How many Pret A Mangers should one city have? Perhaps two or three, maybe four if they’re spread out. Clearly, Edinburgh thinks otherwise, as this week, the city’s 11th Pret A Manger opened in St James Quarter (despite four other locations being less than a 15-minute walk away). For some dedicated Pret fans, this was a moment to jump up and down with glee. But for others, it was yet another representation of how chains are taking over the city.
It’s not just Pret that’s caught our attention over the last few months, though, as Edinburgh has seen a multitude of notable shifts in chains and small businesses. Most vocal was the introduction of Blank Street Coffee to Scotland, with not one but two locations opening in Edinburgh in quick succession last January and February. With a huge cult following online and permanent queues snaking around the premises for the first few weeks, it was clear many Edinburgh residents were overjoyed at the addition of the new chain. But this year has also seen the loss of some long-running Edinburgh small business staples, such as The Kilted Donut, which guaranteed unique and enticing sweet treats, and Santosa Café, a space for the local community to come together. Is the decline of these small businesses the result of an increase in chains?
In many cases in Edinburgh: yes. As chains have significantly lower overheads and greater buying power, smaller businesses struggle to retain their positions as viable competitors, resulting in a loss of customers and eventually being pushed out. Elliot Clark Flowers, a family-owned florist which has been crucial to the Inverleith community since 1983, spoke with The Student about their experience as a small business, including their recent closure. Though not the sole reason for their ultimate closure, the business agreed that rising competition from large supermarket chains was an impact they could no longer ignore. Despite continuous support from loyal customers, the rise of chains combined with the impact of Brexit and rising wages resulted in it being “just too hard to make ends meet and walk away each year with growth.” From this, it is clear that the growth in chains is negatively impacting small businesses not just by greater power and wealth, but also with their ability to bounce back from significant economic changes and instability.
But with Edinburgh home to a seemingly endless abundance of shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars, the line between chains and small businesses can easily blur. We often find ourselves rushing to Black Sheep Coffee for a £2 latte on Monday and thinking nothing more than “what a bargain.” But in reality, are we as students fuelling the degradation of Edinburgh’s unique small businesses?
When talking to many students, it was clear that affordability was generally the most important factor in deciding where to shop or which café to visit, especially when it comes to study sessions. This unsurprising result doesn’t directly point in favour of chains or small businesses, but does highlight that this binary decision is, on the whole, not at the forefront of students’ minds. Instead, they are searching for reliably low prices or the best student discount, whether that be small businesses such as The Picnic Basket or corporate chains like Zara. One student noted how Edinburgh independent cafes tend to be “a lot nicer” but went on to say: “on a student budget I can’t really take that into account.” It is evident that many students look towards chains as a way of saving money.
It is more than fair to say, however, that social media has had a significant impact on the role of students in supporting chain shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Take Blank Street, for example, which brought together a wide matcha fanbase even before its opening, posting the announcement of their new Edinburgh stores to 143,000 followers. The obsession of many students with chains such as Blank Street and high-street brands like Uniqlo and Zara has fostered their loyalty to such chains, ensuring they continue to expand in Edinburgh.
While ultimately the success and therefore rise of chains in Edinburgh is largely unavoidable, choosing more small businesses where possible can ensure we keep the unique and local nature of the city alive.
Illustration by Lauren Tooze for The Student