THE WEEK IN RETAIL ISSUE 4

EDITOR’S COMMENT

KEEPING COMMUNITIES GOING COMES AT A COST

I don’t think there’s any doubt that the way local and community retailers are viewed by the great British public has changed over the last couple of months – and hopefully forever. The longer Covid-19 has dragged on, the more reliant communities across the nation have become on their local stores, and the more they seem to be realising and appreciating how vital local stores are in good times and in bad.

Communities also appear to increasingly appreciate the courage and commitment that local retailers are displaying in keeping their stores open and ensuring that everyone gets what they need. And we’re talking about real courage here. As I’ve said before, retailers are literally risking their lives every day by pulling up those shutters and allowing hundreds of people to cross the threshold.

And if you think that’s just hyperbole, then just take a second or two to consider the growing list of local retailers who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Among those tragic deaths was a man I considered to be a good friend, the force of nature that was Raj Aggarwal. I knew Raj for more years than I can remember; he was a gentle and jovial human being with a vigorous lust for life who was truly loved. It’s heart-breaking.

That’s the real cost of keeping community stores open – and we can only hope that every community in the country remembers the sacrifices that local retailers made and the risks that they took in order to keep them in their daily essentials.

And it’s for that reason, among others, that we decided to invite the UK’s local retailing community to come together, albeit virtually, for the video you see on the front cover of this issue.

This is our celebration of the outstanding industry we are privileged to be involved in - and it’s also our tribute to Raj and all of the community retailers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

This is a special industry. Let’s hope your customers remember who was there for them in their hour of need in the months and years to come.

SHARE YOUR NEWS AND VIEWS WITH ME AT ABEGLEY@55NORTH.COM