Separating Clifton from Redland and Cotham, Whiteladies Road's beautiful Georgian buildings host a wide range of independent shops, cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants.
Up-market furniture shops, hi-fi, deli, bookshops, estate agents, galleries, musical instruments, fashion and gift shops can be found on the road, which is also home to the Whiteladies Road Market on Saturdays.
But to what extent has the ongoing economic situation and cost of living impacted traders at Whiteladies Road?
We talked to six traders to see how business is going and the impact the cost of living crisis and high energy bills have had. Here’s what we found:
1. The Electric Bike Shop
Dexter, the Area Manager of the Electric Bike Shop, shared: "A big part for us has been our footfall has gone down. Obviously, the bikes that we sell are relatively high-ticket items, so they're not cheap. They kind of start from about £1,500. So obviously, with the cost of living crisis, there's not as much money for people to have to spend on luxury items or things like that. So therefore, we've seen there's definitely been a drop in footfall coming through the door. And we've also found that, generally, people are using government schemes that are out there, such as the Cycle to Work scheme or using finance to purchase bikes from us now rather than paying outright, which we definitely saw more of before the cost of living crisis."
2. Noco Hair
Noel Halligan, the Hairdressing Creative Director at Noco Hair, shared: "We have seen a small amount of growth. Personally, I would say that the cost of living crisis has created a rich/ poor divide, so we honed in on the clientele with the higher net worth. It appears that people still wish to feel good about themselves, and getting your hair done is the easiest way to feel like you have had more of a pamper. I can’t speak for the rest of the industry but I would say it’s had little impact and that other luxuries such as eating out and drinking could have been more. In general, hair trends have changed slightly, colour work like balayage can last longer with softer looks, whereas people are having more layered haircuts than before the lockdown, meaning more frequent haircut appointments."
3. Restore
At Restore, Amy said: "I would say, what I know anyway, I'm not the manager, but it hasn't been affected too much because we've had quite a lot of business, we've been quite lucky. I guess after Christmas time it wasn't as busy, which is because I guess people are more careful about money at the moment."
4. Ruby & White
At Ruby and White, Morgan shared: "As a butchery, we have seen most of our costs increasing dramatically during the cost of living crisis. We run numerous refrigeration units and have seen the most impact in our electricity bills being almost triple what we were paying. We also have a wholesale delivery service, and fuel costs have also put pressure on the business. We try our best not to offset this onto the customer but, as I imagine most businesses have had to do, prices have been increased during the crisis. We are aware that the crisis has had a huge impact on butcheries across the country to the point where they have had to close their doors. So we feel fortunate to still be afloat thanks mostly to our loyal customers. In terms of footfall, we again feel very fortunate to still be very busy. Perhaps due in part to our business model, with a commitment to locally sourced, high-welfare meat. But also, we are located in Clifton, an affluent area, where the locals perhaps don’t feel the pinch as much."