It’s a sad truth that the opening of more supermarkets in recent years has forced the closure of many small businesses in and around local communities. While this is having a number of devastating effects on local communities, steps can be taken to tackle the problem.
In my view, there are several effects from the closure of small businesses. For one, supermarkets are usually located outside of community centers which forces people to travel further. This makes is more inconvenient to just walk to the shops for groceries, so people stay home more and socialize less. Another key effect is communities become less interesting as fewer shops mean less diversity, and fewer options for shoppers who have to travel further to find what they need. Most significantly, however, is that local shops typically comprise the soul of a community, and their closure means locals lose an important place where they can chat, meet, and create social bonds. For example, in my community the closure of local butchers, bakeries and tea shops has turned a once bustling main street into an unsightly boarded up area where nobody wants to spend time.
This situation can almost certainly be improved. I believe that local governments could encourage local shops to open through incentives like tax breaks, or caps on land rates. In addition, local leaders could help encourage diversity in the community through small business training schemes. There is evidence to suggest that opening specialist shops such as massage therapists, organic food shop, or pet grooming salon can generate new business opportunities in many areas. This would breathe more life into community areas and create better cohesiveness among local populations.
In conclusion, communities will continue to suffer shop closures unless local governments and leaders set schemes in place that help make community centers competitive with supermarkets.