words by: Rhianna Hurren-Myers & Rebecca Astill design by: Alessio Philip Grain
features
The “death of the high-street” has long been discussed as the inevitable result of the ease of online shopping. In interviews with three of Cardiff’s best independent shops, Quench Features unpacks the true implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on our shops, and the unaffordable costs associated with losing six months worth of business.
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A vintage and reworked clothing company 31 Royal Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AE Interview with: Paige Hughes, Manager of the Cardiff store
A sustainability-focused plant and retail shop, and vegetarian cafe 213 City Rd, Cardiff CF24 3JD Interview with: Stephen Peckham, Owner
How did you cope with reopening the shop following national lockdown, and what changes have you made to ensure your staff and customers are as safe as possible? It was surprisingly easier to cope with than I thought it was going to be. I personally thought that we would get no customers in whatsoever, but it was, if anything, busier than we were beforehand which was nice. We didn’t have to make too many changes, but we are following government guidelines. We have added a one-way system to the store, and tape to separate the distance of two metres. We’ve got hand sanitiser for our staff and our customers, our staff have masks and gloves, and we’ve got more cleaning products as well. Have you changed any of your marketing methods, and how is Sobeys coping with more people shopping online during the pandemic? We have been posting a little bit more on socials just to let people know that we are still here. Online shopping hasn’t been hugely affected. As we’re vintage fashion, people really want to see what they’re buying in person. So in that sense we still get a lot of people coming into the store to see what we have to offer. Our Depop is now up and running again, so that’s quite helpful! [@ sobeysvintage] Do you think the high street still has a place in today’s world? I do, yeah. I don’t think anything can really compare to physically going shopping. It is definitely convenient to shop online, but it is just not as fun as going into a store and having a little look around in person.
How did you cope with reopening the shop following national lockdown, and what changes have you made to ensure your staff and customers are as safe as possible? My lockdown experience was actually three months of refurbishing the whole shop, trying to create a community hub for when people could leave their house again. It was quite scary launching at this time and not really knowing whether it was going to be worth it, but we’ve been busy every week which is amazing. We’re sticking to the rules, so indoors we only allow people from the same household. We’re wearing masks inside, unless you’re sat down eating or having a drink. Sanitiser is also around the space, and we do track and trace. We’ve just started to open in the evenings, so for students in a shared household you can come here for some drinks or to buy plants up until 8 o’clock, Thursday to Saturday. How are you coping with marketing during the pandemic? Do you have any form of online shop? My Instagram following was already pretty good after two years, but then with COVID-19 I think things just seemed to be under a microscope. Just the fact that I was doing something seemed to garner a lot more followers, and really helped to market the business to people who would benefit from it. We don’t have an online shop, because I think the beauty is going out and seeing the plants and having someone guide you through how to look after them as well. I also think in terms of sustainability and carbon footprint, it goes against our ethos if we start putting loads of cardboard and plastic into the environment.
