Leeds gift shop owner’s anger at forced lockdown closure while supermarkets sell same items

With Love gift shop in Oakwood, Leeds primarily stocks cards, gifts, handmade chocolates and party accessories and is one of the many local businesses which has been forced to close under new national lockdown restrictions.

Owner Becky Hodgson says ‘something needs to be done’ as supermarkets are currently selling the same ‘non-essential’ items as she would be, such as Christmas cards and advent calendars.

Becky said: “The level playing fields are not level anymore.

“I know supermarkets are essential but they also do sell products that aren’t essential, so either places shouldn’t be allowed to sell what I’m not allowed to sell or I should be allowed to be open.

“Everything seems to be against small businesses as it’s costing me to close whilst the big chains reel in money.

“By the time I’m allowed to open, if I am in December, everyone will have already bought their Christmas gifts and cards from supermarkets anyway.”

Becky thinks tills in supermarkets should reject non-essential items such as cards or clothes and that these should only be available for click and collect in what would be a similar system to the firebreak lockdown in Wales.

During Wales’ 17-day firebreak lockdown, items deemed as ‘non-essential’ were taped off in supermarkets to prevent customers from purchasing them.

Becky, who has owned the shop for 10 years, also said she would have been ‘more reserved’ on her Christmas stock buying if the government hadn’t insisted that there wouldn’t be a national lockdown.

She said: “I’ve spent thousands of pounds on Christmas stock that I probably won’t be able to sell as it’s easier for people to buy the same things at supermarkets now than waiting to see if we open in December.

“We are offering click and collect now but if people are shopping online they’re more likely to be driven towards somewhere like Amazon.

“I just think it needs to be explained better as it doesn’t seem fair.”

She added: “Although we’re offering FaceTime calls and orders through Facebook and Instagram, I’m taking in five to eight per cent of what I usually would be and I won’t be taking a wage this month.

“I want to continue in business but I’m going to struggle if other places are open for the same things we are closed for.”