You could call it an extra level of customer care. Simon Broadribb, owner of the Uptons of Bassett butchers in Southampton, has a habit of bowing to those who visit his shop. “Some of the other butchers take the mickey out of me because I bow, but I want the customer to feel that we’re grateful,” he says. “Anyone can go to the supermarket and buy meat in there, so for them to spend their money with us is an honour.”
Broadribb is not alone in feeling immense gratitude towards his customers, particularly after what has been such a difficult year for small independent retailers. Siân Wild, owner of The Flower Lounge in Didsbury, Manchester, feels much the same: “We’re so lucky that our residents have a strong sense of community and love to support local businesses, as it has been vital to us surviving this pandemic.”
It ought to go without saying that this gratitude should run both ways – extending from us to the local shopkeepers who have gone above and beyond for us this year. To celebrate this special bond, we asked some shopkeepers about the meaningful relationships they have forged with their customers and their communities.
The customer community
Sarah Atkinson of Bunny’s Moggy’s Doggy’s Pet Supplies in Chorley, Lancashire, describes regular customers as part of an extended family that has long been looking out for each other. “We are a little community,” she says. “We watch their children and pets grow up and they us. We are very much a family unit.”
Similarly, Rachael Johnson of vintage emporium The Yesterday Society in Newcastle says: “My customers mean the world to me and I now have great friendships with several of them.” This allows her to provide a level of personal service that would not otherwise be possible: “I have been known to contact my regulars if I get something that I think they will love or know they have been looking for.”
Karen Harvey of Scottish Scandi homeware boutique Hoos in Glasgow, emphasises the importance of physical presence. “What’s really different about local shops is that the owner of the business is often present, and customers get to build a relationship with them,” she says. “At Hoos, it’s like a village store. You say: ‘How are you? How’s your grandchild?’ You get to admire the new baby when you’ve seen the mum come in while she’s pregnant.”
This personal element is something many local retailers strive to maintain even as they’ve had to reorient their businesses this year. Despite having to pivot into e-commerce during the pandemic, Wild is dedicated to ensuring The Flower Lounge still provides customers “the personal touch that comes from buying locally – the feeling of purchasing something unique and handmade just for them”.
The commercial community
Commercial success ripples out across the community as well. “We buy our bread from six miles down the road,” says Broadribb of his butchers. “We sell over 100 loaves per week, which supports Jim the baker. We also sell jam from a lady nearby and two local beers.”
Atkinson points out that local shopkeepers are also the customers of other local businesses: “It’s so important to support local independent traders because your money is put back into the local economy – buying from us means we can shop and support local businesses. We source as many of our products as locally and independently as we can.”
Paul Rawlinson of Baltzersen’s bakery in Harrogate agrees. “The unseen benefits of shopping local are that smaller businesses tend to support one another and the community through their supply chain, use of local tradespeople, engage with professional services and get involved with charities,” he says. “Shopping local keeps families in their homes and their businesses on the streets of our towns and cities where they belong.”
A poignant reminder of these community connections was shared by Sean Cooper, boss of Weyfish, a harbourside fishmongers in Weymouth, Dorset. “We have 32 fishing boats that we buy from. Some of those don’t land every day, but around half of them do,” he says. “Come rain or shine, they’re out there.”
“In a week when two fishermen were lost off the south coast, it’s a sobering reminder of what a dangerous profession it is,” he says. “Yes, we make a profit on what we buy from them. But we also make a contribution to the entire fishing community of Weymouth. That support makes a difference to so many families.”
Connecting the two communities
By championing local suppliers, independent retailers effectively build bridges between business communities and customer communities. “We get to recommend the things we genuinely love, and in turn pass that knowledge to a customer to enjoy,” says Steve Courtnell of Pie and Vinyl in Southsea. “When discovering a new act or album, we can hopefully bring them the very same joy we felt.” Indeed, it’s that combination of passion and expertise that can make shopping local so magical.
To you it’s shopping, to them it’s everything. Join Visa in supporting local, independent businesses. #WhereYouShopMatters
