|
The Future of Indies
Listed under: One Voice
Published: Monday, October 18, 2010
One retailer gives us her take on the future of bricks and mortar stores
The owner of a bricks and mortar store has suggested that businesses like hers could soon be a thing of the past if more is not done to support them over the next few years
Barbara Ellenbroek, who has owned Arts & Graphics + Draftline for 14 years, expressed her worries about the fate of independent businesses in an exclusive interview with the magazine earlier this month and hopes her comments will raise awareness about some of the biggest issues currently facing smaller retailers.
“Right now, it is not so much a matter of whether traditional stores are still as sustainable as they once were, but rather if the high street still is as a whole, and this is something I believe we all need to think really carefully about,” she says. “At the moment, people simply are not shopping in their town centres as much as they used to and, although there will always be those who want to touch, see and feel their purchases before deciding whether or not to buy them, no-one can deny that internet shopping and the lure of buying things without venturing outdoors is becoming increasingly popular.
“As a shop owner, running a business is so much more difficult than it was in the past and the current lack of footfall, competition from the internet and extortionate business rates we have to pay certainly have not helped,” she continues. “At present, I am spending around £500 on the latter each month, as well as all the overhead costs that come with having my own shop – rent, staff wages and everyday expenses, for instance. It is very challenging and, unfortunately, things only seem to be getting worse.”
Addressing some of the other issues currently affecting retailers, Ms Ellenbroek explains, “The ridiculous amount of red tape and legislation store owners have to deal with nowadays is also a big burden and a problem individuals running internet businesses simply do not have to contend with. Ensuring your premises fully comply with health and safety laws can be costly and I believe the Government needs to draw the line between the measures that are absolutely necessary and the ones that come down to basic common sense.”
She concludes, “As an industry, I think it is more crucial than ever for us all to come together and find ways of making the high street as attractive as possible for the general public and, rather than competing against one another for their custom, must work collaboratively to generate as much footfall as we can. There definitely needs to be some form of reinvention and it is ultimately in our hands whether or not independent bricks and mortar stores survive.”
What do you think? Email your thoughts to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Barbara Ellenbroek, who has owned Arts & Graphics + Draftline for 14 years, expressed her worries about the fate of independent businesses in an exclusive interview with the magazine earlier this month and hopes her comments will raise awareness about some of the biggest issues currently facing smaller retailers.
“Right now, it is not so much a matter of whether traditional stores are still as sustainable as they once were, but rather if the high street still is as a whole, and this is something I believe we all need to think really carefully about,” she says. “At the moment, people simply are not shopping in their town centres as much as they used to and, although there will always be those who want to touch, see and feel their purchases before deciding whether or not to buy them, no-one can deny that internet shopping and the lure of buying things without venturing outdoors is becoming increasingly popular.
“As a shop owner, running a business is so much more difficult than it was in the past and the current lack of footfall, competition from the internet and extortionate business rates we have to pay certainly have not helped,” she continues. “At present, I am spending around £500 on the latter each month, as well as all the overhead costs that come with having my own shop – rent, staff wages and everyday expenses, for instance. It is very challenging and, unfortunately, things only seem to be getting worse.”
Addressing some of the other issues currently affecting retailers, Ms Ellenbroek explains, “The ridiculous amount of red tape and legislation store owners have to deal with nowadays is also a big burden and a problem individuals running internet businesses simply do not have to contend with. Ensuring your premises fully comply with health and safety laws can be costly and I believe the Government needs to draw the line between the measures that are absolutely necessary and the ones that come down to basic common sense.”
She concludes, “As an industry, I think it is more crucial than ever for us all to come together and find ways of making the high street as attractive as possible for the general public and, rather than competing against one another for their custom, must work collaboratively to generate as much footfall as we can. There definitely needs to be some form of reinvention and it is ultimately in our hands whether or not independent bricks and mortar stores survive.”
What do you think? Email your thoughts to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
