‘Shop local’ message has been lost in latest lockdown
LITTLE GEEK SHACK HAD JUST MOVED PREMISES WHEN LOCKDOWN BEGAN
IT was with great excitement that Sharon Messitt threw open the doors of the new and improved Little Geek Shack in St Peter’s Square in Wexford town at the start of December.
Having been open for around a year and a half selling collectables, comic books, vintage clothing and vinyl records in a small shop on South Main Street, the move ticked two boxes – it allowed her to continue to grow her business and also allowed for more social distancing as we learned to live with Covid-19.
However, the elation was to be short lived. Sharon had just three weeks of welcoming customers when she, along with all other businesses deemed non-essential, was forced to shut up shop. With January and February having now passed, uncertainty remains over when she can welcome customers again.
‘It was after the October lockdown I signed up to the new place,’ Sharon said. ‘I didn’t have much space and really I could only have around two people in the shop at any time. People seemed kind of nervous to come in. I was growing the business too and that’s why I opted to move to Peter’s Square.’
Having enjoyed the buzz of a new shop in the buildup to Christmas, she was devastated have to close up again indefinitely.
‘It was awful,’ Sharon said. ‘ The first lockdown was a novelty. The second one, I was getting the new place ready, but this one feels different altogether. There’s so much uncertainty.
‘Up until the announcement the other night, I thought “another couple of weeks, fine”. But now we’ve no date in sight for when we can re-open. I will battle through though. I’ll beg, steal or borrow to keep this shop open. Some can’t do that though. I’m lucky that my rent is quite reasonable and my landlord has been quite good.’
Sharon feels that the attitude taken towards local businesses this time out has been drastically different too and the ‘shop local’ message has been lost.
‘ The last lockdown, it was all about shop local,’ she said. ‘ There were loads of campaigns and it was being pushed everywhere. There’s been nothing like that this time out. We do a bit online, but it’s very slow. People love coming to Wexford to visit unique, small, independent shops and a lot of them will disappear from the Main Street after this.
There are no campaigns or anything this time. Businesses are still here, but we’re being left high and dry this time.’
NEW gates or railings can be a tremendous addition to any home or business property – making that tell all, brilliant first impression, but to really make an impression there’s nothing like a bespoke metal piece.
From a bridge, gazebo or specially designed sculpture piece in the garden, to a one-off metal fireplace or a signature building entrance there are a huge range of options for anyone considering adding a striking and eye-catching new feature to their property or business.
Bespoke metal fabrication is a service that many companies and designers turn to when they are working on custom projects and there are many Wexford and Wicklow fabrication firms that offer the services needed to turn a dream into reality.
Such projects are complicated and can be costly so there are a number of things to consider before moving forward on any bespoke work.
What form of welding is best?
There are two popular forms of welding both of which have pros and cons in terms of speed, cost and quality. MIG (Metal Inert Gas Welding) produces less welding fumes, and a faster method of joining two metals together. MIG Welding uses a solid wire electrode alongside gas to protect the metal from reacting to its environment, to ensure welding is fast and continuous.
TIG Welding (Tungsten Inert Gas Welding) requires a skilled fabricator due to its more complex method.
TIG Welding uses a tungsten electrode rod which creates a short arc to bond heavier metals.
Choosing a Fabricator
Choosing the metal fabricator that can best meet a project’s needs is an important decision that can affect the final product.
It can be helpful to note which industries a shop normally services, as well as the sorts of products or processes it specifically focuses on. It is also important to learn about the fabricator’s experience with the type of metal needed for the project as some fabrication firms, while widely experienced in all areas, can also specialize in one or two specific types of metal fabrication.
Also is precision fabrication required? Precision metal fabrication relies heavily upon rapidly evolving computer technology. Many companies who specialize in precision fabrication use CAD/CAM software to design and layout the products to be manufactured. CNC computers are programmed to perform specific tasks and achieve the incredibly exact specifications required to manufacture many products.
The Environment
There is a large range of materials to choose from and all of them, while durable, will behave differently depending on its setting and use. When choosing a form of metal for your project, it is important to understand what environment it will be in. Each metal has its own individual reaction to interior and exterior settings, with risk of faster deterioration in certain environments and this is a vital consideration in any bespoke project. What works well and looks good as part of a fireplace may not be suitable for a garden.