Somewhere in the melee of the last decade or two, we are all a little guilty of knowing that our local economies were going to suffer if we didn’t support them. But still we submitted willingly to the lure of driving to a characterless superstore somewhere out of the local vicinity. Let’s face it – we all succumbed to the convenience of buying a week’s quota of bread; stuffing it in the freezer alongside the mountains of meat which was a bargain a month ago. The ‘Buy One Get One Free’ offers and the sudden lack of storage space in the kitchen as the piles of detergents became apparent; driving home and glancing down the High Street and that little voice in your head saying ‘what a shame’ as you notice the ‘For Sale’ signs looming outside the butchers and the bakers.
The last few years have though been a re-awakening, the mood is changing as people are becoming more entrepreneurial, not really through choice, but through necessity. People who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own are now seeing and realizing that this is an opportunity to do something completely different and you know what…? your local community is thriving! People are taking chances and need your support and patronage if we are really to keep our trading heritage alive.
We have the chance to pull back the High Street from the brink and breathe life into your local community again. So it’s time to get back to basics and re-ignite our High Streets. Shop Local, Eat Local, Spend Local, Be Local . Support your local business. It’s of mutual benefit as they support you, where you live, work and play. Be an example to your children: walking to your local shops is good for you too. Stop contributing to green house gases and global warming; save our precious resources. Your local traders want to get to know you better so they can serve you better. Don’t forget that it’s social too ie exchanging a friendly smile or a chat is also a good trade.
Your local businesses care about their local area and the way it looks and the image it projects. There is a very healthy and active Traders Association in Charminster; new and fresh ideas are emerging all the time. When Flowers @ 166 opened its doors in 2008 little did we know that the crunch would have the effect it did and result in the longest recession in my living memory. Our business, just like most others has competition from the supermarkets too. In fact, it’s quite phenomenal when you think of how many places you can go to buy flowers. We believe our success has come from offering a unique and personalized service to a local community whose needs we understand and serve to the best of our ability. So a big thank you for your support! Without you we couldn’t have done it, and with you we hope to be serving you well into the future and working hard with the other Charminster Traders on initiatives such as ‘Charminster in Bloom’ and adding to the character, atmosphere and charm of the community where we also live, work and play.
Sarah Patient
