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.

I WFH but haven't saved on anything you mentioned, if anything it's increased my electric bill.

Never needed fuel as I always walked to and from work. Don't save on lunch as I always took my own pack up. Don't save on childcare as me and my partner work opposite hours so we have never had to cover childcare costs.

I make up for the steps I am losing out on at the weekend though.

I WFH and would actually love to pop out to get coffee/pastries/a nice lunch occasionally but unfortunately I live in a village with only a Co Op, we pretty much go there daily but I don't think they'd struggle without our support!

I think the mortgage company would think you have more of an obligation to spend 'saved' money with them.

Lockdown and Brexit have changed working conditions for many. People have got off their hamster wheel, stood back and realised that there is more to life.

Whilst I feel for TFL workers, I am not giving up hybrid working to return to full time work as there is less money in their budget. In the same vein I no longer need to purchase a lunch as I can cook more of what I like for less.

Food businesses were I live are thriving as they have all joined delivery services e.g Deliveroo, Uber eats. They also offer lunch time specials. Some have chosen to close earlier, some have chosen to change their menu and open later. One now supplies care homes with frozen meals. You will need to adapt to change as ultimately no one owes anyone a living in this capitalist society.

There's not a chance in hell they're all paying the same rent and mortgage as they were in 2020-1.

I don’t support local businesses and I sont have a problem with them going under.

They're way too expensive. You can always get the product online and in a cafe situation the prices are too extortionate.

Plus they’re usually all that artisan gluten free jars and slates type places that I can’t be doing with.

I didn’t know people still work from home? We were ordered back to the office for 3 days a week, back in 2021. I think it’s the cost of living crisis to blame for lack of costumers, not WFH

I can’t afford to buy lunch/coffees anymore, can’t get my head around the fact I did it everyday - and my income hasn’t changed!

Well that's silly if WFH is the cause, then why not blame it?

One thing I noticed with WFH is that many of my friends have basically become hermits. A lot of us have come out of relationships too and are newly single (so no partner at home) and some haven't left the house and seen anyone face-to-face in months.

It's only going to get worse. I myself spent 4 months sitting at home and it is disconcerting how comfortable and easy it is to just watch movies/play games/order food for months at a time without needing human contact. I've pulled myself out of it, thank goodness. But looking at some of my now perpetually online friends, some are so anxiety ridden they won't even get the mail till it's the middle of the night for fear of running into anyone else.

I'm not sure that prolonged isolation can be healthy.

@MarieRoseMarie like I said, good luck getting nice quality food on Amazon.
Good luck stopping climate change too, big business doesn't care!

I would but I just can’t afford it very often. Pre Covid I would go to a local cafe Sat and often Sunday too, and it was lovely. Then wfh sure, but reduced hOurs due to health issues triggered by Covid, mortgage went up £300pcm in Sept, plus general cost of living, on top of post tax income being down more than £1k monthly. Essentially I’ve got about £1,500 a month LESS even without travel costs, so yeah, cafes went by the wayside, as it’s that or the mortgage..

Dh works from home 3 days a week. When we're both at home we regularly eat lunch out together but when he's is in the office, he usually works through lunch to come home sooner. We'd much rather support businesses in our community than those in the nearest city where he works which seem to be mostly chains.

That said we've eaten out three times so far this week (2 evening meals/1 lunch) and have a restaurant booked for tomorrow/picking up party food on Sat from a small local place (not "normal", just lots of celebrations for dc1's birthday). Everywhere seemed busy enough. Last night was a relatively small place which also does takeout, three quarters of the tables were full and the takeout seemed busy (I was sat by the window).

Totally agree with you OP, most of my friends/ ex colleagues now work about 75% WfH if not more, and most of these people would have been buying their lunch every day (that's hundreds of people and just the ones I know)

@hearthstone I agree with this. I've seen it amongst my own friends. They're so happy in their little work/ home/ family bubble. Even doing the school run feels overwhelming. I think we are social creatures, and for the majority it won't be good for peoples MH in the long run.

I WFH. During lockdowns we’d go out for family walks to get out of the house, and once local shops were open we’d stop off and buy something.

Nowadays I wave the kids off to school and then…. Just work and stay at home.

Also although I can afford to pay £3.50 for a coffee I don’t feel as though I can justify the expense, when it used to be £2.

