Raisin - Closed down

[Ganapati]

Are you talking about the American woman who owned the shop--because I always found her very helpful and very nice. I think their clothes were just not right for this area--aside from being expensive.

[????]

Hopefully reopen as a bookies

[RosieH]

Ganapati Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

I think their clothes were just not

> right for this area--aside from being expensive.

Oranges and Lemons on Northcross are selling very similar stuff - unless you meant "this area" to mean literally that strip of road rather than ED generally.

I did mean the American owner - maybe it's because I'm obviously not a mummy myself and perhaps I was asking what she thought were stupid questions (clothes from all over the world, each with different sizing systems, things like 35, 64 rather than age 1, age 2 - two nieces aged 2, one enormous and the other tiny, and me no idea what's going to fit).

Sorry, it just made me really mad - i would have spent a lot of money in there - but was always made to feel I was interrupting their day. Maybe I just caught them on bad days...

[AnotherPaul]

There wasn't enough range or variety to sustain the selling of expensive clothing. Expensive shops like that can still do well (proving shrieks of 'recession!' to be a bit hasty) but they have to have more than one core stock, like the shoe shop on North Cross selling accessories - that's sensible and keeps the cash coming in. So many independent shops try to their one thing really well missing the obvious - that shops do best when they are useful. And it was in the wrong place.

[LibraCarr]

Hi to all,

I was interested in this business as I live in the road opposite. I never ever saw anyone go into the shop. I thought the transacted business was therefore completed on the web.

It is really sad when someone decides to put money into a venture and with the best will in the world they fail to make a success of it.

It was probably not well thought out as a business plan. Take a look at businesses on this strip.... The Green has closed down, the chinese restaurant has never taken off (to much monsodium glutomate in the food) - I am a Chef not a dictionary. The Codfather re-branded itself with a good name but no change to working practices, and I believe the pottery franchised cafe at the end of the parade has had three franchises that have lost their monies. This arcade is being oversold to potential lessees.

The only people that do well at the arcade is the grocery store and to a less extent the barbers.

Before you comment please be armed with knowledge, it is so easy to make comments and make other customers shy away and not give the shops a chance.

If this is a community site, should we not be upping the local businesses to succeed or should we (as in previous comments) slag off the Codfather and Booteeki!

Fair comment is that if you have had a bad experience with either of the latter, let it be known. If not your unsolicited comments harm the traders in this area.

Hear endeth the first lesson.

Libra Carr.

[Mark]

just before the lesson endeth, can you show us the previous comments where people slagged off Booteeki? You know, just to give your message credibility.

[RosieH]

Odd lesson - don't think I (or anyone else) slagged off the Codfather. Believe me, I would love the Codfather to be better - is my local chippy and the schlepp to the Sea Cow is most inconvenient. However, a very expensive children's boutique sitting alongside a grocers, a chippy and a greasy spoon is not the most natural fit.

And any negative comments were backed up by experience. And the shop had already closed down, so we didn't bring about their ruination.

This may be a community forum, but it's not free advertising. If something's rubbish, then people will say so. And other people will disagree, often vigorously. Personally I really liked the shop - just thought the owner was hostile and the location ill-conceived.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Dear Libra Carr

You have missed out the laundrette and the greasy spoon & the craft shop and the wonderful barbers; and JSD and the newsagents who are always a lovely source of tick if one needs cigarettes but has not money! The chinese is ok for what it is; always had a fun time in The Green but as much to do with the company as the food; pottery shop to be commended for corkage - a good evening, getting pissed, pretending to be creative is always fun.

The Codfather has diversified too much and the chips are now shite. Raisin was always overpriced.

yours

PGC

[RosieH]

wise words indeed.

really though, tick in the newsagents?

