To think *some* independent shops really aren't helping themselves...?

[BeansAndNoodles]

I'm massively supportive of small businesses, I try to use them as often as I can. We are lucky to have a high street with lots of independent shops. However, my trips to town are limited due to being short of spare time, plus parking costs a fortune unless you limit it to the free 90 mins that you get in the supermarket car park, etc.

But time and time again I go to one of the independent shops to find them randomly shut. I get that they probably only have one staff member so it's hard to stay open if anything out of the ordinary happens, but it's still so flipping frustrating.

The last few trips to town have ended with me ordering stuff online or going into one of the chains because the independent shops I wanted were closed for no apparent reason. The independent health food shop is the worst, they close for an hour at some point between 11 and 3 for lunch but it's not the same time day to day and they don't say on the closed sign what time they'll be back, so if you get there and it's shut you don't know if it's worth trekking back to that end of town in 30 mins or not. I tend not to even bother checking now and just go straight Holland & Barrat instead. Several more shops seem to rely on posting that days opening hours on their FB page, but thats hardly a reliable way to tell people if they're open or not! Last week I had an afternoon off and took a trip to a different town specifically to go to a shop that stocks work by local artists to get some cards and gifts, only to find it closed with no indication of why or if it was opening late or what. I checked their FB page while stood outside but nope nothing. Later that day (3 hours after their stated opening time) they posted that they'd decided to open later for the Christmas lights switch on and that they hoped people would come and support them

Anyway I've just seen yet another slightly passive aggressive plea from one of the owners of the worst shops for this, complaining how quiet business is and telling people to use them or lose them yada. Well yes I totally agree but more often then not when I try to use them they're not bloody open!

Totally agree with you. We had a very nice coffee shop that also sold eco-groceries that opened next door to the local primary school. But it didn't open until 10am and then closed from 2.30-3.30pm every day. I believe that was so the owner could do the school run, but it was also the time that hundreds of parents and children were passing their door as potential customers. They last a few years before going bust.

Small bakery near me, do gluten free baked goods main thing they sell is their gluten free croissants , and pastries which sell out immediately it’s their biggest sellers, but they always put on social media get here early they open at 10 and sold out by 11 yet they are left with tons of gf brownies (which newsflash we can get them anywhere) I always want to say why not make more pastries ? It’s your biggest seller but they run out by 11 on a Saturday and have none on a Sunday either and they open at 10 close at 3 30.
Plus no matter how busy they insist on making up the boxes with each order with queues out the door and people waiting in the cold while they do origami on the boxes Heres a crazy thought just have a few boxes made up!
I really want to support them as the bakes are amazing but they don’t make it easy!

My bugbear is that they close by 5/5.30pm weekdays don’t open on Sundays at all and 2 of ours shut at 1pm on Saturday yet the posts pleading with people to shop there continue. I suggested to one owner on the pleading post that they should open later in the day and stay open until 7pm leading up to Christmas at least and perhaps close on Mondays and open all day on Saturday at least, she replied with work/life balance and childcare stuff, i accept that but her potential customers are at work when she opens

We’ve got quite a few coffee bars/cafes here in Bath that don’t open on Sunday - which is one of the peak trade days here , if you don’t want to open on a Sunday then don’t open such in a tourist city , accept you have Mondays and Tuesdays off etc or pay up and get Sunday staff in - would be ideal for some mum wanting to only work 1 day with partner at home..

It's mad a lot of them don't want to open on Sundays, Sundays near me are the busiest times for shops and cafes.

I would close on a Monday instead.

It wasn't. I think that's a brilliant idea.

I live in a small town with exactly the problems so many have outlined.

In my village a café has just opened.
Hours: 9-12 then 3-5pm. Bonkers

Thanks for clarifying 👍🏻

Many years ago, when I lived in SW London, we were in a bit where the main high street had really improved but then there was this sort of secondary high street on the other side that was all a bit bleugh. A few corner-store type places and the kidn of shops that today would be vape shops!

An Italian woman and her daughter opened a little deli. tiny store on the dodgier bit. But sold the most amazing stuff. They did a lot of sort of homemade ready meals and imported things like gorgeous mozarella. They also sold things like home made pesto in vats. It was a popular store and lots of us locals would go down there.

Then a Sainsburys local opened across the road. Well, all the local stores were outraged. The Italian ladies were THRILLED. And in fact, when their neighbour (sellin gplastic tat) closed down, they took over the lease and expande to include a small coffee shop. She told me that the Sainsburys actually attracted MORE people and with a few parking spaces, people woudl drive to the sainsburys for bread and milk, then pop over to hers for a coffee and homemade pastry and hten while there, they'd pick up a ready made lasagna or some wine or whatever.

I have thought often about those ladies. They did a brilliant job of adapting to the changing world and continuing to offer something that was needed, and that leveraged the value of the high street chain they had across from them. Sadly, shortly after me and DH moved away, I heard that the mum got ill and they shut down.

This

I have thought often about those ladies. They did a brilliant job of adapting to the changing world and continuing to offer something that was needed, and that leveraged the value of the high street chain they had across from them

Yes, and in business where everything is ever changing, the ability to adapt is key to your survival and success.

It is spot on to say that these shops are "hobby" businesses. I don't believe they have any automatic right to be supported just because they are independent.

Decades ago, many streets had a 'corner' shop, open ALL the time (about 7am to 10pm), run by a whole family (husband, wife, grandparents, teenage children) who lived above the shop. They stocked everything.
Those were real businesses, intended to make money, so that the 2nd or 3rd generation could go to uni and into a professional job.
Some of these shops still exist, though only a fraction of those there were. They thrive if they are in the right location.

