Independent traders in Bath have given a lukewarm welcome to the news that larger stores will extend their opening hours.
Independent Spirits of Bath director Chris Scullion, pictured right, says: "Anything that continues to remind shoppers that Bath is open for business later is good for us as a whole, especially between the quieter 5-7pm period."
However, he pointed out that the many of the large retailers already tend to stay open until 7pm. "Sadly, I feel that, yet again, the opportunity to showcase Bath's unique reputation for 'indie' shops has been missed. Not all of them could have stayed open, but those that could have would have loved to have been be engaged with and visited.
"There is a world of unique shopping destinations outside of SouthGate."
Emma Savage, who co-owns second-hand clothing outlet Grace & Ted with her mother, agrees that later opening hours are great for Bath shoppers and particularly those who work late. However, Grace & Ted will stick to its regular opening hours of 10am to 5pm.
"While we would love to stay open later, we can't really afford to risk not having anyone in... Because we are located in Kingsmead Square, we're struggling already with footfall."
Steve Bennett, pictured right, and his wife, on the other hand, have decided to try longer opening hours for their joint venture Roman Candles. Mr Bennett says they tried extending their opening hours once before but gave it up when they had few extra customers.
They will continue to open at 10am during the week, but will stay open an extra hour until 7pm and keep doing so if it proves worth their while.
"The advantage of having your own business is you can change your mind after a couple of days," he said
Aria Lingerie owner Shirley Kelley, who has also previously experimented with longer trading hours, has decided against extending them to join the larger retailers. Although Mrs Kelley happily adjusts her opening hours to suit certain customers, such as women who need mastectomy bras, she prefers to do this on an ad hoc basis.
Keeping standard hours is one of the benefits of independent retail and, she said, one of the reasons she and her staff have chosen to work in the sector. The hours, which tend to fall between 9am and 5pm or 6pm, allow sole owner-operators like herself to manage the demands of a young family.
