Recession Takes Its Toll On Sidmouth Florist Shop

Thu, 24 Sep 2009

A florist shop in Devon has been forced to close after six years of trading due to the effects of the recession.

Christine Drew, owner of The Sidmouth Florist shop, brought an end to business at the store on Saturday, citing a combination of spiralling retail import costs (many of the store’s blooms are sourced from Holland), falling demand for luxury items and a lack of bank funding.

She said: "It is very upsetting. I have never worked so hard in my life and I feel it has all been taken away."

"It is a labour-intensive business and people don't understand the costs associated with running a delivery service ."

Husband Paul, an IT expert who helps his wife on a voluntary basis, said the business is "getting hit on all fronts".

"The exchange rate with the Euro is making cut flowers ever more expensive," he explained. "Retail running costs continue to rise and customer demand is continuing to fall."

"We can't get any support from the bank and that is the final straw."

Christine added that many traditional florists were closing up because of increased competition from supermarkets and card shops.

The floral expert said she now plans to embark on an ambitious project to restructure her business and concentrate on undertaking specialist floral work, such as weddings, funerals and business events.

In the meantime, Christine will continue to operate her flower delivery service via her mobile, taking orders on 07803 926 963.
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