Seventy years ago when Marks & Spencer first opened its doors to Bristol’s Broadmead shoppers, the area was being developed as the shopping district in the city’s post-war reconstruction efforts. Last year Debenhams closed after 50 years and M&S left Broadmead earlier this year, soon after news came that The Galleries would be demolished, with businesses given two years to relocate.
The UK now heads into a recession and inflation remains at a 40-year high, as wages continue to stagnate, consumers no longer have the disposable income to shop in the way they once did. While multinationals like Amazon, have seen their billions of profits increase in the past few years, the financial picture for many independent businesses is much bleaker.
Monthany Tucker opened her plant shop at Broadmead’s Arcade just seven months ago after her business Green Fingers became popular on Facebook during the lockdown. Since she moved into the unit, wholesale plant prices have rocketed and now she can’t keep up with rent payments.
