The small businesses of this historic Cornish town face many of the same challenges as high-street traders across the UK, but here, optimism is shining through
by Nina Pullman
There’s a general consensus in Helston that Ann makes the best pasties. The location of the best pasty shop is a matter of no small importance in any Cornish town – and the fact that the eponymous Ann’s Pasties is located on a business estate outside the centre is a poignant indicator of the town itself.
Helston is surrounded by three major supermarkets, which have swallowed up a huge portion of the residents’ daily needs and have enticed traffic out of the centre. This is problematic because, although it is a short nine-minute drive to the nearest beach and stunning coastal scenery, Helston already struggles to compete for tourist traffic.
The crisis on Britain’s high streets has been well documented. The latest report, published this summer, found that footfall in town centres has fallen every year since 2013, and around 11% of town centre units are empty (pdf). The rise of supermarkets, online shopping, and a disproportionate small business rate system are all part of the problem.
And yet, much like the historic beginnings of the town itself – Helston is the second-oldest town in Cornwall – a small but thriving population of independent businesses have found ways to endure, and even thrive.
Andy Perry (top left) at his business Andy’s Barbers: ‘We’re different because we get involved’
For Andy Perry, owner of Andy’s Barbers, it has been about offering something a little bit extra. As well as traditional barbering services, an art that has seen a huge revival due to the unforeseen interest in hipster beards, Perry’s shop also has a little coffee bar, an alcohol licence and hosts occasional pop-up events. “Coffee, cut, chat,” his sign proudly proclaims, and the charismatic owner, who says his biggest satisfaction is working with people, backs this up.
“It’s about offering that point of difference. People come in, they chat to you, and you become part of the community – where are they then going to get their hair cut? We’re different because we get involved,” he says, citing the shop’s pop-up bar for the town’s annual Flora Day celebrations as a particular highlight.
Around the corner on medieval Meneage Street, Lin Turner of Sweet Pea Floral Studio is rightly proud of her vibrant floristry business. With doors open to the street, she describes how business in Helston is what you make of it. “You have to put a lot into your business; it’s about customer service, and it’s about knowledge,” she says. “The supermarkets are quite faceless, whereas people can come in here and ask us what flower goes with what. We give a lot of advice, and I think that’s what makes small businesses stand out nowadays.”
Lin Turner (top right), who owns the Sweet Pea Floral Studio, says a personal touch is what helps a small business succeed
Since taking over the shop, Turner has introduced better prices, invested in a bigger range of flowers, and has given the interior a facelift – a beautiful chandelier now hangs over a rustic table loaded with blooms of every colour. “I absolutely love it, I’ve done this job for nearly 40 years and I wouldn’t change it,” she smiles.
Tara Trethowan, of thriving wedding boutique The Bridal Studio, believes that far from being a dying breed, independent businesses are crucial to town centres. “The internet is the place for your big brands; as a town we need more independent shops, offering niche opportunities,” she says. “If you buy what you can locally, you’re supporting a local business, supporting your town and your local economy, rather than the fat cats.”
Tara Trethowan and her wedding business, The Bridal Studio
As suppliers to the premium wedding market, both Turner and Trethowan have perhaps been protected from the supermarkets. Not so for Helston’s independent food businesses, such as Gillian’s Larder, where owner Gillian Geer is less optimistic. Footfall has dropped every year, she says, and her business is hampered by monthly business rates of £650, for which she says she gets “nothing in return”. “You cannot compete on price with anything, so I went out of my way to find stuff that is not in a supermarket,” says Geer.
The local businesses all agree that Helston does have something to offer visitors. There’s the independently owned 15th century Blue Anchor pub, which draws visitors in its own right, while Turner points to the lovely walks nearby and the historic background of the town. What might help is a better system to draw visitors into the town, believes Tom Sobey, founder of Helston-based Origin Coffee and Cornwall’s first coffee roastery. “Helston needs to develop the boating lake and the cafe, so people have a reason to edge their way towards the town,” he says.
Tom Sobey, founder of Cornwall’s first coffee roaster, Origin Coffee: ‘It’s easier for us if everyone pays by card’
New technology, including cashless payment systems, is another opportunity on the horizon. Helston has already lost three out of its five banks, making it difficult for businesses to bank cash, while customers increasingly expect to be able to pay by card or smartphone. Although Origin’s base in Helston doesn’t have a cafe, Sobey says he has considered not accepting any cash at the sites that do. “It’s easier for us if everyone pays by card,” he says.
Back at the barbers, Perry is another advocate of moving with the times. “I’m excited because I’m quite capable of evolving and making sure we do what we have to do to survive. I’ve always got something on the go,” he says. And as for the hipster beards he trims so skilfully, they may also be on their way out. “By Christmas,” grins Perry, “I know a few people who are having them off this year.”
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