The cost-of-living crisis has made Eccles business owners anxious about making ends meet
The last few months saw over 200 shops in Eccles increase stock prices to meet the rising cost of bills, pushing clients to seek support shops.
Yousef Sherzad, manager at Best Bargain in Eccles, said: “The sale is 20% less of what it used to be, it is down because people who come to buy stuff are people in Universal Credit or they are pensioners.
“They have some amount certain amount of spending, so now when they see everything is up by 20p or 50p, they say this is too much money for us to buy. ”
The rising cost of bills does not only affect the businesses of these owners but also their lives. With the cost of keeping shops tripling in price, and decreased demand basic budgeting has become harder.
He said: “Personally, like normally, we would have some savings but now we just surviving because everything’s gone up.
“We can’t continue with giving the same prices and customer won’t buy so we just do small margin spend, we just do the basics to survive full stop, like paying for the stove and the rent.”
Studies suggest that the cost of living crisis is set to increase over the winter period.
Multiple local stores in Eccles are unsure of what this will mean for their shops and if they will be able to remain open anymore.
Meanwhile, charity shops, representing a third of stores in the shopping centre alone, are seeing a demand that has higher numbers than those seen during the pandemic.
Sam Wu, assistant manager at YMCA said: “Before this one job, I have been a volunteer in a charity shop, and I will say the customer have increased over this half year.
“When we chat with the customer, they do mention about living cost, and how it’s un-affordable.”
Charities are now challenged to meet an ever-rising demand of customers, and organizations like Mustard Tree, located in Little Hulton and Eccles, predict the worse is yet to come.
Jack Barton, communications manager for Mustard Tree, said: “Mustard Tree is helping more people now than at the height of the pandemic, especially around our Food Clubs and Community Shops.
“The pandemic was short and severe, and the cost-of-living crisis will be long and painful. We’re already seeing an uplift of people coming to us for support around debt.
“The fact we’re now seeing 1,800 people a week accessing our Food Clubs across our Salford and Manchester hubs is unprecedented.
“Unfortunately, we’re predicting that the worst is yet to come; the peak of need is most likely to hit after Christmas.”
To combat this unexpected demand, Mustard Tree as well as other organizations are seeking any kind of help in volunteering or donating clothes and furniture.
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