I had an interesting chat with a trader at my local CBS. While I chose my selection of rollers and brushes to continue painting Skylark, he explained how difficult it is for him to find good quality goods from his usual suppliers. The ranges and quality are reducing, the costs are increasing and his margins are being squeezed. This is not surprising I suppose as we're not out of the economic recession woods yet and everyone is trying to get as much out of their products as they can but it also means you have to be very careful what you buy, where and for how much.
It's easy to pay 'top dollar' in the High Street and Out of Town but there are still bargains out there if you're willing to find them but it's getting harder all the time.
Also, while I can understand traders will always try to get the sympathy vote, it was obvious to me this man is a genuine sort of chap and it was really proving difficult to find the products he likes selling at a reasonable price. I suppose it's the same for all small independent traders; all the more reason for us to search them out and support them.
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