Running a shop is not for the dilletante or the faint-hearted.

I agree @BeansAndNoodles and it is a shame. There is a jewellery shop in the town some 7 miles from me (my closest little town is 4 miles West, and the other town 7 miles away is 7 miles east.)

This jewellery shop is open 10am to 3pm, 3 days a week, and Saturday mornings, 10am til midday. 17 hours a week. Even when they're open, they don't seem to get much trade, and there's often more staff than customers in there. I have no idea how they stay open. I can only surmise they're loaded, and they have the shop as a hobby.

But yeah, some other businesses only open like 10am-3pm or 10am-4pm, some are only open on 4 days a week, and are randomly shut on some days (when they should be open,) due to staff shortages or illness (allegedly.) The jewellery shop I mentioned shuts on random days with no warning too!

One guy made me laugh, he was a barber who worked on the high street near where DH and I lived (some years ago.) So, it had been snowing one mid December weekday, (had put down about 3",) and we walked past the barbers on the way to the post office, and there was a sign in his shop window saying 'not open today because of the snow.' 😆 So he couldn't get in because of the snow, but he had managed to get in to put the sign in the window!

I completely agree, especially about shop owners thinking the business is for their benefit (I mean it is, in terms of employment/profit) rather than for their customers.

Wanted to get something specific from an independent shop in the next town over - tried ringing to check they were open, no answer. Sent them a message via their FB page but assumed they'd have posted something if they were closed so drove over anyway. Turns out they were closed to 'set the shop up for Christmas' (why this couldn't have been done one evening escaped me).

I went home again and ordered online. They responded to the FB message about two weeks later.

I can assure you some buses are more than £3 !

Drop them a note through the door.

I have a real problem with the "shop local' and support independent business mantra. For example the pleasing posts and "when you buy from a small business you are feeding a local family' etc.

Yeah, by that logic when I buy from Tesco's I am feeding hundreds of local employee's families. Big companies bring a lot of employment and usually much better working terms and conditions that small independent businesses do. So I feel under no obligation to 'shop local'.

I've had this type of attitude so often from "cool" independent cafes! They seem so uninterested in the customer service, then wonder why they end up closing down after a year or so. Maybe they should hire people because they care about customers, not because they have the right look.

I know what you mean and it’s what Amazon and Etsy are so beneficial, I can order from them any time day or night.

I had a shop years ago, in a very vibrant part of a city ( sort of like Camden).
I opened noon until 8 or 8.30 pm because the streets were busy with people going out after work/ going for dinner etc. If a customer came in at 8.25 having seen a dress in the window and wanting to try it on, then I’d happily stay until she left.
It was great. I did well and (being young) would just go straight out after work until the early hours, as I didn’t open up again until 12pm!
I just don’t get the closing at times when you could have loads of customers!

Agree. We had a cake shop recently post a plea to make sure they get used or they will have to close. I don't really eat that sort of thing often but took a look at their page, looked delicious, thought I'd treat the family to a mid week treat.
I knew they were not on the Highstreet so looked further into their page for the address. I scrolled everywhere I could find. No address listed at all on their socials. Fucking moronic.

And when I commented to ask where they were, they didn't actually reply at all themselves. I got a couple of replies from other people saying "just down from the tyre shop". What tyre shop? What street? It's the absolute basic thing people need to know, isn't it?

We've also got a few home boutique shop places that are very expensive but nice for the occasional gift, etc. But like you say, weird and inconsitent opening times. I can't be bothered to try if every time I walk past they seem to be shut.

You can't have it both ways, have a free and easy schedule yet complain you don't get customers.

I have bought things from several independent online businesses recently and several of them (after taking my money) have posted on their social media sad face videos saying they’re really behind with deliveries but they ARE a small business and it’s just them etc etc… and being quite shirty about people who are complaining.

If you’re a small business, know your limitations and don’t take people’s money when you can’t fulfil your orders on time. It is frustrating.

I knew they were not on the Highstreet so looked further into their page for the address. I scrolled everywhere I could find. No address listed at all on their socials. Fucking moronic.
And when I commented to ask where they were, they didn't actually reply at all themselves. I got a couple of replies from other people saying "just down from the tyre shop". What tyre shop? What street? It's the absolute basic thing people need to know, isn't it?

I see this a lot on socials. A shop or activity looks interesting but no mention of where the heck they are! If I can be bothered, I post and ask and often get a snotty answer.

I live somewhere very very touristy, and made the mistake of walking in to a local antiques/home wares shop. It was emtpy of customers, which is unusual at the peak of summer when all the tourists are swarming.

The woman sitting at the desk (with zero smiles or hellos) loudly said to me "BE CAREFUL NOT TO KNOCK EVERYTHING OFF THE SHELVES WITH THAT BACKPACK" (for reference, it's a slim compact handbag type leather bag with shoulder straps, not a 100 litre hiking rucksack... And I'm past 40, quite capable of conducting myself with care, without needing to be rudely barked at 🤨)

I literally stared at her for a second wordlessly, and then immediately turned on my heel and left without looking at a thing. I was planning on buying gifts in there. But thanks to her attitude, I've ever been in again and never will!

I have a theory that oddballs who cannot function well in other environments often end up trying out their own businesses...

I once went into an independent coffee shop at about 3pm
Them: “Would you like hot food and drink?”
me: “Yes please!”
Them: “Well, we’re not doing hot food or drink right now” not said politely and with the air that this was somehow my fault