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Small shops: time to take stock In its new report published this week the All Party Parliamentary Group on Small Shops has concluded what we have long said: unless rural communities use their small shops, they will lose them. The report highlights the power and reach of supermarkets, which is increasing in line with the decline of small independent retailers, and suggests stiffer sanctions against supermarkets as well as a new “retail regulator”. Concern about the plight of communities and small shops lead the Countryside Alliance to launch the successful Best Rural Retailer competition in 2005. The competition boosted the small independent UK retailers that act as ambassadors for local produce and local communities. The competition’s winners have reported an increase in trade as a result of this competition, giving many communities a lift. What we now need to decide is whether we want convenience or community – this is in the hands of consumers and is not something that can be laid down in law. The report suggests that a crackdown on supermarkets is necessary, but as long as there is a level playing field across the retail sector in terms of planning regulations and tax breaks we would suggest that consumers be free to choose where they spend their money. We are not saying that supermarkets are necessarily a bad thing, just that small local retailers are a vital part of rural communities and must not be smothered. We are working for a sustainable future for rural Britain: consumer choice and community empowerment must play a huge role in this. 17th February 2006 |