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.

@Valentina12 I think that is fairly standard practice for businesses with employees WFH.

The only people you tend to find working in cafes are students and self employed.

From an IT /privacy perspective it’s a very sensible policy.

I live near a handful of market towns and most cafes close their kitchens after lunch so there’s no hope of anything cooked after 1:45. Went passed a new farm shop yesterday which is open 10-4 Monday to Friday. Most business around here rely on summer tourists which is fair enough, but it’s sad that no consideration is given to local customers who would support them throughout the year given the chance.

It really isn't gp bashing. Lots of practices are still using covid as an excuse to avoid face to face appointments, and lots are very hard to access at all.

All businesses are small businesses when they start, with few staff. Tesco started as market stall run by one man.

We have a very local take away place that is lovely and makes authentic food, we got chatting to the owners when they first opened and we were keen to support them. Great feedback on local FB page. We got a takeaway every 3 or 4 weeks to start with all was great, I think they started catering events so on random nights of the week including Friday or Saturday nights they just wouldn’t open no advance notice or anything. We gave up on them and judging by the local FB page so have lots of other local folk.

If small shops in the same area agreed to half day closing, it would probably help with their costs.

When I was growing up, most shops in my town shut at midday on Wednesdays. Thinking about it now, it was probably how they could afford to open on Saturdays when more people could go shopping.

I think this is why all the 24 hour mini marts in London do so well. The traditional greengrocer/bakers was only open during office hours. Meanwhile I could buy fresh herbs, almond milk and a watermelon from my buddy Bashir at 2am if I wanted (and did, sometimes!). Ditto a bagel and a coke from the Jewish bakery on the way home from a night out. Bloody marvelous.

@HangingOver yy I loved those places. I still remember a frantic tidying up session before one flatmate's parents were due to arrive the next morning when we bought a mop and bucket (and a bottle of Mirinda to keep us going) at 1.30am. I truly marvelled that I was living in such a consumer choice driven haven.

There’s a DIY shop in my small town who are open all week but always closed on a Sunday. Most people are doing their DIY on a weekend and this shop has the monopoly in this area - the nearest big DIY store is 40 minutes away. Absolutely missing a trick not being open - just close on another day during the week!

@boilingstormyseas out of interest does the pizza van seem to do well?

An independent hair salon in my town only takes cash and their price for a cut and blow dry on my short hair (mid ear level) was £60. I was shocked as even Toni & Guy only charge £55 and have much more up to date premises and look more professional and not dressed in sloppy clothes. I was shocked at the price as they don't have prices or a 'menu' advertised on their small website.

My SIL has a "pie and sandwich" van which she drives around the local industrial areas every day from 10am until 2pm. All the factory and industrial workers pour out of their workplaces to buy her food. Win-win !

Many independent greengrocers shut early as they have to get up at 04.00 to get goods from the markets and back to their premises, unload and get the shelves filled.

My issue with local businesses, rightly or wrongly, is that I can get the same product cheaper online. I saw a book I wanted on Amazon recently, decided to go out and buy it in a local bookstore. It was £6.99 on Amazon and £22 in the bookstore, so unfortunately I went home and bought it online. I will occasionally spend a few more £ to support a local business, but I couldn’t justify that difference.

I recently wanted a certain pair of trail running shoes, not one running store in my large city stocked them. I got them online, next day delivery. I do want to shop local, but there is just so much more choice, competitive pricing and availability online. Even large high street stores often don’t have the same choice in store that they have online.

Went into a tea shop for an afternoon tea the other day at 3:50pm. “Sorry, “I was told, “we close at 4.” “Seriously?” said I. “A tea shop that closed at 4? Next you’ll be telling me you’re open for breakfasts, but only after 11.”

Exactly. I would always prefer to support local but just can't afford to anymore.

I agree with all this. It's really sad tbh. I live in a cheshire village near the national trust property where pride and prejudice was filmed (Colin fifth in the lake) it's a beautiful village. We get a lot of tourists which is perfect frankly.

Before lockdown we had a cafe open and honestly it was ridiculous, because we have this preconceived idea that people who live here are either very rich or extremely posh which is a joke because it's literally a village near Stockport! They moved in and the prices were frankly offensive let's say £12.95 for a plain jacket potato! They were also only open for 3 hours a day.. The communities response was 'Ha fuck that!' And they went out of business so fast'.

