Independent retailers told us about their first week back ANXIOUS OPENING FOR CITY’S SHOPS
INDEPENDENT retailers in Glasgow have spoken of their struggle following the reopening of non-essential shops on Monday – and several say their sales have fallen dramatically,
The independent retailers told of how they witnessed a huge dip in sales on their first day back, while keen shoppers queued outside Primark in Glasgow from as early as 5.30am on Monday.
Some stores also report footfall down by more than 75% and expressed fears over customers being unwilling to touch goods.
Heather Docherty, owner of La Coco Gift in Glasgow’s West End, said: “I’m a small gift boutique, so a lot of my items are small candles that you want to pick up and smell. People are scared to touch and pick up stuff. They don’t know what they’re allowed to do.
“I’ve had five people through my door so far which is not much from what it usually is. I would normally have three or four times that amount. The street is really, really quiet. I jumped into a cafe to get some food and they told me their sales have dropped from £800 to £200.”
Nancy Stewart, owner of Boudoir, a lingerie shop in Glasgow’s West End, said: “Small shops are struggling and need to be remembered by customers to survive at any time – but now more than ever. “The extra outlay for protecting customers and in my case stock before we have taken anything after being closed for so long is daunting just trying to work it out.
“We were optimistic today, but we’ve had only one customer in. The weather won’t have helped but I don’t know if everyone is just in the queue for Primark.
“Once you open you stop getting support from the government so you have to pay your rent, but you have no customers. Bills still need to be paid and I think this will be the end for a lot of small independent shops.” Another business owner, who did not want to be named, said: “A lot of independent stores don’t want to open right now. I know of a few shops who have just let their leases expire. “There’s a percentage of my customers who won’t want to come back to the store or touch anything until a few months after this is all over.”
Some of the retailers are more optimistic of things picking back up.
Soni Ahmed, owner of Maia Gifts, a gift shop in Glasgow city centre, said: “We’re expecting it to be quieter today but as the week goes on we expect to see more and more customers come through the door.
“I think it’s going to be like a big wave going from the big stores then it will feed down to us. We’re hopeful people will have an awakening that in this time period small businesses need them more than ever and they’ll start to think about where they shop and try to support local where they can.