As tidal wave of shop closures claims even Edinburgh's Elliot Clark we face a dystopian future
Muzzy the parrot will no longer guard the door and spring will no longer bring a riot of daffodils and tulips outside, as Elliot Clark closes its doors after more than 40 years
Something changed this week. On a street corner in suburban Edinburgh, a shop is now empty that once thrived. Another retail business gone and with it, so many memories.
Elliot Clark opened in Goldenacre back in 1983, when Aberdeen won the European Cup, Michael Jackson released Thriller and Margaret Thatcher returned to Number 10. For more than 40 turns of spring, summer, autumn and winter, it had been selling flowers, plants, wreaths and the odd pot of jam made by the owner.
In an ever-changing world, it was always there, a shop where the staff knew the customers and the locals knew Muzzy the parrot, always standing guard by the door.
Perfect fir trees
On a busy thoroughfare, it signalled the seasons. In spring, the pavement outside would be a riot of daffodils and tulips while Easter eggs and bunnies filled the window displays. Summer brought the most beautiful cut flowers and every potted plant you can imagine.
With autumn came pumpkin lanterns and all the spooky paraphernalia of Halloween. But my favourite time was Christmas, when two perfect fir trees framed the doorway and inside smelled of cinnamon with stems covered in berries filling every vase.
When you’d forgotten to buy a gift for someone, this was the place to pick up some last-minute flowers, that didn’t look like an afterthought but really were. Down the years, I’d resorted to that but also carefully chosen bouquets for birthdays and anniversaries. And then there were the buttonholes and wreaths, lovingly produced for the happiest and saddest days.
When was the last time I was in? Well, there lies the problem. Flowers became something you picked up at the supermarket or ordered online. Did you know there is a company who will post a box of flowers through a letterbox for you?
A challenging time
To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I was physically in the shop but I was stopped in my tracks outside last week by a small notice in the window. “Due to the increasing pressures on small businesses in Scotland, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors. Thank you for allowing us to brighten your days for the last 42 years.”
And with that, it was gone. Another business lost, another empty premises. Last week River Island closed its Edinburgh store and beauty chain BodyCare shut all its Scottish shops as part of a tidal wave of closures across the retail sector.
Increased staffing costs, dampened consumer spending and higher than expected inflation have combined to make this an incredibly challenging time for any consumer business. Some, like Elliot Clark, have just had enough.
We all need to think carefully about this. Politicians should listen more to the retail sector and work with it to encourage an environment where shops can still thrive, grow and produce jobs and opportunities. Banks need to factor their community responsibilities into lending policies when small businesses need help.
And we consumers need to consider where we spend our money if we don’t want to end up in a dystopian future where the shops all sell vapes and our meals come courtesy of a man in a facemask on a bike going too fast.
Shops like Elliot Clark are precious. Once they are gone, we won’t get them back.
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