That some small businesses are failing because they don’t adapt to the needs of their customers?

[Isawyou]

I try to shop local. Fortunately I do have some great independent places nearby.

What I am finding frustrating is for example the fruit and veg shop closes at 4.30pm. They start packing up at 3.45pm and it is really difficult to buy things from there where they are stacking all the stands with the produce inside. They also look unhappy at customers coming to buy at packing up time. It is easier to go to the Tesco express that stays open until midnight.

Other shops do not open until 10am and close early. So I can’t get there before work or after work.

They complain their businesses are not doing well and people do not shop local but they are not exactly facilitating it for the customers either.

I agree. I’ve had to put shopping back sometimes when I get to the till and realise they only take cash. I get that the card company take a % of card payments but I’m sure I’m not the only one that has to do this. They would easily make up their losses if they just got the machines!

You're right. Businesses need to learn how to treat customers better, or else they will fail. But maybe the fruit & veg place will learn as they go on.

It’s not just shops I feel like my GP practice is totally out of touch. Why do they close at the weekend? Surely people need to see a doctor 24/7 so why can’t they open on Saturday and Sundays too? Totally get there’s a shortage of doctors right now so wouldn’t want to make it worse but I’ve never understood why GP practices think they should open 9-5 Monday- Friday type hours!

I was in a café yesterday and saw a sign proudly announcing that they don't have WiFi as if it was a badge of honour. They also only take cash. This is a city centre cafe. Well sod them quite frankly. They can go out of business if they want to!

I’ve experienced this too. I would love to use the small local farm/feed stores for horse stuff but their hours are almost always 8 or 9am to 5pm M-F, and then either 9-12 on Saturday/closed Sunday or closed Saturday and Sunday. Not exactly accommodating.

The chain farm stores are open 7-9 M-Saturday and 10-7 Sunday so that’s always where I end up going.

Definitely, there's a decorating centre near me that I really want to go to as based on there website they have loads of wallpaper that I'd like to see in real life but they only open 9-5 mon-Fri so I can't. I'll buy from B&Q, Dunelm or Homebase.

You don't have to be confrontational about it but have you asked them why they don't stay open later? It might be problems with childcare, or that the shop doesn't pay enough for them to stay open.

YANBU.

I love to use local but some businesses do make it hard.

When I WFH I like to use cafes sometimes just to get out the house and away from distractions.

Theres a local one that does incredible breakfast type food. I’d give it my custom all day and buy one coffee an hour like I normally do.

Problem is

• It shuts at 1.30pm
• Staff look furious to be serving customers
• No Wi-Fi!
• Cash only
• No sockets

So many similar independent cafes I feel like I’m forced to go to Costa or Starbucks, as they have everything I need.

We have a pizza van that comes to our rural village but only takes cash (which I never have) so we didn't have pizza the other evening. The nearest cash point is a 30 minute round trip for us.

@Cheeriochoc

Your comment doesn’t really make sense. Do you think your local GP is the same as your local cafe?
At least wait for a GP thread before doing the unnecessary GP bashing.

My DH once got screamed at by a petrol station owner because he only put a tenner in the car.

It was a hire car that he had to fill to a quarter tank.

The owner grumbled saying people like him are putting him out of business not spending decent money! DH said maybe his attitude is what is driving people away and he will certainly never be returning.

Agreed. The next (small) town to me has quite a few independent traders and also has a Tesco and a Lidl which were both built despite strong opposition from the local traders. Lidl is open till 8pm Saturdays and Tesco till 10pm . Most of the local traders close at 130pm on a Saturday so no, they aren't really helping themselves!!

Have got the opposite near me: Somewhere whose typical customer is a builder/worker wanting to buy a sandwich on their lunch break. But since COVID they have been card only, they won’t take cash at all!

GP surgeries are private business paid for their services to the nhs. We certainly can't afford the staff to open longer than 8am-6.30pm.

They don't even want to hear anybody's opinions in my town. There was a post on the town FB page recently about a small business closing down, there was a comment from a guy demanding that everyone needed to shop local. I responded with a few reasons as to why people aren't, such as that so many of the shops in town don't open until gone 10am and others only open a couple of days a week and that one shop I've only ever seen open once! I was Christmas shopping with my daughter and went to take her to a cafe and they were closing at 3.50pm! The guy argued with me for being negative about our town and he must have reported me and my comments were removed! I guess the traders would prefer to remain blissfully ignorant about why business isn't doing so well.

I get what you are saying. The veg man (stall not shop) is open Tuesday and Friday only and from 10-5. No surprises its not very busy. The butchers is open to 5.30 plus Saturdays at lease, bakers shuts at 4pm but is open sat and sun. New "healthy" supermarket is closing down - completely misread the local market, it's all plant based stuff and this is farming country!

Small independent business probably can't afford the wages to stay open for long hours. Most of them are open 6 days a week, many may be 7 days. Surely you either have a day off in the week or a Saturday where you could pop out to make a purchase

Yep.

My preferred independent cafe opens at 8.30am but I want to go before work for a takeaway coffee and maybe some breakfast but 8.30 too late.

So all my money goes to Nero instead for a
Less desirable product.

Asked the independent why they don't open earlier and they said no demand... yet Nero always rammed at that time so I think there is demand if they actually bothered to open!

Local independent whole food shop. The owner is so miserable I've actually stopped going there now unless I'm desperate and will save my list for the one in the next town. I don't understand why people run customer facing businesses then be so rude to them.

This is all GP practices surely?

It would be lovely if they could open 7 days but the government need to find that.

I don’t think I’ve ever known a GP practice to open on a Saturday or Sunday.

Even OOHs places close on an evening and weekends

My area pet food store closes at 5pm. He's always griping about Amazon. I asked if he'd consider starting a monthly delivery service for dog/cat food & wild bird seed, (he owns a delivery truck) and he scoffed and ridiculed me to the other patrons standing about.

Sod him. We order all from Amazon now.

I agree, I WFH but the usual mon-fri 9-5. I’ve tried “popping out” on my lunch breaks to use the shops in the village, but lots shut for lunch. I went to the cafe which is always rammed at the weekend. They asked if I’d booked and table and went through the whole rigamarole of checking for a free table when there was only 1 table occupied.

I agree. Most of our high street shops are open at 10 am when I am at work and are supposed to close at 5. I can't get there for then in the week so I squeezed in a visit at 4 pm today because I needed some gifts and cards. Almost all were closed. On a Saturday!

The only places open were chains so I shopped there and ordered the rest online. Nothing else I can do.

If you don't open when people can shop you're not going to make money.

Expecting customers to revolve their lives to the convenience of the business is absurd.

My gp practice is the same but they also close for a half day during the week. Goes back to years ago when the shops took a half day during the week but they were open on Saturdays. It was the same at my former practice but I did find out there was a doctor there for emergencies as the OOH doctor obviously wouldn't be available. I think when it's so hard to get an appointment that they shouldn't be shuting up shop for a half day every week.