Plastic-free shop Go Naked Veg will close at the end of this month, after a dramatic drop in customers.
Owner Graham West said it was always his dream to have a shop but after three years in Stevenson Street, the time has come to cut overheads and quit the corner premises.
Mr West, who started the eco-friendly business four years ago out of a warehouse in Lochavullin Road, said he did not want to be negative about shutting the shop but the cost of keeping it open and not having enough footfall had taken its toll.
“People have just got to start using their little local shops if they want to save them. Basically we can’t afford to supplement the shop so now’s a good time to give it up or we could face losing everything.
“We are not the only ones in this situation. I know a few more.
“During Covid we were a fundamental part of what was going on, when people could not get out to shops themselves, but after that it changed. For some people, shopping local still means going to the big name shops in town. It’s all been a bit of a perfect storm really, what with the cost of living crisis,” he said.
The good news is that Go Naked Veg is not closing completely.
“Staying positive, we will still be here as a business and will still have the website. We won’t be doing door-to-door deliveries but we are working on organising a number of drop-off points where people can collect their orders. One of them will be the Wee Wine Shop on George Street.
“What’s really important now is thanking all our brilliant customers and local producers who have said that we will have their continued support.
“I feel most sad for our older generation of customers who would come into the shop and buy just the one potato, carrot and onion for their soup. And, of course, for those who would come in to have a chat. We were a lifeline for lots of people like that and they will lose that benefit now,” added Graham.
More than 500 people responded to Graham’s announcement on Facebook.
Go Naked Veg shuts its shop doors for the last time on October 28.