OP, I get you are having a rant and of course it's hypocritical of people to lament in comments if they haven't put their money behind the tills, however, big picture, I think you are conflating two unrelated issues. (Caveat, I don't have direct experience of an area quite as desirable but I live in the SE where we have a continuous stream of London escapees).

1. WFH behaviour. Even though it was tough during Covid, there was a fair bit of leniency in terms of mental well being, taking breaks, getting out for your hour a day etc. Getting a take away cake and drink was just about the only leisure option open to me so I regularly did it. Now on my days at home the work pressure is as high as it is/was in the office. I don't get breaks. I don't have time to peruse nice shops. My daily life is not that different to if I were in the office apart from I can stick the washing machine on.

I also don't think many are saving much in childcare. If you're kids are young enough that it costs thousands, then it will be almost impossible to work effectively and have the children at home (I know, I tried) so you're still paying the thousands.

1. Separate point on the state of the high street, cost of living and lack of staff. The UK is up shit creek. There energy price cap will go up again in April. People are having to make choices like never before and leisure spend is taking the brunt of it.

I agree there's a problem but I think you're ranting at the wrong target.

Yet you are criticising those who WFH and saying they are tight?

Do choices only apply to you then?

covid and lockdowns only accelerated the end of the high street, the early lockdown caused an uptick locally but it has always been cheaper to make your own lunch than buy in every day. I have noticed it in my team, the younger ones who always went out for lunch and would walk into the office with a coffee and breakfast on a friday have realised it's cheaper to buy a decent coffee machine and buy ingredients for lunch or cook extra for dinner and have left overs.

The high street is changing and although the focus will shift away from clothes/services into the more dining/drinking/entertainment experience the age old adage of if you aren't supplying a product that people want then you will struggle, Jan/Feb are bad months in general and have been for generations, looking for a scapegoat to blame it on those who WFH is missing the point.

So much bullshit in your posts I don't even know where to start.
Let's take the stuff about Gio in Milan and how high streets in Europe will never die because people value relationships and community in a way Brits don't.
You do realize Europe is a big place - not everywhere is the same.

I live in a village in Europe where all the shops except the supermarket have closed in recent years. They weren't financially viable any more. Same in the next larger town and that's a small ski resort - even there they couldn't keep shops going. And a lot of that happened before the CoL really started to bite.
The various restaurants are going the same way slowly.

You are having a massive rant while there is a CoL crisis going on all over Europe. At the end of the day, people can't afford as much as they used to so they are cutting back on going to cafes, restaurants and buying more expensive foods from small local shops. It's not about not valuing relationships and community. It's about not being able to afford it.
And saying that the customers that used to come in to your shop are rich and therefore not affected is nonsense too. It's reaching all levels of society and a lot of people maybe aren't struggling but are unsure of what further developments may come and therefore also cutting back.

I don't know how people are saving money on childcare by being WFH.. how can anyone possibly work with their kids to look after..?
I am permanent WFH and was before the pandemic. I spend a decent amount every week in local cafes and delis on lunches and working out of the house for a change of scenery. I would only choose a chain coffee shop if I'd been made to feel unwelcome at an independent. I do tend to use a supermarket rather than individual grocers though because they're rarely open outside of office hours so don't fit with work, same as if I had to go to a physical office.

The statements regarding it being good for businesses I took to mean for the businesses whose staff will be working from home as it means they can move to smaller premises, lower bills etc. I don't know how anyone can imply WFH will be good for retail shops?
Apologies if this has already been said, I read most of the thread a little earlier but there are posts I've missed since.
I WFH two days a week with 3 days in the office. I take my own lunch to work so WFH makes no difference to what I'm spending. I'm saving on fuel but using gas and electric at home when I'm there so I don't actually think I'm saving much.

OP it doesn't sound like you're very good at this. You clearly haven't found your forte especially if the business is failing anyway. It might be a good time to try something new.

Would you like us to recommend something retrain in? Something that suits your personality?

I'm sure you said upthread that you used to work in a hospital (i may have imagined that!) . But I honestly don't think you should be public facing. And you wouldn't be too good at marketing.

Anyway, if you need any suggestions. Let us know 😊

Crazy, isn’t it! She doesn’t even think she’s doing anything wrong.

If they're at all representative of the population, which I realise they may not be, it's unlikely they'd all still be able to afford their pre 2020 spending habits even if they were going into work every day.