howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
manufacturing is not our thing anymore alex, sweatshops in the far east have much lower costs and if you forget them the emerging economies of south america will follow on.
Guest 664- Registered: 23 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,039
Buying British made goods, in Dover - now there's a challenge... from a Dover retail perspective it doesn't matter where they are made, but by all means if you can tick both boxes...
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i read about a couple from kent that made it their thing only to buy british goods, must keep them very busy.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
I bought 4 pairs of trousers today at De Bradelei. We also bought a number of things in various other shops and had a sly pint in the 8 Bells. Then went to Sainsbury's in Folkestone for the odd couple of things we couldn't find in Dover. Our order of preference is:
1. Our local shop in Eythorne
2. Independent retailers in Dover or Canterbury or the villages
3. Supermarkets
4. T*s*o at Whitfield
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Only to buy in Dover will help only retailers make a living.
The objective should be to broaden the base so that a larger proportion of the population can benefit.
Of-course you are right, Howard, manufacturing is of the past, for which reason there is abundant unemployment, and a large number of people cannot afford to purchase as they would like to.
Unless this problem is sorted out, things will continue along a low-key line with little prospect of improvement.
Currently the big High Street chain stores have a policy of importing most products from the Far East.
So I don't really know what other contribution to make here on the thread.
I make a point of making sure my oats bag is permanently filled with Scottish oats, and of supplying myself with Scottish shortbread.
At the local green grocers, the lady told me the produce is coming from London right now.
Once Kent used to supply the London market. Once we had more than half the orchards in Britain.
What has our County been reduced to???
Forget the carbon footprint, just an empty word!
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
A pair of trousers in Marks & Spencers made in China costs £25.
The same trousers could be produced here and sold for the same price, with decent profits all the way round, for manufacturers and retailer.
Trousers made in China can easily be purchased elsewhere for £10 a pair.
Again, they could be made here and sold for that price, with reasonable profit all way round.
The same applies for clothes in general, and for shoes.
My guess is, High Street stores import it all at fractional prices and flog it off with massive profits.
And to be honest, if I want to buy something made in China, it doesn't change a iot if I purchase it in Dover or in Canterbury, because the profits go to the same High Street chains.
And I'm pretty sure that even the products sold at Dover Market on Tuesday come mostly from India and Indonesia, or China.
That is why I prefer to buy in Charity shops, the only places where one can still find manufacture: made in England!
In so doing I also help a charity and know my money is going to British people and not to China!
Or to High Street chains that import from the Tiny Global Village and make huge profits while a quarter of young people here are unemployed.
With defiance!
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
and two shoplifters borrowed 7 grands worth of stock last Monday [15th].
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
A disgusting sign of the times Brian.
Alex I agree- the real economy in this country exists at the level of charity shops - likewise no wonder people pay their plumber cash for doing a good job! I certainly don't condone this situation but its how it is.
Never give up...
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Reinventing the high street:
Sir Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Tesco, writes in the Telegraph why he is supporting the paper's campaign to reinvent the high street. Sir Terry says that Britain's high streets are well placed to exploit the opportunity that is out there for them and we should make the most of what they have to offer. He suggests that the antipathy towards big retailers should end and argues that supermarkets could well be the saviour of the high street - pointing to the number of "local" branches which are bringing customers back into town. Sir Terry also writes that three changes need to happen to improve the high street. Firstly there needs to be a stop in the rise of car park charges; secondly there needs to be a neighbourhood plan put in place to revive those high streets that need help; and thirdly business rates need radical reform.
The Daily Telegraph, Weekend, Page: 1
More or less what I've been saying for ages - only my plans for Dovert have more details.
Roger
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
"...business rates need radical reform. "
That does not sound at all like "reduced/lowered". It is plain nuts that the high street property owner should suffer no great disadvantage in having their premises unoccupied.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
'Reinventing the high street' by Sir Terry Leahy!
The good old Telegraph.
I've heard that next week the style section is being edited by Ann Widecombe. I'm also looking forward to the healthy eating recipe cards, compiled by Eric Pickles.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
was a certain irony there.
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Alex .46
You're out on the prices coming out of Asia,
The middle men are making a fortune from importing goods in to the UK
Know wonder these people keep on telling us globalisation is a good thing.
When In fact, it encourages slave labour dirty production and the destroying of British jobs and industry.
We can produce most products at completive prices in the UK.
One Example You can get dress shorts in shops in Bangkok for £1.15 these shorts would sell in Asda for £12 the mark-up is massive on clothing alone.
We could manufacture the same item for around £4 in the UK employing the very people doing the purchasing, was it not for the greed of the importers.
If you want to tern around the UK economy all we have to do is stipulate, if you want to sell it in the uk you must manufacture, assemble it in the uk.
The alternative is every body on benefits when the massive borrowing paying for it all eventually stops.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
We could start by opening a textile factory in Dover and exporting clothes all over the UK.
It could be a share company, where we can buy shares to start financing it.
For a few million pounds we'd probably get modern machinery, all we'd need then is a training course.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
mmm theres a thought,a cloths factory in dover then export them all over the country.one question has dover moved across the channel then.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
We have to think local, we need to build Kent's economy.
Britain's thousand richest billionaires won't do it, the Government won't do it.
Forget the Chancellor, forget Austerity.
We don't have to bow down to Austerity hanging around till January 2014 while the Government taunts us.
We need to move on!
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
Must admit Alex- I don't mind you idea at all!
Never give up...
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
Thing is - are you going to expedite It?!
Never give up...
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
Buying only British made goods is certainly a challenge for us all, but the more 'home made' goods are sold, the more the businesses will prosper. We could all try and notice, when making purchases, where the goods are made or grown.
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Yes, Richard.
I'm drawing up a plan for local production, and am thinking of an agricultural branch and an industrial branch.
It will be Kent-wide, and the best option is by way of a share company.
A Company constitution needs to be made out, initially as a draft plan, as there won't, obviously, be any private owners, only share holders. But before anyone is on a pay roll, the whole procedure needs to be worked out to perfection, so I'll be gathering information on costs for machinery, buildings to rent (it would prove too expensive to build factories in the early stage), production methods, production costs, and personnel capable of offering training and expertise.
It will have to be 100% free enterprise, as we can't expect anything from Gov.
One of my first objectives is a textile factory, that not only produces clothes, but also the material.
I'm looking at good quality at fair prices, with above-minimum wage and the prospect of salary increase according to individual output.
Working-hour flexibility, both full and part-time.
Being a share company, workers will be entitled to shares, and they must be local, from Kent (this will be part of the constitution of the share company).