We think of ourselves as serious travellers; neither tourists nor, perish the thought, trippers. Yet, who of us can resist that gift shop with the folksy name? In Scotland recently, I spotted That Cute Little Highland Shop — self-parody, surely?. That beguiling independent book shop, that local artisan craft workshop?
In we go with a furtive look over our
shoulder. Politely, we remove our rucksack to relieve the proprietor’s fear of
us swiping a swathe through a shelf of her fragile merchandise.
Now comes the free entertainment. We rootle
about. We examine everything. We wonder if we have wall space for that local watercolour.
We regret that we cannot take that fragile ceramic piece home, ignoring the
offer to have it shipped. We take a book from the shelf, read the blurb, sniff
at the pages (is that just me?) and replace it knowing that we already have
plenty of holiday reading. We snigger at the kitsch.
Then we leave having enjoyed a quarter of
an hour or so of free entertainment or at least shelter from the rain. We may
even remember to smile at the shopkeeper and say thank you.
But what of the shop owner? You are the
twenty-third non-buyer of the day. She has smiled at twenty-three people
without making aa sale. She has a three-month season to earn a year’s living.
Rents and business rates must be paid. Maybe her twenty-fourth shopper will buy
a high value item but then again, maybe not.
Even a small purchase by most browsers
would make a difference. If every visitor paid for their entertainment by
buying just a postcard she would receive, over the course of a day, a
significant contribution to her overheads.
It’s a fair exchange for our guilty pleasure.
Let’s play fair.
A voluntary organisation has sprung up to
encourage thus attitude. It is Just a Card. Founded in 2015,
Just a Card is a grassroots campaign on a
mission to encourage people to support, value and buy from artists, makers,
independent shops and small businesses. Every sale, even just a card, is vital
to their prosperity and survival. It is UK Based but has support from around
the world. Please look out for their
logo in gift shops. Better still buy a
postcard (or two) by way of thanking the shop.
