Forget the pub, we want a corner shop say 70% of British people

By Éilis Cronin in Industry News 15th July 2021

More than 70% of Britons would prefer to be close to a convenience store than a pub, park or station, according to a new survey.

The research found that a nearby corner shop tops the wish list of 72% of people, well ahead of a pub (48%), park (63%) or a supermarket (57%).

The study, carried out by new B2B ecommerce platform Subscribbe, also found regional variations.

Convenience stores seem more crucial in towns and cities in Wales and the South West of the country compared to further North or South.

Cardiff topped the poll with 95% of residents naming corner shops as the most important service or convenience they wanted on their doorstep.

Retail expert Graham Soult said: “A good corner shop is clearly still an essential for any community.

“Having a quality convenience store nearby is certainly one of the big influences when it comes to buying or renting a new home, and that trend is only likely to increase as more of us embrace the ‘shop local’ message.

“In today’s world, convenience has never been more important – and these results show that we still value popping round the corner to the local shop, despite being able to order more and more everyday products via our phones.”

The poll revealed that these local lifelines are equally as important to millennials as they are to baby boomers.

More than three quarters (77%) of 18-24 year olds said that having a corner shop nearby was more important than a supermarket (57%), pub (48%) or park (42%).

Meanwhile 72% of those over 65 placed being able to pop to a good corner shop above living close to a post box (67%), park (63%) or pub (30%).

Erica Donna, co-founder of Subscribbe, said: “I am not surprised convenience stores topped the poll.

“Good corner shops proved vital during the pandemic – their versatility enabled them to provide multiple services for customers when they needed it most – and all on people’s doorstep.”

The survey also revealed what customers are looking for from their local shop – with nearly 70% of people from Yorkshire saying they would use their corner shop more if it was cheaper, and just over half of the Londoners questioned wanting to see more choice of products instore.

One in five Brummies want more additional services such as parcel collections and returns, 30% of Welsh residents would enjoy a loyalty card scheme, and 46% of people from Northern Ireland would like 24-hour opening.

Subscribbe carried out the survey because it is planning to offer an e-commerce platform to convenience stores which is intended to help them buy direct from manufacturers rather than wholesalers.

Survey results from national poll of 2,062 18 – 65 year olds.

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