Cobbler to close after 115 years of trading
‘Cheap imports’ kill business
NOT so long ago it was one of the busiest shops in town.
But today’s throwaway culture has killed off what was once a flourishing trade.
Now cobbler Charles Clark has become the latest victim of cheap imports from abroad after he announced he is shutting his shop, which has been trading in Dundee for 115 years.
He said: ‘Over the past ten or 15 years things started to change. The shoe industry began to bring in shoes from places like China very, very cheaply.
‘As that progressed, more and more shoemakers moved away to factories over there. Now it’s almost cheaper to buy a pair of shoes than get them repaired.
‘And the shoes sold now aren’t designed to be repaired. I’d say only 15 or 20 per cent of people buy quality shoes that can be repaired.’
Mr Clark followed in the footsteps of his father, also Charles, who had carried out shoe repairs during the Second World War before going on to open his own shop.
It was there Mr Clark began his working life as an apprentice, later expanding his skills to include ice skate repairs and key cutting.
Mr Clark has run McLeod’s Shoe Repairs in the city for 49 years, taking over when its previous owner, who set up the business in 1901, retired in 1967.
When Mr Clark started doing shoe repairs, there were so many customers cobblers struggled to cope with the demand. He recalled: ‘Shoe repairs were at their peak. You would work 12 or sometimes 18 hours a day, Sundays included, and it still wasn’t enough time to get everything done.’
But times have been tough for many long-established shops.
In March, family-run McEwens of Perth, one of Scotland’s last independent department stores, announced it is to close.
The firm, which also has stores in Oban and Ballater, Aberdeenshire, went into administration after suffering financial difficulties for several years. Owners John and Georgina Bullough blamed retail pressures such as the rise of online shopping for the closure.
In a statement the couple said: ‘We have worked hard with little to no working capital but with fantastic, loyal staff to make McEwens the best it could be. This has not delivered the increase in trade necessary to keep the business solvent.’
Stuart Mackinnon, of the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland, warned that town centres are under pressure and urged the Scottish Government and councils to take action.
He said: ‘Many long-standing independent businesses have a place in our hearts. It’s exceptionally hard when we see them close.
‘Our most successful high streets are where there is a strong mix of public and private, large and small businesses.
‘When both big business and the public sector pull out of town centres, that has a knock-on effect on independent businesses as well.’