There are 2 places that do very well in the village for lunches and that's because they focus on 2 different things. 1 does all manner of sandwiches and salad boxes but you know they pre cook the bacon and they're quick so if you ask for a bacon, sausage Sandwich you're gonna get one in about 2 mins because it was all cooked before they opened and the micro wave just heats it all up. They're really expensive but builders love them because they can pre order and it's always rammed

The second place is entirely self made, a bit more expensive, but they make all the cakes themselves, the sandwiches etc are made
To order, lovely staff etc, it's more ££ but you get what you pay for and actually they moved with the times because they used to be cash only but then lock down happened and people were anxious about using cash/ the co op closed their cash machine and the post office was really funny about cash as well. I was surprised they did it Because they were very much into the cash only business and then suddenly they accepted card and now they make so much more than the other shop because the other one is worse but they always historically accepted card so if the atm in the village was down you couldn't go to the second place whereas you can now :)

@Florenz really!

Tesco was founded over 100 years ago in a very different retail landscape. Realistically small independent retailers can't compete with Tesco. Economies of scale, the power to dictate the terms with their smaller scale suppliers like farmers, i.e. 3 months credit, purchase price of milk, its easy enough for them to employ staff 24/7 that are easily replaceable. They'll have an estates department/outsource to a real estate specialist that will manage all aspects of there sites, getting favourable terms on there leases etc. That's just the start.

Reading comments like this tells me that most people haven't got a clue in Hell of what is involved with running a small local business - especially one that deals with perishables.

Of course it will be more expensive - they don't have the ability to "pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap like Aldi & Lidl as they don't have the turnover to fund that.

Most butchers have to be at the abattoir at 4am at the latest to collect meat (slaughtering usually starts at 1-2. am ) which then has to be butchered before it can be displayed when they open at 8.00.am. That's why many local ones probably shut at 4.00.pm

Fishmongers need to be at the docks at 6.00.am when the auctions for fish landings take place. So they will work similar hours that includes very early travel time.

There is very little profit margin on fruit & veg, which is why most of these shops combine it with floristry.

I'm not sure what is meant by "less convenient". If you buy lamb chops from your local butcher you'll know the animal will have been slaughtered that day and will be fresh.
If you buy from a supermarket the meat will have been refrigerated (or even frozen) for goodness knows how long.

At the end of the day it's customer choice.

Yarn shops are notorious and not just in the UK - people run them almost as a hobby because they love to knit/crochet themselves. Many can't justify long opening hours, given their turnover, but in all my years of knitting and living in multiple places, I have met some really difficult owners. I've been to some pretty eccentric bookshops, but on the whole, bookshop owners seem to understand they are running a business. A yarn shop owner will decide she never wants to be open past 5pm because she doesn't want to work evenings... even though if she opened late one night, she could host a knit night and improve her takings as well as build customer loyalty.

@knitnerd90 "A yarn shop owner will decide she never wants to be open past 5pm because she doesn't want to work evenings... even though if she opened late one night, she could host a knit night and improve her takings as well as build customer loyalty."

I think you'll find that niche hobby/craft shops open with reduced hours because they don't have the footfall after 5.00.pm when customers are getting ready for their evening meal.
Few would want to close at 4.00.pm and then re-open at 7.00p for a "knit & natter" night especially if they don't live on the premises.

I'm amazed at all these cash-only businesses. How do they justify it when everything moved to card in the pandemic? Where I live even veg- and preserve-sellers with roadside stalls accept cards. Anyone can get one of those little readers now that hooks up to your phone so there's really no excuse.

A few local shops near me still close for lunch. Then they complain they loose business to larger stores. One is across the road from my work, they close for an hour. I would go in regularly on my lunch break if they were open.

My local post office opens at 10am and closes at 12.30 and closed at the weekend.

Yes! It really winds me up in my town. As a business owner myself, I'm always trying to adapt etc, and I find some just look at things so dogmatically and then blame others when their business model doesn't work.

Do you know the supplier takes at least 1.7% on every transaction? That is without rental of the unit.
That is a cost to the business that has to be factored in to the pricing structure.

In addition they don't work properly in areas where internet access is poor.