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              GO Sharing electric scooters to disappear from Groningen as Felyx gets Gemeente go ahead

              GO Sharing electric scooters to disappear from Groningen as Felyx gets Gemeente go ahead

              Northern cities welcome prospects of new high speed rail line    

              Northern cities welcome prospects of new high speed rail line    

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              Dutch PM Mark Rutte says that apologies for Dutch history as slave owners and traders are “not wise”

              Around one in ten of Dutch MP’s studied at the University of Groningen

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              Hanze buildings evacuated following water leak

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              Groningen-based production company shoot UFO invasion film in deserted city streets

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              SC Heerenveen player to return Robben shirt for charity auction after Derby defeat

              SC Heerenveen player to return Robben shirt for charity auction after Derby defeat

              Cargo ship loses five containers in the North Sea above Ameland

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                Setting goals, clear intentions, and the ‘why’: getting into the right headspace for work during the pandemic

                Upcoming and online: Finding a Job in the Netherlands, Gezellig Games Night, Dutch history; and Connect International wants to hear your stories!

                ‘Coronatourism’ on the rise in Drenthe with young people in particular opting to camp

                ‘Coronatourism’ on the rise in Drenthe with young people in particular opting to camp

                Snack bar owners up in arms over possible ban on new outlets

                Snack bar owners up in arms over possible ban on new outlets

                Groninger stalwart Le Souk up for ‘best business’ prize

                Le Souk wins Business of the Year prize in Groningen

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                ‘t Pannekoekschip in Groningen to move to Oosterhaven, with 100 year old current ship likely to be scrapped

                Drenthe to invest four million euros into bike paths

                Drenthe to invest four million euros into bike paths

                Huge, socially-distanced terrace to open on Suikerterrein in Groningen

                EM2 releases summer events and terrace teaser video

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  Dutch art detective says that apprehended drug lord owns Groninger Museum’s stolen Van Gogh

                  Man arrested in relation to Groninger Museum Van Gogh theft

                  Noorderzon theatre festival in Groningen certain to go ahead

                  Noorderzon theatre festival in Groningen certain to go ahead

                  Guns N’ Roses to play Groningen’s Stadspark in 2022

                  Guns N’ Roses to play Groningen’s Stadspark in 2022

                  The Grand Theatre on Grote Markt in Groningen launches ‘Theatre to go’

                  The Grand Theatre on Grote Markt in Groningen launches ‘Theatre to go’

                  Groningen most “cultural” province in the Netherlands

                  Groninger Museum to mark one year since Van Gogh theft with new campaign

                  Museum Belvédére in Heerenveen gets six giant Tony Cragg sculptures

                  Museum Belvédére in Heerenveen gets six giant Tony Cragg sculptures

                  Drents Museum introduces low-stimulus programme for sensitive visitors

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                  Groningen to relocate last remaining city beaver

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                    The freshest of threads: send in your designs and become the next sustainable fashion sensation

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                      RUG Campus Fryslân to start second Bachelor’s programme: ‘Data Science and Society’

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                      New online career event for Internationals: Meet Your Future in Energy to be held on April 22

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                      Digital Native? International? Looking for a job? Meet Your Future in Digital might be just for you!

                      Digital Native? International? Looking for a job? Meet Your Future in Digital might be just for you!

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                      Good things come in small packages: the impact of COVID-19 on local businesses

                      Good things come in small packages: the impact of COVID-19 on local businesses

                      The Northern Times by The Northern Times
                      October 2, 2020
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                      Friendly, local, and independent- but suffering hard

                      They add colour to city centres, provide that one thing that even you didn’t know you needed, and provide a huge boost to the local economy- but small independent shops have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic. In this new series, Matilda Siebrecht will take a look into how local businesses are facing the unfolding crisis.

