They claim turnover is down by the equivalent of £15,000 p.a. since Nat West left us. They claim other businesses are teetering on the bring after one bank fewer. What is likely to happen when Barclay's leaves?
For me, this is something of a line in the sand, a marker that signals the current economic health of our town, something that is so seismic that it announces to the world that we will never be the same.
I refer to the rumour—and it is just that, a story, a whisper—that Siop Nain's café will close after business on Saturday March 3rd.
Its cards are expensive, its gifts tawdry, and its café unstylish but it's something of an institution. It's well placed on the fringe of the Square in an exquisite building and as such has high visibility. It has served several generations of customer—indeed, it had been in the Davies family for 45 years and was a café before that. It has a place in the hearts of many. It's as identifiably "Rhuthun/Ruthin" as any shop or business. Over the years, it has come to be the very symbol of our town.
In March 2014, it passed out of the control of the Davieses and the current proprietors has tried to modernise the café side of things with, it has to be said, mixed results.
But it has also declined in popularity, that much is clear, just by casual observation. When people meet up in town, they do so less often at Siop Nain: they suggest a rendezvous at Costa or Café R.
So, What's Gone Wrong?
First, some questionable, negative posts on Facebook about the town have not helped. We've said it before: if you're in business in any town, you need to keep some of your thoughts to yourself or at least not blurt them out over a public forum such as Facebook.
Secondly, we are more discerning when we go for a cuppa or a light lunch. We prefer high-end coffee to prosaic PG Tips. This gives the advantage to Costa, Chatwin's and to Café R.
Thirdly, there may be fewer cafés in town than there once were but there's still plenty of competition. Leaving aside Wetherspoon's—which serves unlimited coffee at £1.45 a throw—we have Gail's, W & G Jones, Bar Llaeth and the aforementioned Chatwin's and Costa. The café at Seven Oaks and especially Café R are also attractors. The impossibly named Café Doof (on the industrial estate) is probably aimed at a different market. (What we don't have any more are relatively recent closures such as Annie's, the castle Park Café, Caffi'r Bont, Lovell's, Porth y Dŵr or Nelson's).
Fouthly, Siop Nain says that its turnover is down £15,000 in a year and they attribute a lot of this to the closure of the Nat West. People who now travel to Yr Wyddgrug/Mold for their banking also then shop in Yr Wyddgrug, not in Rhuthun. They further cite the closure of Barclay's, soon.
So, I'd venture to suggest that (a) there is less money around; (b) footfall has reduced numbers in town and (c) the Costa premier league leaves little room for the championship, let alone league two.
If you ain't moving forward, you're going backwards and although for four years Siop Nain has tried to keep up more with the times it still cannot compete. To date, it has been an incredible survivor. It's passing will mark an important juncture in the history of Rhuthun retailing, more so than any other closure. Could this be the tipping point that delineates something of a sea change for the town? As a litmus test for the whole town?
The card shop side of the business is reported as healthy.
On a personal note, there was a time—what, 30 years ago, or so—when, for this household, Siop Nain was the place to go for a bite and a drink. We patronised it every week, for breakfast on a Saturday morning and at other times. Our children enjoyed sitting in the fireplace. It was no less popular with our parents, who'd meet and make friends there. We don't frequent cafés quite like we used to and, when we do, rather tellingly, it is no longer Siop Nain. Which, in hindsight, was a mistake.
For me, this is something of a line in the sand, a marker that signals the current economic health of our town, something that is so seismic that it announces to the world that we will never be the same.
I refer to the rumour—and it is just that, a story, a whisper—that Siop Nain's café will close after business on Saturday March 3rd.
Its cards are expensive, its gifts tawdry, and its café unstylish but it's something of an institution. It's well placed on the fringe of the Square in an exquisite building and as such has high visibility. It has served several generations of customer—indeed, it had been in the Davies family for 45 years and was a café before that. It has a place in the hearts of many. It's as identifiably "Rhuthun/Ruthin" as any shop or business. Over the years, it has come to be the very symbol of our town.
Although this is not typical of the 4/5 rating for Siop Nain, it does indicate the café's weaknesses
In March 2014, it passed out of the control of the Davieses and the current proprietors has tried to modernise the café side of things with, it has to be said, mixed results.
But it has also declined in popularity, that much is clear, just by casual observation. When people meet up in town, they do so less often at Siop Nain: they suggest a rendezvous at Costa or Café R.
So, What's Gone Wrong?
First, some questionable, negative posts on Facebook about the town have not helped. We've said it before: if you're in business in any town, you need to keep some of your thoughts to yourself or at least not blurt them out over a public forum such as Facebook.
Secondly, we are more discerning when we go for a cuppa or a light lunch. We prefer high-end coffee to prosaic PG Tips. This gives the advantage to Costa, Chatwin's and to Café R.
How can you compete with an unlimited coffee at £1.45?
Thirdly, there may be fewer cafés in town than there once were but there's still plenty of competition. Leaving aside Wetherspoon's—which serves unlimited coffee at £1.45 a throw—we have Gail's, W & G Jones, Bar Llaeth and the aforementioned Chatwin's and Costa. The café at Seven Oaks and especially Café R are also attractors. The impossibly named Café Doof (on the industrial estate) is probably aimed at a different market. (What we don't have any more are relatively recent closures such as Annie's, the castle Park Café, Caffi'r Bont, Lovell's, Porth y Dŵr or Nelson's).
Fouthly, Siop Nain says that its turnover is down £15,000 in a year and they attribute a lot of this to the closure of the Nat West. People who now travel to Yr Wyddgrug/Mold for their banking also then shop in Yr Wyddgrug, not in Rhuthun. They further cite the closure of Barclay's, soon.
So, I'd venture to suggest that (a) there is less money around; (b) footfall has reduced numbers in town and (c) the Costa premier league leaves little room for the championship, let alone league two.
If you ain't moving forward, you're going backwards and although for four years Siop Nain has tried to keep up more with the times it still cannot compete. To date, it has been an incredible survivor. It's passing will mark an important juncture in the history of Rhuthun retailing, more so than any other closure. Could this be the tipping point that delineates something of a sea change for the town? As a litmus test for the whole town?
The card shop side of the business is reported as healthy.
On a personal note, there was a time—what, 30 years ago, or so—when, for this household, Siop Nain was the place to go for a bite and a drink. We patronised it every week, for breakfast on a Saturday morning and at other times. Our children enjoyed sitting in the fireplace. It was no less popular with our parents, who'd meet and make friends there. We don't frequent cafés quite like we used to and, when we do, rather tellingly, it is no longer Siop Nain. Which, in hindsight, was a mistake.