To ask where all those who said that WFH would be good for business are now?

[ChampagnePuppy]

Sorry, sort of a rant.
I work in a small local foodie business in the South West. I know there is a cost of living crisis, but I also feel that WFH culture is killing us.
So many said that they would spend more in their local high streets now they were WFH but that seems to have stopped.
People are online food shopping and then not leaving their houses. Three local businesses announced they were closing this week, two bakeries and one restaurant. I can count five since Christmas which have folded.
I know a lot are feeling the pinch from gas and electric but a lot of people are just WFH, squirrelling their money away, saving and then saying 'oh that's a shame' on the Facebook posts when a business announces they're folding. Why not support them? I'm not talking about those on the breadline but those who are financially comfortable.
If you want a diverse high street, you have to support local businesses or we won't be here in a years time.

Being disabled I wouldn't be able to work at all without WFH. But I was never someone who bought lunches or coffee anyway. Those I know who do work in offices don't buy lunch or coffee now because of the cost of living crisis. They don't go out either for same reason.

All of your examples are food related, including your place of work. People are cutting back on non essential items due to cost of living crisis. That would easily explain the restaurant, and likely the 2 bakeries. The only baked goods I buy now frequently are loaves of bread which are much cheaper in the supermarket than at my local bakery.

I work from home. I couldn't do my job without wfh. My offices are based in London and I'm in Yorkshire. This has also saved me lots on childcare. On a weekend in particular I find it really important to get out of the house for my mental being, seen as though I spend a lot of my weekdays there. I love going into my local town then.

I think you're placing blame in the wrong place.

Working from home allows me to have a second job for a previous employer around my full time job. Without it, I would only earn enough money to cover my bills but have nothing left over. By being able to work from home, I’m now able to afford the odd takeaway and holiday as well.
My full time workplace is in a very rural area but I live closer to a city, so I spend more on days I’m at home if I need to buy lunch.

So, you're saying I'm not spending my salary in the way you want me to?

Ok 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I also like working from home because I can still earn money on days I don’t have childcare or am too sick for the office. That benefits the economy a little, as I still pay tax.

So you worked with your kids around you ?

So another person who works with kids around them - it’s completely unprofessional
Ive tried to call to arrange a mortgage appointment and could hear children in the background
it’s unprofessional and can’t believe it’s allowed

There could be children in the background if they are in an office. They do have families with appointments some of whom will have children with them.

My favourite independent shoe shop has about 5 people on phones selling shoes across the country. I wonder when my kids are a bit too noisy whether callers complain to others about those staff working from home with kids in the background.

🤣 ridiculous
Children should not be in any way involved in professional appointments
For the rest of us who could not work from home and had to pay or source childcare because we were physically out working , this is a ridiculous answer

@AzureOrchid So mortgage companies that have clients visiting them should tell them their children are banned? What about estate agents should they do the same?
I am not talking about the staffs children but people using their services.

I am talking about staff
Staff taking liberties , avoiding paying for childcare whilst their children noisily okay in the background
Either pay for childcare or resign
It irritates me because there are people on very good wages who try to do this “ work around the children “ , it benefits nobody , not the child , not the customer, but only the greedy parent
( disclaimer i am a parent and do opposite shifts to my DP so would never condone this type of shit service )

Its up to employers what they accept.

I wouldn’t take my kids to a mortgage appointment same way I wouldn’t expect the banks kid to be there
Certain situations should be child free
I have had experience of online banking calls where i could hear family life in the background- it’s completely unprofessional. What about these working from home rules where there is supposed to be a separate work space or room ? People clearly taking the piss , confidential conversations taking place in living rooms.
It should not be allowed
We are three. Years post pandemic and the piss take continues…
There are those who are out genuinely doing real work and those sitting in their living room or bedrooms farting about …

You can have a separate workspace and still have family life in the background.
And in open plan offices and call centres you have noise in the background.

Call centre background noise is acceptable
Anything else - no

Non-essentials are the first to go in a crisis. Interest rates and utility costs mean even the relatively well-off are feeling the pinch. You don’t buy coffee when you can make it yourself. Nor do you eat out as often. I am not sure what you expected would happen?

Lots of 'eateries' of various different types from cafes to really upmarket restaurants have closed in my nearest city. Every one has blamed the rise the utilities and food prices coupled with staff shortages. I really don't think people wfh is having as big an effect as you think. My dh worked from home for 2 years(I always did) and even now he is back hybrid working he still doesn't eat out, its too difficult to justify the cost at the moment.

I've saved on childcare because I don't have the 2 hourly commute each day, which means I don't have to pay for pre and post school childcare. I do not work with my child at home.

Lots of people WAH where I live. The local cafes are very busy. Maybe your business I

I don't think OP works in a cafe. She said food-related retail. She's mentioned meat and flour so I'm thinking fancy, free-range butchers, in which case her business can definitely survive in todays culture of online shopping.

We have a few local butchers who deliver locally. They usually have certain dates assigned to each area eg they'll visit my town every second wednesday and go to another every second friday etc.

They sell hand-churned butter, artisan cheese, homemade chutneys, jams and preserves, a small amount of seasonal fruit and veg and meat, obviously. Most importantly to me, they sell raw dog food and meaty bones. I order from there regularly. I know their meat hampers are very popular as is their bulk-buy chicken breast trays. I mostly buy dog food but I can never resist adding a few of their butters and cheeses to my order.

Another local butcher started making pies and hot and cold sandwiches and added themselves to Uber and JustEat. If I'm having a day off healthy eating I order a couple of their lamb and cheese pies and a slice of quiche for lunch and dinner.

Raw dog food is growing in popularity so if OP's business could expand into this market it would definitely help. If she has access to a mincer all she needs to mince up off cuts, mix it with bone and a small amount of veg. I buy 80/10/10 which 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal and I mix in my own but OP could think about selling a mix of frozen fruit and veg cubes to mix into it.

Business have to evolve to survive. Many industries died as society made new inventions and discoveries. Blacksmiths, carters, millers, etc have decreased in number considerably. Do you feel the same level of sadness that we no longer need people to drive horses and carts or to copy books by hand and so they lost their jobs?

I've always been tight with money, even though I have a really good income.
I refuse point blank to pay out for coffee when I'm out and about.
Nor do I use bakeries etc.
I haven't set foot in my local town for over a decade. The last time I went it was full of charity shops and junkies. No thanks.
I do all my shopping online.
I'm the type that the op hates.
If you don't understand that there's a CoL going on, whether people WFH or not, then maybe you should shut up shop op, people aren't going to throw money over your counter when they're struggling to pay their bills.

I doubt many people will be buying hand churned butter and artisan cheese if they can't afford to turn the heating on much.

I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination. I'm relatively comfortable but nowhere rich. I rent and will probably never own a house but I do have a small amount of money left after essentials.

I wouldn't dream of buying hand-churned butter or fancy cheese with my normal grocery shop but every month when buying dog food? It doesn't feel like a massive stretch as it's an extra £6-10 on top of an essential cost of £50ish.

I wouldn't go looking for hand-churned butter or spicy cheese but if it's sold alongside something I need to buy...