Kim and Adele said: “We're using quite a lot of energy to keep the cheese all at a certain temperature so as a business goes, it has high overheads. The cost of the bills going up is not easy for a small independent business. It’s a very quiet part of the street compared to the top end of North Street. Weekends are generally busier. People have got money to spend I think because people are staying in more rather than going out drinking and going for meals. They’re spending a little bit of money on something like a nice cheese board to stay in so that’s been quite positive. It’s artisan cheese - people could go and get cheaper cheese in the supermarket but customers like the product and they like the fact that we’ve got so much variety and it’s really good quality. We’ve got lots of regulars that come in and just buy a loaf of bread or come in and have a little chat. It’s really nice.” Kim and Adele said: “We're using quite a lot of energy to keep the cheese all at a certain temperature so as a business goes, it has high overheads. The cost of the bills going up is not easy for a small independent business. It’s a very quiet part of the street compared to the top end of North Street. Weekends are generally busier. People have got money to spend I think because people are staying in more rather than going out drinking and going for meals. They’re spending a little bit of money on something like a nice cheese board to stay in so that’s been quite positive. It’s artisan cheese - people could go and get cheaper cheese in the supermarket but customers like the product and they like the fact that we’ve got so much variety and it’s really good quality. We’ve got lots of regulars that come in and just buy a loaf of bread or come in and have a little chat. It’s really nice.”
Kim and Adele said: “We're using quite a lot of energy to keep the cheese all at a certain temperature so as a business goes, it has high overheads. The cost of the bills going up is not easy for a small independent business. It’s a very quiet part of the street compared to the top end of North Street. Weekends are generally busier. People have got money to spend I think because people are staying in more rather than going out drinking and going for meals. They’re spending a little bit of money on something like a nice cheese board to stay in so that’s been quite positive. It’s artisan cheese - people could go and get cheaper cheese in the supermarket but customers like the product and they like the fact that we’ve got so much variety and it’s really good quality. We’ve got lots of regulars that come in and just buy a loaf of bread or come in and have a little chat. It’s really nice.”

We visit North Street in south Bristol to ask independent traders how business is

By Adriana Amor
Published 26th Jan 2024, 15:03 BST

High energy bills and shoppers spending less is causing some shops to change the way they operate

North Street in Bedminster is vibrant, picturesque and championed by a roster of independent businesses ranging from delis and cafes to plant shops and the Tobacco Factory.

But to what extent has the ongoing economic situation and cost of living impacted traders at North Street?

We talked to 11 traders to see how business is going and the impacts the cost of living crisis and high energy bills have had. Here’s what we found:

We talked to 11 traders to see how business is going and the impacts the cost of living crisis and high energy bills have had. Here’s what we found:

Devaki from Plant Studio, which has been open since March 2023, said: “It’s actually been good but I think it’s the nature of my business. Houseplants are an inexpensive thing that people can get for their homes to kind of beautify their space. So I don't feel like the cost of living crisis has massively impacted my business.”

9. Plant Studio

Devaki from Plant Studio, which has been open since March 2023, said: “It’s actually been good but I think it’s the nature of my business. Houseplants are an inexpensive thing that people can get for their homes to kind of beautify their space. So I don't feel like the cost of living crisis has massively impacted my business.”

Chitra Tarling, the owner of the Independent Design Collective, said: “We were hit pretty badly. The financial crisis was announced around December/January 2023, and for the first six/seven months of last year, we were struggling to cover the bills, pay our staff, pay for the electricity, let alone everything else that comes on top of general life, buying food for your family and all of that. So this little dream has sort of been my passion ever since I was a little girl. So to let it go would have been a very hard decision for me. So we struggled through, we had unexpected bills that popped up and we had to borrow money, which I don’t like doing. But I’m hoping that this year will be a much better year after surviving Covid, after just about surviving the financial crisis. I’m hoping that this year will be a “normal” year, and we can just get back to selling local art and crafts to the general public."

10. Independent Design Collective

Chitra Tarling, the owner of the Independent Design Collective, said: “We were hit pretty badly. The financial crisis was announced around December/January 2023, and for the first six/seven months of last year, we were struggling to cover the bills, pay our staff, pay for the electricity, let alone everything else that comes on top of general life, buying food for your family and all of that. So this little dream has sort of been my passion ever since I was a little girl. So to let it go would have been a very hard decision for me. So we struggled through, we had unexpected bills that popped up and we had to borrow money, which I don’t like doing. But I’m hoping that this year will be a much better year after surviving Covid, after just about surviving the financial crisis. I’m hoping that this year will be a “normal” year, and we can just get back to selling local art and crafts to the general public."

At Hugo’s Greengrocers, Alice said: “We were down at the Loaf in East Street and now we just have this one location. I’m not necessarily sure if the cost of living crisis has impacted the shop but we've got lots of really good loyal customers, so I’d say we're doing okay. It’s quite seasonal anyway, so we're slightly less busy now than we were in November and December, but I think that’s pretty normal.”

11. Hugo's Greengrocers

At Hugo’s Greengrocers, Alice said: “We were down at the Loaf in East Street and now we just have this one location. I’m not necessarily sure if the cost of living crisis has impacted the shop but we've got lots of really good loyal customers, so I’d say we're doing okay. It’s quite seasonal anyway, so we're slightly less busy now than we were in November and December, but I think that’s pretty normal.”

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