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philpy

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Instead of buying things like 3 packs of meat from Asda for a Tenner, we've been using butchers shops in the area instead, and starting from Tuesday we are getting milk delivered twice a week. It just got me thinking, do any other people on here still support local businesses as much as they can, or do you take the cheaper and convenient supermarket option??

 

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There used to be a great hardware shop in Dumbarton high street, sold everything from Fishing permits/bait to small appliances & nuts and bolts. Homebase arrived in the retail park, hardware shop closed, Homebase then closed too, now there's a B&M store selling tubs of blunt wonky screws for a quid :(

We will occasionally buy from the Farmers Market for a treat, though it's not as varied as it used to be, less sellers there now. To be honest, the local Morrisons has a decent in-store butcher counter, staffed by former local butchers with square sausage to die for. 

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1 hour ago, Silverton End said:

There used to be a great hardware shop in Dumbarton high street, sold everything from Fishing permits/bait to small appliances & nuts and bolts. Homebase arrived in the retail park, hardware shop closed, Homebase then closed too, now there's a B&M store selling tubs of blunt wonky screws for a quid :(

We will occasionally buy from the Farmers Market for a treat, though it's not as varied as it used to be, less sellers there now. To be honest, the local Morrisons has a decent in-store butcher counter, staffed by former local butchers with square sausage to die for. 

See the source image
 

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There used to be a great hardware shop in Dumbarton high street, sold everything from Fishing permits/bait to small appliances & nuts and bolts. Homebase arrived in the retail park, hardware shop closed, Homebase then closed too, now there's a B&M store selling tubs of blunt wonky screws for a quid [emoji20]
We will occasionally buy from the Farmers Market for a treat, though it's not as varied as it used to be, less sellers there now. To be honest, the local Morrisons has a decent in-store butcher counter, staffed by former local butchers with square sausage to die for. 

Smiths on Glasgow Rd for meat and a blether with an old fashioned butcher and then next door to get my nasal hair waxed by the Turkish barbers.
Loss of wee shops as you describe are a shame but it’s the world we live in sadly. They just can’t compete.
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I get my milk from a magic machine not far up the road when I'm passing by. The novelty hasn't worn off yet. 

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I also started getting meat from the 'proper' butcher. Better quality for not too much more plus they have fancy things ready for throwing in the oven (pinwheels etc).  Was never previously a fan of Scotch eggs until I had one with meat rather than the supermarket ones made of cardboard (or whatever it is they use). 

 

As a disclaimer, I should add that I wish to have as little association with the guy in that photo as possible.

 

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There's not even a butcher's shop in musselburgh these days. Went for a drive down the coast yesterday and went to the butcher in Dunbar, then Anderson's in North Berwick. The latter make their black pudding In the shop rather than getting it in from a supplier. Lovely stuff.

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If I want something from a local shop I need to get the bus or take the car and pay £3 then pay more for something I can get cheaper online or in a supermarket. The high street is dead, it’s just people haven’t realised it yet.

In big cities it can continue but it beggars belief that towns like Dunfermline have charged so much for rent that companies have moved into retail parks or shut down. If it was free parking and local craft shops existed that had unique or great stock I would go. For example Aberdeen has a great trainer shop, Hanon, if that was in Dunfermline I would rather go there. St Andrews has some nice shops, Perth to an extent. Edinburgh has lost lots of great wee shops. It’s just not worth it.

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My main place I try to always go to locally is a cracking hardware shop staffed by folk who know what they're talking about compared to B&Q.

I love these and Nickel & Dime type places. Great when you're after something obscure and the owner will point out exactly where it is rather than clueless 'Sunday girl'.

That said I always end up like the guy out the Fast Show. I'll go in for cable ties but come out with some clench nails just in case I feel the need to recreate a Viking longboat in the distant future. 

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8 minutes ago, D.A.F.C said:

If I want something from a local shop I need to get the bus or take the car and pay £3 then pay more for something I can get cheaper online or in a supermarket. The high street is dead, it’s just people haven’t realised it yet.

In big cities it can continue but it beggars belief that towns like Dunfermline have charged so much for rent that companies have moved into retail parks or shut down. If it was free parking and local craft shops existed that had unique or great stock I would go. For example Aberdeen has a great trainer shop, Hanon, if that was in Dunfermline I would rather go there. St Andrews has some nice shops, Perth to an extent. Edinburgh has lost lots of great wee shops. It’s just not worth it.

