Traders in part of Nottingham city centre considered one of the UK's 'coolest' areas have revealed what business has been like as the cost of living crisis continues. One charity store boss said she had caught hard-up people shoplifting over the Christmas and New Year period - and even used her own cash to pay for a pair of gloves for a 'struggling' man.
Lynne Connolly, 58, manager of the My Sight Notts charity shop, said: "December was very busy - more people were buying presents from here because they can't afford high street prices." She added: "I've noticed an increase in shoplifting since the start of the cost of living crisis.
"I once caught a man stealing some gloves but I could tell he was genuinely freezing and really struggling. I let him have them and put £2 of my own money into the till."
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Shaun Hoolan, 52, owner of Wild Clothing since the beginning of 2020, told Nottinghamshire Live how his business has been getting on as people up and down the country tighten their belts. "Last year we had a manic time after lockdown but we've seen a downturn since then," he said.
"Whether that's because not many people can afford to shop or the excitement of Covid being pretty much over, it’s hard to say. The last two weeks of December were slow but still good.
"It's been an interesting time but it could be a lot worse for us." He said he is lucky that even though his store's electricity bill has increased, it does not use excessive amounts of energy and this is the only major bill he has to pay.
Mr Hoolan said he is hopeful of a 'reasonable January'. And as 2023 starts, he is optimistic of a return to 'somewhat normality' it his year.
Vinny Ward, 22, manager at Braderie, has worked in the vintage clothing shop for more than 18 months, seeing the difference in the seasons. She described December just gone as a 'strange time'.
"Overall there have been fewer people coming in but over the Christmas period the people who did come in spent a lot of money," she said. "So, for example, on Fridays we would make four times as much as we would normally.
"With the cost of living crisis and because it was so cold, we did expect fewer people to come in. We can't force people to spend money, but I think those who were shopping had the money to spend, which made December a successful month for us."
Hockley is home to many independent businesses, vintage charity stores, a range of cafes and ‘unique’ bars and local businesses. The Times newspaper named the area as one of the 12 'coolest postcodes to move to' in 2022.
Last year, locals told Nottinghamshire Live that they think Hockley is considered 'cool' because of the mixture of people and the diversity of shops.
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