Supporting locsl retailers

No. It’s difficult. Online firms don’t have the expenses that small shops have and, of course, they buy in bulk and get massive discounts. A lot of publishers even pay Amazon to have their books listed by them. No wonder Amazon can do it cheaper.

I guess it comes down to do we want shops or just the Internet. We’ll get what we support, in the end.

I'd rather pay a bit extra than have anything at all to do with Amazon. But I'm able to afford it.

It's a big debate, though, isn't it?

Do we let local businesses go down, repurpose our physical shopping areas then just do everything online (with all its vulnerability to outages, scamming etc) or do we try to make selling online as 'expensive' as selling in a physical shop; by taxation, may be, and level the playing field?

I’m not sure we can ever level the playing field but I’d be massively in favour of evening out some of the bumps?
Tax on solely online firms definitely needs to be addressed.

I’m not quite sure what you do about the little shops that have had to also offer online sales to keep solvent.

People want to be able to browse and look at things in shops, but then go home to see if they can get the same online but cheaper. I do get it it, but they don’t seem to realise that soon the shop won’t be there. I’ve even had friends who do this moan about shops shutting down so they can’t see things before they buy them online!,

Amazon and the big supermarkets undercut booksellers with the popular books, which is unfair, as they make profits in so many other ways. When one of the Wolf Hall trilogy came out I pre-ordered from my local bookshop , £20 but with a discount of £7; on the way to the carpark I saw Sainsburys selling it for £7.99, and also in Tesco.

I buy many books, and my economy is to try to wait until they are in paperback; if they are not available in paperback they are generally not much good anyway. Wolf Hall was an exception, because I couldn't wait a year for the next instalment, and it was worth the price.

Like I said easybee the publishers pay the supermarkets to sell those books. So the supermarket wins twice.

An independent can never compete.

But you can’t support it when they ve gone and most of ours have gone We ve lost both our big departmental stores there is literally only one ladies clothes store and that is a very cheap one. like a market stall type so not much choice but to go out of town or online
This has been on the books for years only made worse with CoviD restrictions
I don’t know the answer I believe for a few decades high streets will become residential, coffee shops, cafes etc ….then someone will decide to be old fashioned and try an olden day thing called a shop and then it will be the in thing for a while but maybe not in our lifetimes

On Friday I bought some Christmas gifts online from a local retailer. One was a framed print, which I knew I could not carry, hence going online.

A few hours later, the owner's wife appeared at my door with it, didn't charge delivery and also added a Christmas, chocolate lollipop as a treat!

We are making a big effort to shop locally, when possible, but it's not always easy, our local high street is like a ghost town after M&S closed down their clothes outlet and food hall. It drew people into the town.

I usually wait Easybee when buying for myself, sometimes until I can get a used copy online. But I do love browsing bookshops for gifts.
If there wasn't such a difference in price I'm sure more people would prefer bookshops.

The tax issue needs to be sorted to make things a bit more fair. For many though, I think online shopping is more convenient now regardless of cost.

That was great service * Marydoll*. Perhaps other local shops will think of this.

My son-in-laws little gift shop not only does local delivery but also free gift wrapping!

My DDIL has a small quirky gift type shop and has expanded to sell proper takeaway coffee and sometimes flowers as well as artisan bread and cakes. I’m tremendously proud of her but as she say you struggle to sell an interesting and individual birthday card (all her own designs) at £3 if people would rather nip into Mand S and get one for £1.50.
She combines the shop with online sales though.
Definitely more taxation on the large online companies

We ordered our Christmas meat from a local farm shop/butchery on Friday and it was considerably more expensive than elsewhere but you do get what you pay for. I understand not everyone can afford to do that

Our nearest tow has become a service town really with places to eat, hairdressers and barbers and not really much else and it IS a shame.

My local independent bookshop is a delight. Although I like my Kindle (handy when going abroad - no lugging half a dozen paperbacks) I do also like to support her shop. Use it or lose it. A loyalty card system too - buy 10 books & get a discount. It must be very hard and stressful being an independent these days.

I just like book shops. I forgot to post that.
If we lose them all it is going to be just horrible

I rather fear that the soaring energy costs alone will see off many small retailers who have already done well to survive the covid lockouts. I really hope I am proved wrong, though.

It is a dilemma. I really want to support the local shops but they are almost all cafes, tattoo parlours, nail-bars, barbers, betting shops, vape shops and 2 undertakers. Tesco, Lidl, a Frozen foods, a couple of cheapo Pound shops and Greggs the baker.

Until last year we had 3 banks and 3 ATMs. Now there is one bank left and the post office. Most of the, once shopping, street is empty shops , estate agents, 3 charity shops, a food bank and a clothes bank.

To buck the trend the Development Trust and a similar organisation have managed to take on the voluntary running of 3 shop units.
One is the wonderful storehouse which caters for everyone who wants to shop local, save the planet, eat well and wants a community hub.
Then there is a printer and stationers which the Trust bought when the owners were retiring. It is in the form of an old fashioned shop with a counter and a museum out the back. They show schoolchildren how paper is made and printed.
The 3rd is temporary because it is grant funded (and rents & rates are formidably high) but meanwhile it is a tool library, a bike repair shop, recycling and upcycling of fabric. They have a programme of things like foraging workshops, sewing classes, pressing apples for juice and making new greeting cards from old.

There are still 2 or 3 independent shops. An excellent flower shop, a household and carpet store where I have paid a deposit on a new stair carpet but may have to wait until after Christmas to have it fitted, an electrical repair shop.
Plus a vet, a doctor's surgery and a motor parts shop (but I think even that has closed)

I don't often shop on-line but I am close enough to big chains and the city to not feel too deprived.
The demise of the town centres is a tragedy. IMO
When the last proper baker became a funeral director - it said it all really.

Yes alway support locally where I can.. I grew up in a small village with very few shops but I knew all their families and understood how difficult it was to make a living. Ive never forgotten that.

The rates in our one main street are too high for many small retailers. So many shops are empty. Doesn't make sense. Those occupied are similar to Grammaretto's.

I have found a local ironmongers/garden/kitchen/DIY store which is far better than B&Q! The prices are very competitive and I always buy something I did not go in for as the displays of kitchen things ( think Lakeland) are very tempting. They keep up with the times so sell trendy water bottles and silicon utensils as well as old fashioned baking trays and pans.

Since they opened a new gardening store at the back, I cannot remember when I last went in and they did not have what I wanted. And the best think is, the staff know what they are selling, are very helpful and will carry things out to the car.

I also prefer to go to a local flower shop for plants rather than a garden centre as they look much nicer for a present and I’m sure they last longer.

But as I have mobility problems, I can only go to these shops because they have car parking outside, I cannot go to out local High Street as the car parks are too far away from the shops for me. Hence my reliance of online grocery orders.

I absolutely believe in supporting local shops and am trying more and more to do so. Including book shops. But can I just add that for those who can't afford to buy books local libraries are wonderful and also need our support to stay open.

I also support my local retailers and don’t mind paying a little bit more. Rather that than lots of empty shops in our small town.
I remember a few years ago I had been in the city centre Christmas shopping and it was hectic. On returning home I had to pop to the local shops and it was so much calmer,enjoyable,friendlier and convenient. I’ve tried to do the same where possible ever since.