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Supporting local businesses

clifftaylor

clifftaylor

Absolutely retired!
I recently bought a Mustang bass, and it had an earthing prob, so I initially emailed the local guitar bloke to get him to have a look, but then decided to return it for replacement; the new one arrived quickly, and in the meantime the guitar bloke had asked if I still needed his assistance - the new one was fine, but the fret ends could be improved with some file work, so he is doing that for me, plus "new guitar fettling" as needed. I could have dealt with all this myself, but as his income derives from teaching, gigs, studio work and repairs I suspect that he is in a far more precarious position than I am, as someone with a pension or two and no mortgage.
Is anyone (else) deliberately assisting local businesses, and how/what?? I feel that those of us who can assist should do so.
 
clifftaylor said:
I recently bought a Mustang bass, and it had an earthing prob, so I initially emailed the local guitar bloke to get him to have a look, but then decided to return it for replacement; the new one arrived quickly, and in the meantime the guitar bloke had asked if I still needed his assistance - the new one was fine, but the fret ends could be improved with some file work, so he is doing that for me, plus "new guitar fettling" as needed. I could have dealt with all this myself, but as his income derives from teaching, gigs, studio work and repairs I suspect that he is in a far more precarious position than I am, as someone with a pension or two and no mortgage.
Is anyone (else) deliberately assisting local businesses, and how/what?? I feel that those of us who can assist should do so.
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Totally agree with this, I've been doing it more and more since lockdown and to be honest I've rediscovered local shops etc and been very happy with the level of service etc, so it's not just a case of doing it for the sake of it.
I intend to continue with this when eventually some sort of normality returns
 
I would if I needed anything, I don't really have a use for any high street services. The only thing I use is the post office.
 
Local fish & chip shop gets our business.

Also the local butcher, who is expensive, but the steaks are divine.

The flip-side is the barber has lost my business, as I can cut my own hair and don't have to pay £9 for a 10 minute cut. He can support his own golf habit.
 
Absolutely. We've just moved in to our new home in a small coastal town. We needed a new table and chair set, along with blinds. Visited the local furnishings independent shop which is a 5 min walk away.All sourced and very happy. Table set delivered within 30 minutes of purchase and blinds being installed next week. Price was more than competitive and service was unmatched. Guess where we'll be buying our new bookcase?
 
Yep. Don’t really want or need fish and chips every Friday, but the village pub was delivering while they were closed down and needed the income.
 
local businesses always get my dosh if I can.

Loads of local businesses round here shut their shopfronts and moved online; beer shop, gin shop, pub, baker, pizza, curry house, bistro ...... all moved online for all sorts of stuff, all got my money and delivered as promised.
 
Fantastic bookshop in Sheffield called Kelham Island Books & Music, I buy as much as I can from them. Excellent vinyl selection which is always well priced.

I will be having my haircut at KI Barbers & take coffee etc from Depot.

I don’t do it because they are local but because they are high quality operators.
 
Been using our local independant convenience shop for the last 3 months since lockdown, run by a pleasant guy who always has time for a quick chat. I actually volunteered to help him free of charge if he ever needed help, that was never required but have become friends with him now. I initially spent maybe £10-£15 in the early days, we get most stuff from him now except frozen food, that is from Iceland or Asda, so happy to spend maybe £50-£60 per week on bits with him. One thing that never happened either, he did not increase prices at all, kept them at levels that were affordable for all punters. I hope he booms but has told me business has increased by nigh on 30% anyway, long may it continue.
 
Sad to say we do not have many truly independent shops. Those few we have left often fall down on quality or service or both.
 
Round our way, we have an app called ShoCal - a conflation of ‘shop’ and ‘local’ which offers a Deliveroo style delivery service for local businesses, but at a fraction of Deliveroo’s charges. It’s very good: bookshop, gifts, foodstuffs, booze and all manner of takeaways from local restaurants.

I’m also doing my bit to keep my local beer shop and wine merchant afloat.
 
Our village and nearby ones have decent local shops, butchers, bakeries, delis, farmers markets which we use in preference to the Aberdeen superstores. When you take fuel and time into account not much difference if any in cost and the goods are quality and many from local suppliers.
 
Woodface said:
Fantastic bookshop in Sheffield called Kelham Island Books & Music, I buy as much as I can from them. Excellent vinyl selection which is always well priced.

I will be having my haircut at KI Barbers & take coffee etc from Depot.

I don’t do it because they are local but because they are high quality operators.
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Also in Sheffield I try and buy as much as I can from smaller, local businesses. Home delivery from Peddler Market or the local curry place, clothes from independent stores, baked stuff from 7 Hills etc etc.

I'm not denying that places like KFC will need the income, I just choose to spend what I spend with independents when I can.
 
And shopping local for meat and veg does mean you have more control over provenance. If, heaven forbid, we are forced to accept US hormone-reared meat, I’ll definitely shop at a local butchers who can assure me the meat was sourced locally.
 
Our local shops are pretty amazing , when no one could get toilet paper ...they had mountains of the stuff..you can get almost anything in our local shops, my old dad used to wait till he came up from Devon as it was cheaper and more plentiful
 
Definitely, local butcher plus we've found a local farm shop.

In the business we've used Bounce Back Loan to buy from local suppliers, in one case replacing an American / European import with a Norfolk made version, in the other a small building start up that started up just as the lockdown started.
 
Keep as local as possible. My butcher sources lamb and Welsh blacks from my neighbouring farmers. Another neighbour has just bred pigs. Some bits of one are going in the freezer this weekend.
 
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