[Nero]

It's just business reality. Hopefully, new business will arrive and they'll have a better plan/ethos/customer service etc. I still think it's down-at-heel - why don't the shopkeepers ring the council and get the graffiti removed from their protective screens? I honestly don't understand that attitude, and as a result, don't give businesses who can't be bothered with their appearance my business. Nero

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

yes indeed, fags on tick in the newsagents - always important to cultivate a relationship.

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

So many questions and so little time to answer, but here goes:

In reply to Marks question I have pasted comments from this subject as follows:Re: Raisin - Closed down

Posted by: Cassius February 10, 12:43PM

I never went into Raisin, but I must say I do sometimes wonder why people do things that they are so obviously not cut out for! Working in a shop entails having a certain attitude to the people that come in - ie being polite and helpful!

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Sponsored link - Re: Raisin - Closed down

Posted by: Momo February 10, 05:53PM

Booteeki...take note...

In fairness to all trades on this strip I will comment on the postings that have been placed:

The pottery shop - is it not a bit silly to openly admit to getting ratted whilst in a pottery shop where there are kilns and turntables?

The arts and craft shop.

This shop did not have the craft pens that I needed, I now go to Lordhip Lane as there are a couple of shops that stock most items.

The Laundry.

I used to enjoy going into the place, but it was always full up and overpriced. The owners are lovely though!

The Cafe.

The owner here is also very nice. I went in three sunday's ago and waited 15 minutes for two teas and sandwiches to take away, whilst waiting he asked me three times if I wanted tomato sauce and sugar. He works very hard and is struggling to make ends meet, he works seven day's a week. If he took a day off just to re-group and look at where he could improve the service, his business would pick up.

The newsagents. I have found it quite irritating on occasions when I have waited to be served whilst the person behind the counter is on the phone to India! Also, and quite sadly the elderley gentleman is very slow, if you are in a hurry to top up your oyster, it makes you a little irritable. I suppose it is nice that if you have no money he will give you credit, but surely it is bad organising that you run out of money before your next benefit payment or salary? and are cigarettes really that important

The Chinese and Codfather - see previous comments.

The barbers. Now here is a gem, take a look at the mafia style photo's on the wall and the cut throat razors. It is sometimes hard to understand him, so you have to be tolerant. He opens at 7am every day and on a saturday brings his wife in with him (It saves kissing her goodbye!) His success is that he is polite and cares about his job.

The supermarket.

I get on really well with them and always have a laugh in there. The down side to this business is that the fresh vegetables as you enter look 'tired'. I have spoken to him about this and I am of the belief that if he displayed the veg in a way that is done on L/L it would attract more sales. He has a good selection of curries and condiments right at the back of the store and cheap as well. One niggly little pint is that I used to buy a bottle of wine a day from them, the price was ?4.99, without reason he upped the price to ?5.99! Needless to say I now buy the same wine at ?4.99 in L/L saving a pound a day.

Well, I hope that answers all your replies.

Take Care

Libra.

[Mark]

ok, we obviously have differing opinions as to what "slagging something off" means.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Libra, you really are an ********.

First, there are no turntables or kilns in the pottery cafe - it is merely a place to paint readymade pieces, they are sent away for firing.

Secondly, the nature of addiction is that one can't do without something, so yes, cigarettes are important. Your condescension is quite something to behold: just because I mismanage my money (something ???? has already chastised me for!), why do you assume I am on benefits?

I have many good qualities but frugality and abstension are not among them. However, if we are casting stones, why don't you cultivate the virtue of patience in a queue? You could use the time to remind yourself how perfect you are.

Edited to appease the lovely Annaj

[LibraCarr]

Dear Peckham Gate Crasher,

I am sorry that you read my message wrong, it clearly reads 'Benefits or salary' thus meaning if you are lucky to have a job then you would be receiving a salary (either weekly, fornightly or monthly). If you, and this is not directed at you personally, were not too have a job then you would be receiving benefits. I may be wrong but I thought I was correct in encompassing all incomes.

Secondly, I apologise for the Ceramic shop. I have walked down the road to the side of the shop and they do have a kiln and also a spinning wheel. That said, they may have removed it as I have not been past there for some weeks.

