CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

"Local traders can’t protest Council decisions, we’re too busy trying to survive

(21 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by Stickman
  • Latest reply from edinburgh87

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  1. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/local-traders-can-t-protest-council-decisions-we-re-too-busy-trying-to-survive-toys-galore-owner-1-4749125

    "The one thing that I would say has hit our business the hardest is the exorbitant cost of parking in the Morningside area and that is what keeps me awake at night."

    We are very susceptible to competition to out of town retailers up at Straiton or Fort Kinnaird, or even the large supermarkets.

    ToyRUs, located at Fort Kinnaird with free parking, just went bust.

    It's difficult to comment on this without sounding uncaring to a business struggling, but I think the continuing growth in online sales is the bigger factor. I've seen figures suggesting it's up to 25% of non-food sales now.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. Frenchy
    Member

    It's difficult to comment on this without sounding uncaring to a business struggling, but I think the continuing growth in online sales is the bigger factor.

    Mr Nairn would possibly suggest that this makes it all the more important for the council to do what it can to help brick and mortar businesses.

    I'm certainly not convinced that "exorbitant" parking costs are bad for high street stores, although I have no experience of running such a store. Higher parking prices should deter people from parking on the street all day, so allowing a higher number of people per day to use the parking spot, and hence increase potential footfall. My (limited) experience of going along Morningside Road suggests to me that people really aren't being put off parking there.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. Frenchy
    Member

    Related: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/businesses-fear-for-future-as-council-plan-to-close-portobello-road-for-a-year-1-4749064

    Stephen McIntyre, of Porty Exchange, who has operated in Portobello High Street for 37 years, said trading in the area was not easy and many businesses were in a precarious position. “If some of them lose 10-15 per cent of their trade for a few months it can be enough to push them out of business. Anything that makes it more difficult for people to get here is not good.”

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Donald Nairn of Toys Galore said parking fees and other council decisions are killing Edinburgh traders....We have also had to deal with increasing rates, living wages...

    Damn those employees for wishing to live on their wages.

    Mr Nairn has a point of course. Real-world retail is struggling because of on-line competition, poor management and people's natural inclination not to spend in uncertain times. Parking charges? Less so I'd think.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. dougal
    Member

    The parking line seems contingent on the idea that people will park for ten minutes, buy the thing, then drive off. I expect that rarely if every happens where there's free parking. Cars will be abandoned for hours at a time and not necessarily because the drivers want to visit local shops but because it's somewhere they can do so without penalty.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. neddie
    Member

    And businesses massively over-estimate the number of customers who arrive by car.

    I'd be willing to bet that 90% of customers on Morningside Rd either walked there, or came by bus.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. Greenroofer
    Member

    We live within walking distance of Toys Galore, and use it on principle rather than Amazon (in fact mini-Morningsider's* birthday present was bought there just a few days ago...). It is an unfortunate fact, though, that we can get stuff delivered next day, for free, to the office or home, at a time that suits us and for less than it costs from Toys Galore. His business is being destroyed by Amazon rather than the lack of parking.

    Also, just imagine how nice Morningside would be for casual shopping if it wasn't choked with traffic and gummed up with parked cars and if there was a bit more room on the pavements.

    *this is not a typo.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. Morningsider
    Member

    Parking on Morningside Road is free at the weekend. Free weekday parking is available on Balcarres Street and Morningside Drive, or Waitrose car park for the terminally cheeky. The bus stop at the door of Toys Galore is served by 6 Lothian daytime services and Stagecoach. Two primary schools are right around the corner (St. Peters' and S. Morningside Infants). Morningside Road is nose to tail with parked cars during the day. There is effectively no bricks and mortar competition left in south Edinburgh.

    I don't want to say that the owner doesn't know his customers - but I really don't think anyone with the cash to shop at Toys Galore is put off by the thought of a couple of quid for parking.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. Stickman
    Member

    Easier to fight with local councillors than with Jeff Bezos.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    Hm, he's "too busy trying to survive" to protest Council decisions on parking, but apparently has time to write campaigning opinion pieces for the EEN (I suppose it's a form of free advertising for his shop).

    I'm surprised there's no quote from Cllr Cook on this, would be right up his street (literally). Maybe he's on holiday?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. Arellcat
    Moderator

    According to Twitter, Morningside Road is also rife with double-parking. I have to say that is news to me, and like others here it is a road of which I am long familiar.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    In other news, local man buys shop just as online retail starts to take off in a big way, expresses disappointment when 13 years later his customers have disappeared.

    Looks like the previous owner quit while ahead and saw what was coming. I have two children and while we do shop in local shops for toys and other gifts we also shop a lot online. Not just because it's often cheaper (sometimes it's not) but also you can find whatever specialist stuff you are looking for relatively easily, and the convenience of having stuff delivered (often included in the price) is a boon in a busy household.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    “rife with double-parking”

    That’ll be the buses at the bus boarders!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    "There is effectively no bricks and mortar competition left in south Edinburgh"

    Well there's Gulliver's just up the hill for a start...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. Morningsider
    Member

    MB - completely forgot about Gulliver's. Genuinely no idea how that stays open - even my kids are happy to walk past without pestering me to go in, as the toys just look so boring.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. crowriver
    Member

    @Morningsider, Gulliver's appear to have a quite well developed online presence, meaning their market is UK wide, potentially international too. So that might be why they stay in business even if the street presence is not overly appealing.

    http://www.gulliverstoys.co.uk

    It strikes me that a number of small bike shops based in relatively obscure places have very good online sales presences, through their web sites and/or sites like eBay and Amazon.

    So I imagine in this day and age, getting online mail order right is key to many smaller shops' continued survival and success, regardless of retail sector. Perhaps a lesson for Mr Nairn there? (Toys Galore doesn't appear to have a web site at all, though they are on Facebook).

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    “So I imagine in this day and age, getting online mail order right is key to many smaller shop's continued survival and success”

    Yes.

    But generally needs to be “cheapest” or stuff that’s unusual/hard to find.

    However having a web site showing a wide range of products would be a good start - even just for walk-in customers.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    I wonder how many “Morningside parents” are put off by the gendered window displays(?)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. edinburgh87
    Member

    Slight thread drift but wondering if, since the chip wrapper moved to using Facebook comments instead of it's own platform, "manthebarricades" has been unmasked as John Gailey.. certainly seems to spend a lot of time posting gammon-esque anti cycling comments..

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. the canuck
    Member

    i thought 'manthebarricades' was a spoof commenter?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. edinburgh87
    Member

    Was always hard to tell. Certainly wound me up a few times a week anyway..

    Posted 7 years ago #

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