“We’re taking it day-by-day” - The essential businesses in Calderdale still opening their doors

The government’s list of essential retailers is supermarkets and other food shops, pharmacies, off-licences and licensed shops selling alcohol, petrol stations, newsagents, bicycle shops, home and hardware stores, launderettes and dry cleaners, garages, pet shops, post offices and banks.

Among that list is Stuart’s Hardware on Gibbet Street.

”There’s a lot of homes nearby who have no mains gas so we have to stay open to provide them with gas bottles,” said owner Richard Greenwood.

“The factory next door to us are still manufacturing and we supply them a lot so we need to stay open to supply local businesses that are still manufacturing.

“We’re just as busy as we normally are really, we’ve just had to put extra cordens in place.
“A lot of the other places are shut so we’re getting a lot of new customers coming in.

“The only downside is we don’t have much stock in because all my suppliers are shut.

“We’re taking it day-by-day, but I think it’s a matter of time before we close the shop and just do deliveries.

“With the weather being so nice, people can do stuff in the garden so a lot of people have been asking us to drop some sand or cement off.
“We’ve sold quite a lot of that, a lot of paint so people can paint their fences. I think people want to be outside.

“We’ve cordoned all the shop off so they can’t walk around it, and we’ve got a notice up saying ‘keep two metres between you and the staff’.
“If anybody encroaches we’re quite firm them. Some people have said it’s a load of rubbish but we refuse to serve them if they get like that.”

The shop has been open since 1992, and Richard is fairly positive that the business can survive these testing times.

“I’m hoping so. I have had a few sleepless nights I must admit but now the government have promised this help I think I should be OK.
“The downside is I do have a lot of account customers who owe me money, and if they go bust then I can’t get that money, which is my main concern.

“I do have some reserves which I can use if needs be.

“I own the building so I don’t have to pay any rent, so I’m probably in a more fortunate financial position that some other companies.”

Another shop staying open is Cycle Gear in Halifax town centre.

Owner Steve Peacock said: “Fortunately for us, cycle shops are one of the businesses allowed to operate, so we are open.

“But we’re maintaining social distancing and asking people to ring before they call in, and we let them in when we come to the front door.

“We do a lot online so we’ve always got that to fall back on.

“We’re trying to operate as normally as possible. We’ve got three staff off at the moment, but with the shop not being as busy we’re coping.
“We’re trying to tell people we can deliver it online, or if they’re local, do it by our own transport.”

Paw Prints is another Calderdale retailer staying open, for now.

Tracey Robertson, from the business, which has outlets in Hipperholme and Halifax town centre, said: “Our town centre store has closed, primarily due to the town closing itself down really.

“There are very few people about, people are retreating to their homes.

“We did have a spurt of business last week, as did many shops, because people were stocking up.

“This week it’s been very quiet. We need to come in and care for our animals anyway, we would do that even if we had to close all the doors.

“But we’ve moved all our animals to one central point so we can take care of them.

“We have measures in the store to get customers to observe social distancing. But sadly some people still don’t get it.

“You’ll be talking to a customer and they walk towards you until they’re in your face, and you take a step back and they seem a bit surprised by that.

“We’re still seeing lots of elderly people come through the doors but we’ve offered free delivery to people that are house-bound, we’ve done quite a few of those, which we’ve had some really nice feedback on.”

Paw Prints has been in business for 12 years and also has two stores in Leeds.

“We have staff who would be getting 80 per cent of their salary from the government, and they’re all thinking differently about whether they want to come to work now because there’s a risk, and they’re going to get paid anyway,” said Tracey.

“It also depends on whether they have elderly relatives, if they live with parents that have underlying issues.”

When asked if she was confident her business would survive, Tracey said: “I wouldn’t say I’m confident. I think most businesses can survive, and will bounce back, if it’s a few weeks.

“If it turns into a few months I think everybody is going to be in trouble.

“And when we do return, we’re not all going to open up and everyone’s going to come out and spend lots of money.
“As generous as the government help is, and I think it’s absolutely amazing what they’re doing for businesses and staff, at the end of it, everybody will have to survive on a skeleton workforce.

“It will be like starting your business again, if you’ve got the money to do that.

“But we want to still be here, and keep the jobs we have. But it’s all ifs, buts and maybes at the moment. It’s scary, scary times.

“We just expanded into new premises in October, which has made things even more difficult because we spent a lot of our contingency money on that.