People are being urged to support Southport’s local independent shops when they reopen on Monday (June 15).
And shoppers are being reassured that local business owners are doing “everything they can” to ensure that local businesses will be safe for everyone to be used as they emerge from three months of lockdown after the Coronavirus outbreak in March.
The owners of the Chocolate Whirled shop on Manchester Road in Southport are among shop owners who are facing the impending reopening with a mixture of excitement – and caution.
Simon and Laura Stevens said: “We know that you may have concerns about coming back to our little shops. Please know that we will do everything in our power to make sure everywhere in our little shop is as safe as possible for everyone.
“For those of you who interact with our social media – liking and sharing posts, tagging others in them, it really does make a difference to helping us advertise. Thank you.
“For those of you who come out and support us in our initial reopening, this will be a massive encouragement and support. Thank you.
“For those who continue to come in regularly after that, for weekend (or weekday!) treats, for birthday gifts, boxes of chocolates, for takeaway drinks/food – you will literally be giving our little business a real chance at survival in the longer term and we can’t thank you enough.
“For us personally, we have always relied on our adult, teens, family, children and other teaching bookings to keep the shop and cafe going, but now we will be without those for the foreseeable, as well as without our cafe, we honestly don’t know what will happen.
“We will be giving it our best shot at making things work, which is why we have invested in so many new lines of stock to offer diversity for everyone.”
March 23 was the day when businesses across the UK were suddenly ordered to close, among a range of measures to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Since then a huge amount of preparation has gone into making shops safe, with measures including social distancing signs, barriers, staff training and hand sanitisers.
Guidance is available on the Southport Business Improvement website here.
Simon and Laura said: “This time is such an unknown entity for everyone, and all of our concerns and experiences will be different. We can only speak for ours and be honest about it and our worries at this time.
“We have amazing customers and we love being one of the fabulous independents in my home town of Southport. We genuinely miss our regulars and wonder how they’re doing.
“Please, please, please if you are able to and feel safe to, please think of us little independents when you need sweet treats for yourselves or others – or birthday, Father’s Day and other occasion gifts.
“Supermarkets can look after themselves and have their biggest takings in years. We honestly can’t survive without the regular support of locals and we really will all go under without it. Our small independent retailers really, honestly are on the brink over the coming months and possibly more.
“We, as independents, have never needed you more than we do now. Thank you!”
Chocolate Whirled, on Manchester Road in Southport, will reopen from this Thursday (June 18) with limited hours:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday, 11am-3.30pm
They hope to make changes to their operation in July if the Government further relaxes restrictions.
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