmean · 27/08/2022 14:07

I recall the 2008 recession, that was also a huge global recession, massive repercussions for many. However, the key difference then was that we didn't have to deal with a recession alongside price rises on every single thing we consume. I don't remember food, gas, electric, eating out, trains, stationary etc going up all at the same time.

People were able to ride out the storm. The main worry at that time was that people were worried about their jobs and losing their home. But it was still manageable to an extent.

The current recession just seems completely unsurvivable for individuals and businesses. Its horrific and the true scale of it will start to unfold around Oct time. The cost of very very basic living is completely out of control. I'm in a total panic despite managing to build savings to see us through and both working full time.

Caramac555 · 27/08/2022 14:10

Our village has lost an independent pet shop and the pub is closing. We are in a reasonably well off area.

I'm surprised the pet shop is closing, and also a bit gutted for them, they were nice folks.

AchillesLastStand · 27/08/2022 14:11

NoWordForFluffy · 27/08/2022 13:04

Sainsbury's isn't that expensive at all; certainly not M&S prices. It came out cheaper than Morrisons in a recent Which list.

Show quote history

I agree. I shop in Sainsbury’s every week and they price match a lot of items, especially fruit and veg with Aldi. I’ve been in Tesco and Asda recently and a lot of items are more expensive. Pink lady apples for example, £2.70 for 6 in Tesco, £2.50 in Sainsbury’s. Quorn frozen products £3.00 in Asda, £2.50 in Sainsbury’s.

Zilla1 · 27/08/2022 14:16

HNRTT but the issue with your list in the OP might be to think about businesses that will face reduced demand, an inability to raise prices and increased costs. Some of those businesses in your list won't necessarily face increased costs unless they run high street premises.

Regarding demand, if the stereotypical younger customer who lives with parents and wants a tattoo/their nails done, any increase in pay might feed directly into disposable income if their parents pay the bills. The UK wasn't short of young people spending £100s/£1000s on tattoos from artists in the last few years.

IMO, what will struggle might be high street cafes, shops selling clothing, furniture and bigger ticket household items and so on. Car dealers and estate agents and high street professional firms and so on might face reduced turnover and shed staff.

Zilla1 · 27/08/2022 14:17

Pubs and restaurants might close at increased rates too.

fedupofthenonsense · 27/08/2022 14:19

Dog groomers
Restaurants/ food establishments
Party planners
Travel agents

I know I'm stretching out my hair appointments and we never go out for dinner as a family anymore ( this did this ALL the time before covid.- it's just so expensive for a family of 5

PersonaNonGarter · 27/08/2022 14:23

thedancingbear · 27/08/2022 10:47

This thread is fucking repellent.

Blimey, best not take an economics degree @thedancingbear - Never mind impact on SMEs, economists sometimes even discuss impact on … people’s health!

oh I know dear. Such things should really be banned.