For the second time this year, small businesses and independent shops are opening their doors again – and wondering what the future holds.
Since the first lockdown in March, the Mirror has been following one typical high street, Town Street in Farsley, Leeds, to find out how small local shops are faring in such challenging times.
We returned to the normally busy street, now in a Tier 3 area, to hear shop owners’ hopes and fears in the run up to Christmas.
And with many gloomier than ever about whether they will manage to bounce back, they are urging us all to support our local shops – for whom the run up to Christmas could be the difference between surviving and shutting their doors for good.
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No 11: Pub
With the area in Tier 3, the Fleece pub is staying shut, even for the five days they would be allowed to open at Christmas.
Manager John McIntyre says: “I don’t think the Government has properly thought about the practicalities of opening up for five days during Christmas, only to close again.
"So we’ve decided to stay shut until things get back to normal, even though we’ll take a big hit.”
He adds: “Please, keep using your local businesses.
"Shop down your local high street and you’ll be helping local people’s lives and livelihoods.”
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No 72: Barbers
Tony Nelson, owner of Urban Man barbers, admits the stress of the last year has made him consider retiring early.
He says: “It’s just an ongoing nightmare. We don’t do appointments, so I don’t know how things are going to be.
“Even between the two lockdowns we were 40-50% down on takings.
“Just when we were beginning to see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel, we had the second lockdown.”
He urges: “Go and have your hair cut at your local barbers. Looking good gives you a lift and makes you feel positive.”
No 53: Clothes shop
Nicola Connor only opened Wardrobe 53 a year ago, and never expected her first year of trading to be so challenging.
She says she can’t understand why big department stores can remain open while independent shops like hers have to shut.
“It’s a little disappointing to see big stores like Marks & Spencer still able to sell clothes,” she says. “There’s a large one near us and they’ve carried on trading as normal. We’ve had some fantastic support from our customers, but each week has got a little bit quieter. We’ve stocked up for Christmas.
“Small shops like ours rely on the months before Christmas to get us through the quieter months after Christmas. Hopefully we’ll do well.”
She adds: “I’d encourage everyone to try to shop local. High streets have everything you need for Christmas, from flowers to cards to candles.”
No 62: Hair and beauty
Lynn Holmes says morale is low and the future is uncertain for her pH7 salon.
She says: “It’s been challenging again. We’re opening again with three weeks to go before Christmas.
"I’m currently booked up for December, but there’s very little in January.
"I do feel that, although we are clubbed together with hospitality, hair salons haven’t been given the same financial support.
“My greatest worry is my team and staff motivation.
"They’ve had so much time off work they are re-evaluating things, looking at maybe doing something different.”
She adds: “Please try to shop locally.
"Helping small shops stay afloat will help your community thrive."
No 57: Florist
Adrienne Prest has been doing a delivery service from Adrienne Florist during lockdown, but she’s still worried she won’t sell her Christmas stock in time.
She says: “Although the door’s been shut we’ve been busy answering the phone or dealing with online orders.
“Even so, business isn’t close to how it usually is in normal times.
“We’ve got some Christmas stock like ornaments and such, we didn’t buy as much as we would normally because we didn’t know if we’d be open at all.
"It’s worrying, because if you don’t sell them it’s dead stock until next Christmas.
“We’re lucky we have loyal customers.”
No 654: Opticians
Tunnacliffe & Lambert stayed open during the second lockdown, but owner Andrew Lambert says they are still losing a third of what they would normally make.
He says: “Because of the way we work, having to clean everything between each patient, we can only do two thirds of what we were previously doing.
"It will be like that until there’s a vaccine, so it’s really tough. Takings are greatly down this year, it’s hard to know how much.
“It’s important that the customers realise that shopping locally is safer than going into a big shopping centre with thousands of other people.
“We take more time to attend you and make sure you’re safe.
"People are much safer in smaller shops.”
No 58: Indian restaurant
After the last lockdown, Zulfi Hussain hoped his popular Deeva restaurant would quickly bounce back.
But now he’s much more gloomy – especially finding out the area has been placed in Tier 3.
He says: “I’m forever the optimist but this has got us worried.
"We’re looking at being closed for three, four more months.
“Christmas Day is normally a very good day for us, with 70-80 bookings.
"We already have bookings, but it looks like we’re going to have to cancel and refund their deposits, which will be a massive hit.”
He says people should support their local restaurants by ordering takeaways or buying gift cards. “Having one takeaway a week would help,” he says.
