WHEN the Government ordered the closure of pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops and other businesses across the country many owners were left wondering what it meant for the future – and if their business could survive.
With the impact of Covid-19 being felt across the North-east, there are those business owners who continue to be able to trade – thanks to the wonders of online technology.
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More and more people are turning to e-commerce in a bid to keep running.
Jonathan Simpkin has been running his Inverbervie-based business Woodhouse Wines for 32 years.
His main source of income was his wine tasting events, bringing in around £4,000 every fortnight. He also had one restaurant he made a regular monthly delivery too but after their closure he’s been hit with another loss of £3,000 a month.
It was after that he decided to concentrate more on the online sales and with the help of his son Barnaby he got to grips with online selling and social media.
He said: “It’s important I make sure I get some income and I can generate that through the website. It was the time for me to concentrate on my website and take up the great opportunity. A lot of people are in the same boat as me.
“But I am still in business and trading so that’s good. We are selling like crazy which is good. I’m also doing some live facebook broadcasts to keep my customers posted that I’m still in business and delivering all across the UK.
“There’s no mention of coronavirus at all on my site to keep everything positive.”
Ian Cukrowski, has owned MacBeans in Aberdeen’s Belmont Street for 31 years.
They have continued to trade with Ian making deliveries around Aberdeen, a click & collect service at the shop and postal deliveries across the country, including Shetland & Orkney.
He said: “It’s been going really well.
“I’m keeping my social distancing and not going near anybody. I’m driving around in my van myself.
“If your big retailers like Sainburys and Tesco can deliver tea and coffee then surely a tea and coffee man can.
“The looks of gratitude we get from people when we turn up has been fantastic. They are so happy.
“We’ve not been able to sell any of our hardware, it’s just been the tea and coffee.
“My heartbreaks for people, especially a lot of my friends who have cafes, as they’ve had no option. But I think everybody understands that if you have an option you should take it. Without breaking any rules and keeping customers safe.”
Marketing and web design agency, Azzurro-Blu, based in Aberdeen’s Grandholm area, specialises in helping businesses to succeed on-line.
Dave Simpson, Azzurro Blu technical director, said: “The impact of Covid-19 has caused a real shift to the digital marketplace.
“Many business owners have pivoted towards on-line sales just to survive.
“We’ve been able to provide scalable solutions to accommodate this shift and it’s fair to say some are doing significantly better than they anticipated.
“But the benefits of an e-commerce focus may extend far beyond the crisis. It’s entirely possible that we will see a real shift in purchasing habits.
“The value of online shopping has never been more apparent, and when consumers form new habits then change is likely.
“Those businesses already in e-commerce might have a significant market advantage when the crisis is over.”
