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Post by specsavers2 on Dec 6, 2022 14:06:03 GMT 1
We have several small businesses in our small town and been thinking along the lines of use them or loose them.
The idea being not buying all at the large supermarkets. Give the small traders a bit more of a turn.
Bit more expensive but, personal service, good produce and only five minutes away.
Not intending to stop using the big boys but not losingvillage services.
Worth a thought ?
Maybe you already do.!
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Post by annabellespapa on Dec 6, 2022 15:00:06 GMT 1
A few years ago (probably 10) our local farmer set up a Bio farm shop which opened on Saturday afternoons between 2-4pm, fair enough, he can run the business any way he likes, one Saturday I was in a Lidl about 30km from home and at the checkout in front of me was the farmer's wife with a trolley full of veg, on the car park she unpacked the veg and put them into plastic crates...
Also while I think about it, the veg stall on our local Friday morning market increases the price of all their produce than the stall that they have in the nearest large town where there is competition, they are so brazen as the reduced price is on the back of the price labels at the small village market.
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Aardvark
Non-gamer
Living in soggy 22 and still wondering what's going on.
Posts: 1,582
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Post by Aardvark on Dec 6, 2022 17:33:57 GMT 1
I would be happy to support local businesses if they weren't so expensive. On a limited income we can't all afford to pay higher prices just to keep someone else prosperous.
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Post by lapourtaider on Dec 6, 2022 17:46:46 GMT 1
We have several small businesses in our small town and been thinking along the lines of use them or loose them. The idea being not buying all at the large supermarkets. Give the small traders a bit more of a turn. Bit more expensive but, personal service, good produce and only five minutes away. Not intending to stop using the big boys but not losingvillage services. Worth a thought ? Maybe you already do.! Having just spent the last 4 weeks in our new home, we have decided to do just that as much as we can (ie within budget). Bonne chance. |
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Post by jardiniere on Dec 6, 2022 18:13:58 GMT 1
in front of me was the farmer's wife with a trolley full of veg, on the car park she unpacked the veg and put them into plastic crates... That is brazen! I agree with Specsavers in theory but in practice unless the price difference is not too great and/or it's something I really like, I can't afford to regularly give small traders my custom. I was shocked to see a price ticket of 1.75€ on a litre carton of UHT milk my son had bought from the town centre greengrocer cum convenience store, pretty much double the supermarket price. |
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Post by houpla on Dec 6, 2022 19:05:57 GMT 1
I gave it a shot during the first few years. Our commerces are/were a Toutes services/tabac/presse run by a Parisienne who consistently and repeatedly doubles the bill for whatever the customers have bought. Grudgingly recalculates when challenged. A bar run by a Ukrainienne along much the same lines. Fond of doubling the note, especially if food is involved. A restaurant that is open only if and when the owners feel like it, which isn't often. A former boulangerie/ épicerie run by a greasy, string-vest-clad, fag-ash dribbling Jack Nicholson look-a-like with a penchant for verbally abusing his (mostly elderly) clientèle as well as baking possibly the most inedible baguettes in France  He's long gone and the three subsequent attempts all closed within six months. Village market and fish van started off in a blaze of glory and dwindled to one fruit and veg stall within six months. This supporting your local commerces stuff works both ways. We're only 6kms from a lovely little town with a variety of supermarkets, a good weekly market and honest, friendly commercants. No contest! |
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Post by annabellespapa on Dec 6, 2022 19:09:38 GMT 1
I am not seeking to knock the French as I am sure it happens equally in the UK and I was thinking about this today and the French appear very loyal to local businesses, in fact one of my neighbours recently upgraded his windows and doors, he used the local guy, weeks of upheaval but a good job done and he was very pleased even though it cost in his words a Princess's Ransom. A few weeks later there was a problem with one of the glass units fogging up, he called the local company and they sent Lapeyre round as they were the suppliers of the windows, not the local guy as he thought and paid over the odds for, all they did was the fitting and he was left to deal with Lapeyre for a replacement.
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Post by specsavers2 on Dec 6, 2022 19:10:10 GMT 1
Got to pick and choose the product, much more expensive- maybe no. Quality, less waste than store packaging.
Ghost town without small businesses?
Not wanting ripped of?.
If village shop wants to survive, must strike a balance.
.trust is big thing.
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Post by houpla on Dec 6, 2022 19:11:50 GMT 1
Artisans, that's a whole different thread all to itself  Oh, I forgot our village garagiste! Lovely, efficient, honest, good value.....everything a local business should be. And last year we acquired a wonderful couple to run the plant nursery, which formerly only opened in September and October to sell chrysanthemums. |
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Post by annabellespapa on Dec 6, 2022 20:07:08 GMT 1
When we lived in France (10 years ago) our local garage was a very honest knowledgeable guy and ran the business with his wife with a straight bat, we recommended him to everyone, just to add a bit of balance to my previous negative posts.
Our local shop was re-located from the village square so they could also do fuel and then taken over by Carrefour, the existing owners were given the chance to move to the new business and refused until the 11'th hour when they agreed, it is about 5 years on and the family could not be happier and probably wealthier, so change can be a good thing.
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Post by cernunnos on Dec 7, 2022 9:31:23 GMT 1
The Eco-marche that was built in our village instead of the Maison de Retraite , killed all the small shops.So we have very little option , so choose to go to the larger supermarket in the next town , rather than to the more expensive smaller one in our village.
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Post by norfolk on Dec 7, 2022 9:36:28 GMT 1
I’m the opposite to Cernunnos and others. I try to support the local commerces as much as possible if only to keep them going as a facility to the village. I do the bulk shopping in the larger outlets mainly because the choice is far larger. I’m prepared to pay a bit more if that means the commerces will continue.
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Nifty
Member
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Post by Nifty on Dec 7, 2022 9:49:00 GMT 1
@ Houpla
‘ Fond of doubling the note,‘. ?
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Post by cernunnos on Dec 7, 2022 9:49:08 GMT 1
The " commerce" in our village was EcoMarche, which is a huge chain of franchises. When they built an even bigger one in the next village, they closed it and it was taken over by Casino , which is another chain . We don't have any local commerces, they all closed.
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Post by annabellespapa on Dec 7, 2022 10:46:03 GMT 1
The " commerce" in our village was EcoMarche, which is a huge chain of franchises. When they built an even bigger one in the next village, they closed it and it was taken over by Casino , which is another chain . We don't have any local commerces, they all closed. Good point cernunnos, however these franchises are usually run by families. Since the carrefour was established on the road leading out of the village the square has become one way to traffic and there are currently four restaurants, there is now a local artist gallery and local artist gift shop, we used to have two bakeries on the square and one closed many years ago after a flood and the other moved onto the road going out of the village opposite the carrefour, with plenty of parking and very convenient. There was always empty shops on the square but rightly or wrongly the commune appears to be going down the entertainment/tourist route, which so far seems to be working. |
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He's long gone and the three subsequent attempts all closed within six months. Village market and fish van started off in a blaze of glory and dwindled to one fruit and veg stall within six months. This supporting your local commerces stuff works both ways. We're only 6kms from a lovely little town with a variety of supermarkets, a good weekly market and honest, friendly commercants. No contest!
Oh, I forgot our village garagiste! Lovely, efficient, honest, good value.....everything a local business should be. And last year we acquired a wonderful couple to run the plant nursery, which formerly only opened in September and October to sell chrysanthemums.
