Stop buying from Amazon and help your local shops instead – Hayley Matthews

Online retail giant Amazon poses a real problem for local shops (Picture: John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)Online retail giant Amazon poses a real problem for local shops (Picture: John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)
Online retail giant Amazon poses a real problem for local shops (Picture: John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)
I was on the hunt for a rain-jacket during the week for Mr Hayley.

He does have a few jackets but never seems to find a waterproof one – fashion and style always prevail over practicality in his wardrobe department.

I'm not complaining. The amount of times, however, he's gone out on the razz and I've begged him to button up his shirt and take a jacket… there have been many. Short of not wanting to mother him, I've left him to his own fashion decisions with the odd nudge on the waterproof situation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the weather turning to tropical storms, I headed to Ocean Terminal on my search for a waterproof. There are so many empty shops after some jumped ship and sailed off to pastures new, it's left quite an eerie feeling amongst the levels.

Read More
Shoppers urged to buy online from local Scots stores as consumer sentiment plumm...

I chatted to a couple of shop assistants who told me the drop in footfall has been huge. With renovations underway, post-Covid shopping and the ghost of Debenhams, it's no wonder it's all gone quiet. The assistant commented on how Edinburgh will be lovely when it's finished and we joked about the trams.

But one of them said something that stuck with me: how he always shops local. He told me he's on Leith Walk and does all his shopping in Leith, rarely heading into town. We discussed the damage of shopping on Amazon and how local is so very important for the survival of suburban areas.

I left with a glow of hope for the future. The young ones are smart and know the score. Keep it local, love Leith and stop bloody shopping on Amazon!

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice