Canterbury shopkeepers don’t give in easily.

By Lisa Mersie

Canterbury shops try to beat the recession by being unique. They try to find something that will make them stand out. ‘ Competing with the big chains is the problem’, according to Ian Blackmore, Co-secretary of the King’s Mile Association and owner of the Jolly Sailor. ‘You can not be as cheap as they are, so you have to find something that will make you special’.

In the last two weeks, two shops had to close on Canterbury’s central High street. Clothes shop Madame Butterfly held their closing sale two weeks ago, while Kathy von Zeeland closed just last Wednesday. According to a salesclerk at Kathy’s the rents are too high and the number of customers is just too low

But Canterbury’s shop owners won’t give in easily. Two successful shops in the King’s Mile Quarter try to beat the recession by being special. ‘ Just look around, keep your eyes open and make sure that you know what your customer wants. You have to give them something new, something special’, says Bobby Harvey, owner of Vintage Warehouse.

Almost all of the owners of small shops say that it is all about the complete shopping experience. ‘ Giving the customers the attention that they want and making them feel comfortable in your shop.’ Owner of Rose Boutique, Maxine Rose, thinks that this will make her succeed.