London shops reeling from pandemic
LONDON: Behind the colourful shopfronts in England’s Lane, a picture- postcard street near north London’s Primrose Hill, business owners are experiencing mixed fortunes as a result of the pandemic lockdown.
While window displays stay empty and shutters are drawn, including at The Washington pub, certain shops are benefitting as customers avoid big queues elsewhere and seek out items that are hard to find at major retailers.
The newsagent and stationery store are enjoying fresh custom from people working remotely and home-schooling their children. The street’s bike shop has meanwhile struggled to keep up with demand.
“It’s madness right now, everyone is cycling,” Michael Falkowski, co-owner of the Impressed store, tells Agence France-Presse (AFP) as he busily fixes a bike.
The Grain bakery has expanded its offering, transforming itself into a mini grocer by replacing tables for customers with shelves.
Owner Kristin Labrague, who has temporarily laid off two of her workers, told AFP that while “it’s a bit frightening to take public transport . . . we wanted to stay open and feed the community”.
Across the street, the Chamomile cafe has shut. Irit Reed, who runs the eatery with husband David, says “the decision to close was based on the safety of our staff, our customers.”
Ordinarily the cafe would have people waiting patiently for a table and brunch, but it now has a notice attached to its pale blue exterior with a message asking for help.
“Like many other small businesses and industries who have been required to close, we have been hit pretty hard,” it reads. “If anyone is able to donate to help us and our team through this next challenging period, we would be eternally grateful.
“In return we will be offering a free hot drink or discount once through this crisis,” the message adds.
Refugee families holding their asylum documents protest outside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees offices in Athens against the government’s decision that they should leave their houses, provided through European Union programs at the end of the month.