Local independent stores need to offer something different

I was cooking paella last week. An ill advised last minute decision that lead to me wandering into my local fishmongers at 6pm on a Tuesday night. I got the shell fish, I even got some parsley but alas - no Monkfish.

I wasn't too bothered, it was a bit of a long shot, but the gentleman behind the counter couldn't apologise enough - apparently it only sells at the weekend when they're a lot busier, but if i let them know in future, they'll get some in for the following day. Which was nice. And then it got better.

Pauline, the owner, came out of the back with my cleaned squid to explain that she's at Billingsgate Market from 4am till 6:45am each morning so as long as i let her know by text before she leaves the market, she'll add my order to her list, and i don't even have to buy the whole fish! Sure enough, there's a mobile number on my receipt so i can text in my fresh fish order the very same day i want it.

It was great to talk to someone who really cared about their service and how they sourced and selected their fish. Granted, this is a special kind of shop with a special kind of owner (you can find out how she set it up here), but it illustrates that local independent businesses, particular fresh food sellers, can live alongside the big supermarkets, because they can offer a much more personalised service than you'll find at any of the bigger chains.


My local fishmonger



This fishmongers in question also opens late on Tuesday nights to capture the commuters who otherwise are restricted to Saturday shopping trips - another good plan when you consider some recent research out of IGD about the 'Jamie Oliver' generation.

Under 35s that are children of the foodie revolution, they're much more likely to prepare food from scratch (51% versus 35% amongst older counterparts). And while they are feeling the pinch like everyone else, instead of paying less for ingredients, they're cooking more with leftovers, saving money and reducing food waste in the process.

This group are also drawn to specialist food retailers with 19% intending to increase their use of greengrocers, bakers, butchers and fishmongers over the next year.

The study also found that 27% of these shoppers feel quality is more important than saving money, reflected in the fact that 30% are prepared to pay a little extra for premium quality versus 18% of the older generation.

So if the smaller business can get it right - quality goods, product provenance, a transparent story around animal welfare, providing useful tips on minimising waste and delivering a service that's convenient for their customers - there's no reason why the local store can't prosper, no matter who has just opened their doors with a BOGOF on the local retail park.