She bought the shop, in Colchester, Essex, from a friend as soon as she left university. The oak-beamed store is in a prosperous high street. Bestsellers are cheese, teas, olives and farmers' honey.
"We have been local sourcing for years and all of a sudden the supermarkets go in and undercut us. A good example is Duchy Originals. Its products sell around 40% cheaper in supermarkets. The supplier often ends up getting shafted though.
"It affects my buying decisions. If I see a product in a supermarket I think twice. Supermarkets are a challenge but things are swinging in our favour. The food scares have made people see supermarkets for what they are  they may be cheap, but how do you know where a product is from? I can tell customers everything about a product I stock.
"There is a lot of money in Dedham and our customers like shopping. They look for new stuff and like to taste products. People are more knowledgeable about food. Even kids are addicted to olives. Olives sell well and cheese is huge. I don't sell a lot of meats as we have a fantastic butcher here.
"I have always been a foodie and have to learn about new products quickly or the customers know. I would like to expand into classy, ready prepared food such as a good quality lasagne that people can just pop into the oven. But I am stuck for space here. Anyway, trade is steadily increasing."
{{FOCUS ON }}
"We have been local sourcing for years and all of a sudden the supermarkets go in and undercut us. A good example is Duchy Originals. Its products sell around 40% cheaper in supermarkets. The supplier often ends up getting shafted though.
"It affects my buying decisions. If I see a product in a supermarket I think twice. Supermarkets are a challenge but things are swinging in our favour. The food scares have made people see supermarkets for what they are  they may be cheap, but how do you know where a product is from? I can tell customers everything about a product I stock.
"There is a lot of money in Dedham and our customers like shopping. They look for new stuff and like to taste products. People are more knowledgeable about food. Even kids are addicted to olives. Olives sell well and cheese is huge. I don't sell a lot of meats as we have a fantastic butcher here.
"I have always been a foodie and have to learn about new products quickly or the customers know. I would like to expand into classy, ready prepared food such as a good quality lasagne that people can just pop into the oven. But I am stuck for space here. Anyway, trade is steadily increasing."
{{FOCUS ON }}
No comments yet