{"id":164988,"date":"2021-05-27T20:07:09","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T20:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/are-we-set-to-enter-a-new-age-of-independents\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T12:11:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T12:11:38","slug":"are-we-set-to-enter-a-new-age-of-independents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/are-we-set-to-enter-a-new-age-of-independents\/","title":{"rendered":"Are we set to enter a new \"age of independents\"?"},"content":{"rendered":"
When a mighty oak falls the sunlight blazes in. The resulting glade sees green shoots appear with all manner of species stimulated to grow<\/strong> and compete for this finite opportunity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A metaphor for business, the British high-street has seen many old oaks fall over and die recently<\/strong>, and, with optimism, the light that this allows to shine into the market could make it a boom time for new independents to open.<\/p>\n With people shopping more locally, wanting the opposite of chain stores and craving something different, it is predicted that we will see a flood of independent brands and stores grasping to fill this void.<\/p>\n Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira (British Independent Retailers Association) believes so. \u201cIt is a fact that people who have lost jobs often look to start their own businesses,\u201d<\/strong> he says.<\/p>\n It is worth noting how much better the leaner, and more flexible independent businesses weathered the pandemic. Recent research from the Local Data Company, the UK's most accurate retail location data company, confirmed there were 31,405 openings of independent units in 2020.<\/strong> Though openings were outweighed by 32,847 closures and resulted in the independent market shrinking by -0.4% (-1,442 units), it compares much more favourably to the chain market which declined by -4.5%, almost 10,000 units.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have also seen a resurgence in people shopping locally and there has been a significant increase in service retailing \u2013 barbers, hairdressers, cafes, etc,\u201d says Goodacre.<\/p>\n \u201cIndies have a personality and connection with their local communities<\/strong> that cannot be matched by the large chains. This is a good time because more people are shopping locally and care more about their local economy.<\/p>\n \u201cShopping locally, away from the large city centres, has happened throughout the UK, including London, as the boroughs have prospered at the expense of those shops in the centre or near high volume commuter stations,\u201d Goodacre adds.<\/p>\n Olly Rzysko, Founder of Good Candles, recently charted the arrival of numerous new independent retailers in the seaside town of Broadstairs<\/strong> through his Twitter channel @ollyrzysko: \u201cI saw a lot of new units opening up, stores that were previously closed or maybe very tired reinventing themselves,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n