                      By Matilda Siebrecht

                      Everyone has it – that moment of desperation as they realise that the one thing that they need isn’t in their house. ‘ Maybe it has been lost in a move, or perhaps it was leant to a friend who has since become only an acquaintance.

                      The important point is that it is not where it should be, which is in close proximity and ready to be used.. In general, this is not a problem for us as the purchaser. In the modern world there are many options available to us, both online and in-person. In normal times, we would likely pop out around the corner to that little shop that you know sells just what you are looking for.

                      Unfortunately, we are not living in normal times. For many months, physical shops were unavailable to us, and, even if they were open, were rarely visited as we hid behind our barricade of toilet paper.

                      Luckily for us, in a digital age, the world can be purchased through the click of a button from the safety of our sofa. Unfortunately for small businesses, there were usually only a few select, multi-national buttons that we clicked on, all of which have expanded and profited hugely over the last few months. Even when shops could open their doors again, the ease and cheap prices of these booming online businesses enticed us to stay at home. That little shop around the corner was left forgotten.

                      Supporting eachother

                      This is perhaps an overly dramatic portrayal of the plight of small businesses in Groningen during the time of Coronavirus, although it must be said that the restrictions and regulations made much more of an impact on them than on large online companies. “I think it hit hard,” says Nynke Kloosterman, owner of Diezijner (a women and children’s clothing store). “We were all in shock.”  However, one of the defining traits of our local small businesses is that they never give up. “Because we are small, we know each other personally in the street and city,” says Kloosterman. “We could think fast, help, and learn from each other, and work together in new creative ways.”

                      Small businesses are not standardised, and do not always have a marketing plan that runs years into the future, so they are more flexible and therefore more connected to the needs and wishes of their customers, that they often inevitably know well.

                      For some, this means that Coronavirus has had some positive effect of their business. “It was stormy for us at the beginning,” said Sandra Ronde-van der Laan, founder of de Streekboer (food delivery from local farms). “But then, people no longer wanted to go to the supermarket but needed a way to get their groceries, so we have benefited from it.”

                      Why does this matter, though? What makes small businesses so important? “We see our customers as people instead of consumers,” says Kloosterman. “And we have a unique assortment of products that can surprise you. It makes a city interesting, because small businesses are different everywhere.”

                      “Small local companies give the city colour and its own face,” added Corry Diertens, owner of De Soepwinkel (‘soup shop’). “The owner is often working there and can therefore talk in detail about the business and the products – the creativity is great and the service is personal.” This social connection and personal attention are a major advantage of small businesses over larger, colder companies.

                      Especially in times like these, where social interaction is limited and connections are becoming increasingly important, supporting local small businesses who can provide these things equates to supporting our community, and consequently our own selves.

                      So, when the sudden moment of desperation hits you and you can’t find that essential thing, resist the urge to return to that bookmarked page on your browser, and instead enjoy some search-time to find a local business that can provide that same thing. Over the next few weeks, I will be presenting some small features on a range of local businesses in the Groningen area, which can hopefully get you started in your search.

                      ‘Lutje Lokaal’

                      Additionally, the popular ‘Lutje Lokaal’ event – the Groningen version of ‘small business Saturday’ – which premiered last year will hopefully be running again in 2020. The format of this local business festival will be a little different this year (naturally). It will not be limited to one day, but is planned as a whole week of small businesses opening their doors and sharing their products, with shopping evenings by appointment and fun events with regulated groups of customers in organised timeslots.

                      Kloosterman, who was one of the main organisers last year along with colleagues from several other shops, hopes that it will be just as exciting as last year. “We want to show our customers how happy we are to have them,” she says, “and show the world why shopping local and at small businesses is fun!”

                      Keep an eye on this space for more information about the Lutje Lokaal event, and in the meantime, happy shopping!

                      Matilda Siebrecht is a writer and researcher living in Groningen.

                      Image via PickPik. License-free.

                      Tags: COVID-19Groningenindependent businesseslocal shopsretailshops
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                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

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