And finally thank you for the compliment, Its nice that you think I am one when you have never met me.

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[annaj]

LibraCarr,

Although, I agree that name calling is not very nice (naughty PGC!) the tone of your posts was more than a little condescending.

If the ceramics shop charge corkage and allow drinking, they clearly don't see it as a safety issue. Although I've never been in myself, my undrestanding is that you just paint ready made ceramics. If the kiln and turntable can only be seen from the side, perhaps they're for staff use only?

As for you asking if cigarettes are really necessary, in one of your posts you've mentioned buying a daily bottle of wine. A bottle of wine is 9 units (assuming it's a modest 12% ABV) so even if you're sharing that daily bottle that's 31.5 units per week. The safe limit for men is 21 units a week. If we're going to have a conversation about abstinence and moderation, perhaps you should think about that.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

By the way Libra, if you tell Peter about the wine, he will probably discount it for you. I refused to buy cigarettes in there when he hoiked them up arbitrarily so we came to a deal.

[LibraCarr]

Dear, Dear, Me.

I forgot to mention that the wine is Red Label, an aperitif type of drink I believe. I do not drink it myself but buy it for the family, in respect of abstinence and moderation, I will pass your comments on and hopefully they will realise that I am being to kind to them.

Isn't it easy to mis-read a posting!.

Regards, as Always.

Libra Carr.

Ps. I do have the occasional lager though!

[annaj]

Yes, it is easy to mis-read a post, but in this case I didn't:

I used to buy a bottle of wine a day from them

My comment was based on the average number of units in a bottle of wine of any variety. If the wine you're referring to is Red Label Jamaican Wine then it's 13.7% ABV, so more like 10 units per bottle. My only mistake was assuming that it was shared between only two people, for which I apologise.

The point of my post was to say that, in my opinion, your posts have been a bit condescending and judgemental in tone and I could see why PGC took them personally. Your response has done nothing to change my opinion.

[Ganapati]

Back to Raisin...do think some of you are being a little unfair to it. Sure, it was wedged in a parade of shops that isn't the fanciest, but it was also right near Goose Green Park, so I'll bet the owner was thinking she'd get the foot traffic from the park. Plus, Northcross road wasn't always the happening strip it is now, so someone had to take the leap and open the first shop that seemed out of place at the time--maybe that's what the Raisin owner was thinking. I think I remember her saying the rents on that strip were more reasonable than Northcross/Lordship lane. Regarding Oranges and Lemons--they've just opened, so we'll see if they can stick it out what with all the baby shops ED now has. I still think Raisin's clothes weren't exactly right for this area--not saying there was no audience at all for it, but their clothes were definitely not the sort you'd find in say Snapdragon, or that other baby store on Northcross Rd. Finally--maybe you caught the owner on a bad day. I went in a few times, and she was always very helpful to me.

[capt_birdseye]

I know there is a large anti-chain contingent on this here forum, but would anyone concur that if a chain restaurant opened at the now empty "The Green", say perhaps a Pizza Express, Strada or Giraffe etc, then that may actually increase footfall to that parade and make it a more attractive spot for prospective shop owners?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

P Express would be ok, specially if it continued with live jazz tradition. Never heard of the other two. Unfortunately you are probably right, a chain would bring in more footfall than a quirky independent; probably because one isn't intimidated by chains - they are familiar.

[Cassius]

Strada would be quite good - their pizzas are great - Giraffe is not my cup of tea, but its very family friendliness should ensure it did well in ED.

Not sure we would want another Pizza Express seeing that there is one in the village though.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I go every now and then to one of the PEs on the Southbank and used to go to Kettners quite often. For some reason, it never occurs to me to go to Dulwich. One on the doorstep would be alright.

[Nero]

Strada would be good, but reckon Giraffe would make a lot of money there due to the children-friendly policy it has. Nero