Business focus: Coronavirus has taught us the importance of a sense of community

Ryan and Daniela Chandler run a small fashion retailer, Meet Bernard, which has branches in Dulwich and Greenwich. Here they talk to Peter McEwan about the importance of shopping locally – not only for people like them but for the benefit of the whole community – and they say things maybe have not been quite as bad as people have thought, with a positive message for local businesses in difficult times.

One of the most important things that the coronavirus has taught us is the value of community. A trend towards local shopping is on the rise, and that’s a great thing for our local high streets. This trend should continue beyond the pandemic if we want our local areas to remain the special places they are.

It’s no secret that the high street is facing seismic changes that have only been accelerated by Covid-19. The explosion of e-commerce, combined with the pandemic has decimated the high street, with Philip Green’s Arcadia Group being the latest victim.

I run a small fashion retailer in Dulwich and Greenwich called Meet Barnard. During lockdown, we have noticed that people not only appreciate local businesses more, but have started to realise how convenient they actually are. A study by Deloitte Digital has shown that 59 per cent of consumers have used more local stores since the beginning of lockdown. As people have been spending more time working from home, they have acquainted with the stores they usually rush past on the way to the Tube.

This has been dubbed the ‘polo-mint’ effect, where city centres have been hollowed out, with customers preferring the surrounding areas due to a shift in urban working patterns. This has helped to keep businesses like ours, and many others, alive during lockdown. My hope is that this new found appreciation of local stores can last beyond the pandemic, as people head back into the office.

Shopping at local, independently-owned stores helps to keep money in the local area, instead of it being sent to ‘tax efficient’ online behemoths. This means you can be assured that money can be spent on public services like the NHS, schools and roads. Last year, Amazon paid £293m in tax in the UK, even though it’s total profits came to £13.73 billion.

Small local businesses pay their fair share, which props up the economy and goes towards the public services for which we’ve been so thankful for this year.

Research on spending has shown that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business, 63p stayed in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business. That money will then be spent on growing surrounding businesses, and the virtuous cycle goes on. By supporting your local stores, you aren’t just helping that store, but the whole community.

Unemployment between the ages of 18 and 29 could hit 17 per cent by the end of the year. In Dulwich and Greenwich, we have a collection of shops selling flowers, records, art and vegetables. The majority of the staff of these stores fall into this bracket.

The pandemic has shown the nation just how reliant the economy is on our local businesses. This recognition should endure, even after we’re all vaccinated.

For us, the issue is not purely commercial; we’ve seen that local business can help to further the causes we all care about. In our local area, the outpouring of local support for key workers and vulnerable people has been tremendous.

One local shop owner delivered care packages to their most vulnerable customers who they knew lived alone. That was only made possible through the personal relationship fostered in store.

Businesses like this help to preserve the essence of our communities, too. If they close their doors, the chances are they’ll be replaced by a generic coffee chain, or nothing at all. It’s the local stores that give a town its unique flavour.

Local shopping also delivers a friendlier, more personalised service. If I go into the record store around the corner, I know their recommendations will put Spotify’s suggestions to shame. Local shopping isn’t just about the product, but the personal experience involved.

We aren’t ignorant of the fact that the world has gone digital. Most shop owners are embracing this and have invested in digital marketing and e-commerce capacity.

But an online world doesn’t need to be one dominated by multinational fast-fashion outlets and tech monopolies. Local has gone digital too, and there’s no need to sacrifice community for convenience.

As we have rightly applauded our essential workers and NHS heroes, we should also applaud and support our local business owners, too. After the clapping stops and the world slowly opens back up again, consumers should remember the local stores who propped up the economy, provided local jobs and maintained our sense of community.

It is our loyal customers who have supported us and helped us to keep our doors open this year. All we hope is that it stays that way.