I’d like to share something with you which happened to me today. Before I begin, I want to say that this is not a moan; it’s just a reflection on the realities of what it is like to be a ‘bricks and mortar’ retailer.
A lovely customer came in, looking for Christmas presents. Two titles had already been decided upon, and the third was chosen following my recommendations. One of the titles was David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang. We sell it for the RRP of £12.99. Amazon (…) currently sell it for £5 – we can’t even buy it for close to that!
Oh dear, says the very sweet customer, explaining that Amazon sell it at a far cheaper price. I nodded and agreed that yes, indeed they do. But, we pay our fair share of taxes, as well as our workers a reasonable wage…and we recommend books for individual tastes.
Nevertheless, she was about to buy the other two books, leaving The Midnight Gang to an internet purchase. I then stamped up her loyalty card, which made it full, cheekily suggesting that the David Walliams’ book would now be discounted, so she purchased it! 1-0 to Chicken and Frog, on this occasion at least.
Whilst I understand that discounted prices appeal, surely customer service and care, knowledge and a diverse High Street are far more appealing? Am I the only person on the planet that doesn’t possess an Amazon account?
It’s just something to think about. If we truly want communities, then we need to support local businesses. And if buying online is a must, surely supporting companies who have questionable ethics is not the way to go.
Chicken and Frog Bookshop 
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