Independents’ Day 2011 – your local Hackney shops need you!

Independents’ Day 2011 - your local shops need you!

As part of Independents’ Day, Hackney residents are today (4 July) being encouraged to buy some of their shopping from local, independent traders to help ensure their survival.

The project is a team effort between Skillsmart Retail and the National Skills Academy for Retail who have joined forces with trade associations and independent retailers to highlight the issue.

Chatsworth Road traders

Diane Cunningham, chair of Chatsworth Road Traders’ and Residents’ Association, explained what this means for people locally: “Chatsworth Road is fairly unique in being a self contained high street with primarily independent shops and businesses. One of the aims of the newly re-instated market is to encourage residents to use their local high street, ensuring it retains its focus at the heart of the community.

“The high street has faced a number of challenges over the past few years, including an increase in vacant shops but we are now starting to see this change. We are also seeing other initiatives in place to bring people to the street such as a forthcoming exhibition in an empty shop unit.

“It’s important that a local high street exists within easy reach for all. In an age where many people lean towards larger shops and businesses we need to keep enforcing that buying locally benefits more people, supports the local economy and often provides even more convenience than the larger scale businesses.”

Rosanne Berry, chair of Stoke Newington Business Association in her shop, Rosa Lingerie. Photograph: Dionisio Plaza

Stoke Newington businesses

Rosanne Berry, chair of Stoke Newington Business Association said, “Stoke Newington is proud of its plethora of independent businesses. We as a business association support local independent shops, cafes and restaurants because they are tailored to suit the needs of our community and can provide something original and different from most of the businesses found in every high street.

“Many of ours are family-run and have been established for more than a generation. Running an independent business is hard work and full of risk, as you are out on your own and have no big ‘name’ to fall back on during difficult times.

“This makes independent business owners all the more determined to succeed and to rely on a unique selling point to produce something different and of superior quality to ‘ordinary’ businesses.

“They have to build up personal relationships with both local residents and valued regular customers who might come from far and wide to obtain what they cannot get anywhere else. Our hope is that we can maintain the variety not only of local shops, cafes and restaurants, but also the other support services, such as accountants, printers, IT consultants and other essential people who keep the community thriving.

“In these days of recession and austerity, it is all the more important to remember the independent businesses round the corner which you might pass every day and mean to visit sometime, but never quite manage it. Now’s the time to make that effort and find out what you have been missing!”

Victoria Park traders

Commenting on the Independents’ Day initiative, Joanna de Guia, chair of Victoria Park Traders’ Association, said: “Obviously anything which draws attention to and supports local independent businesses is welcome.

“My immediate thoughts are that the strength and weakness of independent businesses is their … independence! It makes it difficult to come up with anything which pleases everybody or is indeed relevant to everybody. There are many local businesses which are hidden away behind the high street – IT businesses and local artists and authors for example – and they would miss out on such a campaign. But those of us in retail are profoundly grateful for any little bit of help which comes our way.

“I think the main thing which needs to happen – and this runs in direct opposition to the prevailing economic climate – is that we all need to re-educate ourselves about how much things cost.  We are all much poorer at the moment, and likely to become poorer still, but until we realise how much things actually cost and stop kidding ourselves that we can get three for two, our high streets and producers will continue to suffer as will those employed by the chains to produce shoes at £6.99 a pair, or books at £1.99 each.

“These things cost more than that to make and have an intrinsic value which is worth more than that.  Were we all able to change our shopping habits to mean that we buy one pair of shoes a season at a price which reflects the cost of production – instead of five pairs all going for a song – then the independent high street could compete with the chains.

“Local residents also need to remember that a thriving independent high street adds enormous value to the area in which they live, both through increased property value and also added resources. In Victoria Park the retailers and business owners run various events through the year for the local community and we support local schools.

“We make the shopping area a destination station which draws people from surrounding areas to Victoria Park.  We add atmosphere and vibrancy.  The area is lively until late at night which makes it safer and there are shops, restaurants and bars which cater for all pockets.

“As most of us are local residents as well as business owners we reap the rewards of our own work. We buy local and so the money stays within the local economy. And the area still has a population which has put down roots here; Sublime has been here for years as have the newsagents and Elbows Coffee Shop.

“Mostly it’s about local pride. It makes me very happy when I discover that our local wine shop has won Independent Wine Shop of the Year in the Telegraph, and that our local Deli has been short-listed for Deli of the Year. I feel extremely proud when I realise that we have put Hackney on the literary map – when people like Michael Morpurgo and Oliver Jeffers drop in to sign their books.

“Local pride keeps the streets clean and crime down and raises aspirations in local residents. Suddenly the sky’s the limit. You don’t get that at Sainsbury’s do you?”

Skillsmart Retail

Anne Seaman, Chief Executive of Skillsmart Retail said: “We are delighted to lead this campaign and support small retailers. Raising awareness amongst the public is one of the biggest challenges smaller retailers face and our message is about encouraging the public to use their local high street and understand how important a diverse retail sector is.

“It’s also essential that local retailers understand that to compete today they need to be top of their game. The time for sitting back has passed and action is required: Your high street needs you!”

‘Ghost town’

The demise of the high street has been well-documented over the last decade. Reports from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) have warned of the rise of ‘Ghost Town Britain’, and show how local businesses are closing, which destroys the fabric of the community and leaves more isolated areas without much-needed amenities, such as a local post office.

NEF also pint to the effects of chain stores – especially big supermarkets – which squeeze out the competition creating a series of ‘clone towns’.

With oil prices on the increase and concern about climate change growing, NEF argues that this homogenisation is unsustainable and calls for low carbon, local economies.

Here in Hackney there are sign of hope: there has been great opposition to proposed rent increases in Well Street Market, with 5,000 local residents signing a petition against the hike.

There is also growing opposition in Stoke Newington to a proposed new development which includes a new Sainsbury’s store in Wilmer Place.

Re-imagining the High Street: tips from the New Economics Foundation:

Use your independent cinema, local independent retailers and markets. Independent high street business can only survive if local people buy from them – seek out independents and locally sourced products.

Join or help to create a local Transition Town group, or civic society.

Use FreeCycle to redistribute your unwanted goods and belongings.

Run (or attend) a re-imagined high street project in your community. People need to help planners create a re-invigorated community – Government (central or local) cannot deliver this alone.