A pet shop owner is being forced to close down her Morecambe shop in Lancashire because of the pressures applied from retail chains, supermarkets and the growing trend of internet shopping...
Gina Loxam, of Pampered Pets, says she is sad to be leaving the pet trade but is now looking forward to a possible career in politics.
"I took over Pampered Pets Shop in December 2008," Gina told Pet Trade Xtra. "After working in offices all my life it was a dream come true. It was also my retirement plan.
"I slowly built up the business over the next four years and although it wasn’t making me a fortune it was paying its way and earning me a small living. The big plus was meeting the customers and their pets, especially puppies. Many of the customers became friends and it was my ideal way of life being an animal lover myself and meant I could take my four dogs to work with me.
"I searched for stock at good prices from different suppliers to increase my range and also to pass the competitive prices onto my customers.
"In the autumn of 2012 I noticed my takings starting to drop. I thought Christmas would sort this out. No, it was the worst Christmas I had ever had. Liaising with fellow businesses, this was what they were finding too.
"Things went from bad to worse, takings down 30% on the year before, and I began using my savings to put towards my rent. I had to let my part time staff go and I was working full time for a pittance just to pay my bills.
Customers sympathised and said it was the Internet, the supermarkets, and the large pet retail chains. These factors hadn’t affected me before. Then the austerity cuts hit the media, zero contracts, lack of pay increases, lack of jobs. The customers just hadn’t got the disposable income they had before due to the recession.
"I am one of the lucky ones as my landlord has released me from my lease. My loyal customers are gutted and say they will badly miss me, as I will them. My future has been destroyed because of this government and their inability to boost the economy.
"My future now lies elsewhere and I will be standing as an Independent Candidate in the next General Election as we need real people in parliament who understand what it is like to live in the real world."
