Newsagents have been a staple on Carlisle’s streets for decades and have long been pillars of their respective communities.

The tradition of popping down to your local corner shop to pick up a newspaper and confectionary has endured the test of time

With concerns over the High Street, popularity of online shopping and the rise in cost-of-living - challenges faced by independent newsagents have rarely been greater.

Linda Ruddick has owned ‘Ruddicks Newsagents’ on Wood Street in Carlisle for over 15 years and has worked there for over 30 years and said things had changed since she started working there as shopping trends have changed. 

As Ruddicks stayed open through all the COVID lockdowns, her shop provided a ‘lifeline’ to the local community, particularly the elderly and helped to keep the shop running.

Ian Livingstone who has owned ‘G. & I. Livingstone’ newsagents on Blackwell Road in Carlisle for 30 years said that the lockdowns saw ‘good business’ in his shop and that despite not keeping all his local customers, numbers ‘have not gone back to (lower) pre-pandemic levels.’

Ian also said that newsagents have a key role in their local area, ‘having a friendly face plays a big part’ in his local community.

Now we’re through the worst of the pandemic - Carlisle newsagents have had to face the next crisis, the rise in the cost-of-living.

‘’It’s just one thing after another but we’ll keep on going!’’ said owner of Stanwix News Andrew Dunning.

‘’Prices have gone up six times on essentials like milk and eggs and there’s been a complete inability to get certain items.’’

But despite the uncertain future Andrew thinks there’ll always be a place for the humble local newsagent.

He said that the ‘’low spends’’ associated with newsagents and the opportunity to ‘’touch base with someone turns the shop into a little hub for the community’’ where people can meet, catch up on life and local gossip. 

 

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