45% of working age people not saving toward a pension at all

[FernFaery]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/may/19/britons-not-saving-enough-retire-pensions-commission

Another looming crisis!

I've taken the time to describe my world to a (hopefully) engaged audience, because it is easy to distinguish between a thriving area and a failing one, yet they are only 10 miles apart on the map. Property prices are lower in one than the other, by about 25% but the landscape is very similar. Neither has a rail connection (but my fleabite village is on the branch line to Plymouth -- mainly for reasons of industrial heritage). The financial situations of the residents are probably not dissimilar, but one has significant social issues (it's one of the heroin centres of the SW for starters) and the other is really quaite naice.

How do we bring one town up in the world? It has some lovely architecture, and it's beautifully located between Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor. In fact, the big thing the town has going for it is that it is possibly going to be the epicentre of a very rich rare earth mineral deep rock mining centre. Lithium, wulfram and other minerals I can't spell.

There are consumers ready to spend the money. Probably boomers. But they want the quality and have the cash. People like me, frankly.

Precisely because we own a small business, we look for other small businesses to support. I do resort to Amazon, and not infrequently, but I try very hard to buy what I want locally with locally owned businesses wherever I can, even when it's a bit more expensive. Usually only a few pennies, but yes, once upon a time, I watched the pennies eagle-eyed too. Apologies, I am being boring.

Likewise, but unfortunately there's a stampede of people who prefer online or the chains/supermarkets.

Our village (relatively large) used to have independently/locally owned newsagent, butcher, Spar shop and post office. A huge Co-Op was built and inevitably the locals chose to use it instead meaning all those shops are now closed.

All we have left is a little pie/sandwich shop which is kept open by tradesmen and van drivers buying their pies and bacon butties in the morning. It used to be a "proper" small bakery that served everyone for bread, scones, cakes, etc open all day Mon-Sat., but it closed down and new people bought it and converted it into a pie/bacon bun shop instead, which is clearly a completely different market and it's now open only mornings Mon-Fri. It only works because there's plentiful free and easy parking so easy for vans/lorries to park.

Small independents are fighting a losing battle sadly. Yes, there is a market for some, but things have changed a lot and you need the right products, right location, etc to actually hit on something that can work.

Nail on the head when you mention Waitrose, which will only be frequented by people with money. So they'll also spend money on "quality" cakes and bread. It's the demographics of the people who shop at Waitrose.

That shop wouldn't work next to an Aldi or Morrisons or Tesco or Lidl or Asda.

It "may" work next to a M&S.

There won't be many available/suitable/affordable shop units next to a very limited number of Waitrose supermarkets.

Nonetheless it’s an example of a small business successfully expanding. It’s irrelevant what its customer base is.

Yes, but that's ONE expanding when there've been literally hundreds and thousands closing down over the years, and very few left. One swallow doesn't make a Summer. As I said, for your ONE business, it's just been "lucky" to find a suitable, affordable location with high/affluent footfall that makes it work in that ONE instance. Basically the stars aligned in that isolated case.

Of course the customer base is relevant. It wouldn't survive with a different customer base who didn't have the money to buy quality/expensive bread and cakes.

I give up. 🤦‍♀️