The Shops Of Today

"Unless you're a Youth"

I’ve seen a sign on a shop door that I’ll not be using again until it's removed. It reads “Polite Notice: No more than two youths are allowed in the shop at any one time.” In these Credit Crunchy times when a business, no matter how big or small it is, needs to do all it can to make a living it struck me that this was a great way to alienate customers and reduce income.

With 24 hour shopping in two local supermarkets I now have the choice to go somewhere else rather than a local convenience shop.

I have no knowledge of what’s happened at the shop in the past but I live in the real world and I’m aware that “some people” shoplift and that shop workers get abuse or worse are attacked which is wrong and needs to be dealt with, but to be selective just because a customer looks like a youth is not the right way. If this shop’s owners do have a problem then they need to improve their security system, employ more staff or provide better training.

I’d class my eldest son as a “youth”, he’s a great kid, he works very hard at school, he gets brilliant results, he’s not a threat to anybody and I’m very prod of him, but now if he and two mates want to go into Costcutter’s on Pogmoor Road, Barnsley they’re not welcome to spend his (my) cash.

This shop is saying we don’t trust youths being in our shop so sod off. Well fair enough, if my son and his friends are not good enough to use your shop, neither will I. Somerfield will now get an extra 40 - 60 quid a month more from me.

It’s not the youths that need to change, it’s old business practices, ideas and intolerance.