Corner Shops are a staple across the UK, it's time we appreciate them
Pints of milk, packets of cigarettes and chocolate bars galore greet you on the colourful and quick trip to the local shop. The popular corner shop is the reliable staple of our nation not only during the pandemic but throughout the lives of many across the UK.
Often they are immigrant-led businesses run by South Asians from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and more.
South Asian communities and the number of corner shops expanded during the '60s and '70s and now act as a dependable heart to the communities they inhabit.
Corner shops provide a sense of comfort, family, good business and locality - a familiar feeling we can keep coming back to.
Kind, no-nonsense shopkeepers stand at the helm of the shops keeping an eye out for any kids or adults alike with sticky fingers. Growing up around such shops spending loose change my grandmother gave me on sweets at my local shop is a fond memory for me and many others.
"Corner shops provide a sense of comfort, family, good business and locality - a familiar feeling we can keep coming back to"
Over the years, the image of the corner shop has risen in pop culture, appearing in sitcoms, movies, and soap operas. This grab-and-go destination became a cultural hub of diversity and entrepreneurialism.
Many of the feel good stories shared online recently have focused on migrant family-run corner shops among other independently run organisations; underdog champions doing what they can to support their local area, especially during the pandemic.
Corner shops have demonstrated their solid place in the cultures and communities they inhabit, and are a testament to the hard work and determination of refugees and immigrants making a life for themselves in Britain.
"Underdog champions doing what they can to support their local area, especially during the pandemic"
These stores represent the beginnings for the new migrants attempting to integrate into British society. They show how a sense of reliability, comfort and familiarity can grow to produce a beloved community staple.
Have a look at our original image gallery below of some of the South Asian corner shops in London:
Kommentare