With shoppers prioritising cheaper gifts over sustainable ones, independent businesses are struggling to stay afloat
Charlie and Trina Gill, of Life before Plastic, which sells products made by independent zero-waste retailers.Charlie and Trina Gill, of Life before Plastic, which sells products made by independent zero-waste retailers.Last modified on Tue 20 Dec 2022 07.07 GMT
The independent sustainable products retail sector enjoyed rapid growth during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, with entrepreneurs launching start-ups from home and a boom in online shopping. Watts adds that her mental health has suffered as the business struggled and debts mounted. “I never really understood the ‘death of the high street’ before I had a bricks and mortar store. But it’s incredibly difficult to change consumer habits and tough to compete with the convenience offered by supermarkets.”
Many suppliers folded and by July she was struggling to pay her staff and discussed liquidating the business with her accountant – “a really low point”. However, a re-structuring has provided a much-needed boost and helped her to seize the opportunity to try new approaches. However, as the cost of living crisis has taken hold, the number of suppliers has dwindled dramatically, the Gills say. They cite several, including Naked Necessities, The Kind Store and The Beeswax Wrap Co, that have folded in 2022, with further closures coming almost daily.
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