Got some belters from their online shop.

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23 minutes ago, Jumbo Muir said:


Smiths on Glasgow Rd for meat and a blether with an old fashioned butcher and then next door to get my nasal hair waxed by the Turkish barbers.
Loss of wee shops as you describe are a shame but it’s the world we live in sadly. They just can’t compete.

Can mind when there were 6 or 7 butchers in town, Wallace's, Sloans, Alex Munro etc

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Dumbarton is fairly poor for this sort of thing. When I lived in Hillhead many moons ago I used roots and fruits ( a touch expensive but well worth it) and Mellis for cheese. There was also a decent deli but it closed. The fruit and veg was excellent and didn't have 3 layers of plastic to get through before you got to it. It sold huge steak mushrooms that were a meal on their own. I think it's still there.

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6 minutes ago, RockMusic said:

Dumbarton is fairly poor for this sort of thing. When I lived in Hillhead many moons ago I used roots and fruits ( a touch expensive but well worth it) and Mellis for cheese. There was also a decent deli but it closed. The fruit and veg was excellent and didn't have 3 layers of plastic to get through before you got to it. It sold huge steak mushrooms that were a meal on their own. I think it's still there.

 

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9 minutes ago, RockMusic said:

Dumbarton is fairly poor for this sort of thing. When I lived in Hillhead many moons ago I used roots and fruits ( a touch expensive but well worth it) and Mellis for cheese. There was also a decent deli but it closed. The fruit and veg was excellent and didn't have 3 layers of plastic to get through before you got to it. It sold huge steak mushrooms that were a meal on their own. I think it's still there.

@Melanius Mullarkey

Edited by Jacksgranda
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Unfortunately small towns can't support a variety of local shops. Supermarket convenience will always win.

Small independents will only survive if they can offer something that the bigger firms can't. Mr Newsagent who silently sits behind the till when there's a cheaper Sainsburys Local next door stands no chance.
This doesn't necessarily need to be stock that the supermarkets don't have (e.g. local produce), but could be a level of knowledge that exceeds that of the shelfstackers (i.e. you go to see a person rather than simply see it as being just another shop)
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I can mind some years ago visiting an elderly aunt and uncle in Glasgow who weren't in the best of health.  I volunteered to pop down to their local butcher for "a pun o' mince" and cook it up for them.

In the queue in the butchers was a wee Glesca wummin who wanted half a dozen eggs, but "frae hens that had been runnin' aboot"

Christ missus, says the butcher, I don't what they've been dae'en, but they're guid eggs, d'ye want them or no'?

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I tend to go to the supermercados (Mexican grocery stores) for produce, because it's usually better than the stuff in the mainstream supermarkets, and also can get stuff like frozen croquetas, Colombiana etc. Go to independent beer stores (Bottles & Cans, Bitter Pops, Capone's) for beer because they've got a ton of shit in from local brewers who don't produce in enough scale to even think about supermarket listings.  Sometimes go to a local chain called Mariano's - when we moved up here, the guy who put us up took us there, basically to show off - most of them have a bar, and you can get a pint and take it round with you doing your shopping and give em the glass back at the end - and the novelty of that hasn't quite worn off yet. 

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When I first moved to Phoenix, Arizona there was a wee ironmonger type shop just round the corner from where I lived. As someone who firmly believes in supporting independent retailers, I resolved to go there for all my future ironmongery needs. Before long I had occasion to need a doomaflodgy (or maybe it was ane a them thingmies; I forget) so off I went. The first thing you saw on approaching the door was a big handwritten sign slagging off the big box hardware stores and the people who shopped there. Okeydokey then, the owner is obviously passionate about his business so in I went. Unfortunately it turned out the place was run by an wee rat of a man. Rude from the off, too lazy to get off his arse and help me find what I was looking for and in summary, couldn't have been less helpful if he tried. I drove over to the big box, found what I needed and never went back to the first place. He went out of business about 6 months later but not before posting up another handwritten rant about people who didn't value the "personal service that only small shops like his could provide."

In contrast, in the little town where I live in the wilds of Colorado, there's a family run hardware store who are thriving because they go out of their way to provide good service. Not only do they stock pretty much everything, if you want to buy a washer, you can buy a washer - you don't need a pack of 12. I was in there last week looking for a screw to replace one which had dropped out of the trim inside my car door. I was able to simply pick up one screw, walk outside to the car, determine it wasn't the right size, and go back in for the right one. Total cost - about 5p.

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