A Ballasalla cafe has appealed to islanders to spend some of their money with independent traders, blaming what it describes as the “Tesco effect” for mounting pressure on small businesses.
The Quirky Teapot, on Main Road, made the appeal in a Facebook post, Isle of Man Today reported. The cafe linked the strain to Tesco’s takeover of Shoprite three years ago.
The post made clear it was not trying to dictate anyone’s shopping habits. It recognised that household budgets, work and family pressures often make a supermarket the cheaper or more convenient option.
Its argument was that small losses mount up. A few customers going elsewhere each day means fewer coffees, lunches, newspapers and loaves sold. The cafe said independent firms have little room in their margins to cope, and that owners, staff, suppliers and their families can all feel the effect.
“Nobody is asking anyone to stop using Tesco. We use supermarkets too,” the post said.
When a small business shuts, the cafe said, a community loses more than a shop. It also loses jobs and choice, and somewhere staff recognise their regulars. The post encouraged people to buy a coffee from an independent cafe or a few items from a village shop, and suggested even a £5 purchase could make a difference.
Tesco announced in October 2023 that it had bought all nine Shoprite stores on the island. The deal brought to a close more than half a century of trading by the locally founded chain, which had been the island’s largest independently owned grocer. According to Isle of Man Today, the stores took on the Tesco name over 2024 and 2025. Tesco now has ten shops on the island, counting the Douglas supermarket it already ran.
The Quirky Teapot opened in March 2025. It has spoken before about the difficulties it faces, including low footfall, Isle of Man Today reported.
Comments: read or add yours
Have your say
0 comments · Community guidelines
No comments yet. Start the cooish.