Yesterday’s issue of The Malta Independent featured an article about a dying breed – the traditional corner grocery.
If one were to cast their mind back only 10 years or so, one would have no difficulty in recalling the myriad of little shops in each and every village. Different people had their different favourites, but everyone remembers them. Of course, there are still a few left today, but by and large, they are slowly but surely disappearing.
The large majority of those that have remained open despite the proliferation of supermarket upon supermarket (sometimes more than three to a village!) have also changed.
Long gone are the days when deodorants were stored on right next to the pasta sauce, everything is neat and ordered and pretty much the same as you find it in the supermarkets.
But there are a few shopkeepers who realise that some customers look for something different. While not taking anything away from the convenience of the supermarkets, the prices for every pocket and the sheer variety on offer, the old fashioned grocer just offers something different.
It offers the customer, who by and large, is a regular who has been shopping there for years on end, an outlet which other large scale enterprises can not. It allows people to stand and gossip, exchange family news, exchange the local knowledge of vegetable prices, what is in season, what is a particularly good crop and much, much more.
If one were to look at these shops, we would realise that they really offer a community service. They are essential for older people who might not be able to get to a supermarket. They also offer an essential service for those on a low income, insomuch that they allow people to keep a tab which they can pay off once their pay goes into the bank at the end of the month.
But perhaps most importantly, they offer a personalised service. Malta has moved with the times and large chains have set up. Thankfully though (although the grocery is sliding in popularity), these businesses are still around. One man-band mechanics, the green grocer’s van, the old fashioned ironmongers, the ‘old man’s bar’, the fishing tackle shop, the sewing shop...
Many say that the burdens placed on such small enterprises have increased somewhat in the last years, and one would have to agree. The hike in electricity prices affected everyone, but no doubt, due to economies of scale, smaller businesses felt it more. They believe that the key to staying open and prosperous is the reduction of red tape. The government and the opposition concur and there have been some movements to do so, yet small business owners say much is still to be done.
The government has set up various schemes which help small business owners. These entrepreneurs rely on knowing exactly what their customers want, almost telepathically, for their success. Perhaps the government (and all departments and entities which deal with SMEs) need to do exactly the same.
One must listen attentively to what is needed. We always hear our politicians go on about how Malta always has exceptional circumstances due to our size. Well, the same applies here. These are small family run businesses that need particular attention if they are going to continue to contribute to both the economy and the community. It would be a shame if we were to lose them all as they truly do offer something different.