Liverpool shoppers urged to go local as business suffers ‘worst two months in history’

The COVID-19 pandemic created shifts in consumer behaviour that included shopping locally. However, this is a trend that has not continued.

One local business has told LiverpoolWorld that trade over the past two months has been “the worst in this shop’s history”.

The Bread Shop bakery, a familiar sight to anyone in Aigburth, was established over sixty years ago .

The owners say that whilst lockdown was good for business, the last few months have been tough.

And it is a scenario played out across the region for local businesses.

Bread Shop bakery owner Alan Gordon said: "We ourselves had quite a busy lockdown period but the last two months, October, November have been the worst in this shop's history, and that's a 60 year history.

“It's just been really bad. I think as a result of online shopping. People are playing the lottery online; they're buying food to be delivered to their houses online. That's basically killed the high street. The footfall on the high street is now pretty much non-existent."

He goes on to say: "Your local corner shop is employing local people. If you're buying online, then the ripple effect generally isn't as great. We buy from local companies, so it's not just my shop. It's the people that supply me as well that suffer."

Boosting local business

A survey by the Centre for Economics & Business Research showed that for every £10 spent with independently-owned local businesses, £3.80 is retained in the local area.

Furthermore, the report reveals that shoppers can actually double the money that stays in their local economy by choosing to support local and independent companies.

Bread Shop bakery

A familiar sight to anyone in Aigburth, the Bread Shop bakery was established in 1958 by Len Gordon.

His grandson Alan is now the owner, and the shop has diversified into many other things alongside its daily fresh baked goods.

The business is a real Aladdin's cave of treats and supports other independents by stocking as many of them as possible.