An economy that's on the mend

As austerity forces people to rethink the disposable culture, they are turning back to cobblers, tailors and other repair businesses, writes CLAIRE O'MAHONY

ONE OF the more positive theories about recession is that it helps foster creativity. We create instead of consume. As we’re often reminded, industrial giants like Microsoft and Disney started small and in recessionary times. It remains to be seen what big business ideas will emerge out of this downturn. On a smaller scale, we’ve witnessed a revival in pursuits such as upcycling furniture, dress-making and home-baking.

This new resourcefulness also applies to making money stretch further – we shop around for better deals and we’ve embraced couponing. And if people aren’t quite at the stage of creating things from scratch, they’re looking at ways to extend the lives of much-loved items or to repair broken ones, instead of replacing them straight away as before.

This particular aspect of frugality – which would have been second nature to previous generations – is seeing something of revival, as people are reluctant to shop or simply do not have the money to spend. It’s not good news for retailers, who will face difficulties over the next two years because of lower footfall, negative consumer sentiment and the impact of the internet, according to Damian O’Reilly, lecturer in retail management at DIT Aungier Street. “People are putting off those big box items and saying ‘We don’t need it now, it will do next year’,” he says. “They’re afraid of not having a job next year, of mortgage repayments going up and a tough Budget, especially when a lot of those purchases are typically bought on credit. They don’t have that €6,000 in their pockets.”

He also points out that while there is a movement towards thrift and looking for better value because many things, such as electrical items, are inexpensive to replace, the growth in people looking to get items repaired doesn’t represent a notable part of the sector. “There definitely is a resurgence in that area, but it’s a smaller, peripheral part of the retail industry altogether.”

Annette O’Meara, editor of money-conscious magazine Prudence, says she continues to see a younger demographic of readers embrace the make-and-mend mentality all the time.

“When our magazine first came out, in the middle of the boom years, everybody laughed, but now everyone is actively trying to be thrifty,” she says. “Getting shoes heeled and soled is, of course, cheaper than buying a new pair, and people are taking a coat that they’re tired of – or maybe can’t afford to buy a new one – but they’re changing the buttons or a key feature and making it look entirely different.”

As a general rule, when cobblers are busy it means people are trying to cut back any way they can, says John Miley of Curran Shoe Repairs on Baggotrath Place in Dublin 2. He is seeing customers getting shoes repaired who have worn them right down. “A couple of weeks ago, I had to take out children’s lasts , which I haven’t used here in many years. Back-to-school shoes, Communion shoes and toddler shoes are now being repaired,” he says

But even if people are trying to salvage shoes they might have previously binned, his business, which is located just off Baggot Street, has felt the effects of the downturn, as many people working in the area have lost their jobs and he can no longer rely on the same footfall.

Just over a year ago he started charging for repairs in advance, after being left with nearly €3,000 of uncollected stock the previous year by people who were no longer working in the area or who didn’t have the cash to pay for them.

The “luxury” trade has lessened also. He now gets only one or two pairs of Christian Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks a week in for repair. “Now it’s because people need them fixed. It isn’t for show or going out with the girls. It’s because the shoes are getting wet going to and from work,” he says.

The trend over the past few years may have been towards disposable fashion, but clothes alteration shops are now welcoming customers who want to breathe new life into their old garments. Why shell out for a new Christmas party dress when some professional restyling could turn it in to something new and fabulous? Kyran Byrne of Des Byrne Tailoring, on Dublin’s Grafton Street, says that more than anything else, people are coming in to see how their clothes can be revamped. “They’re taking out shoulder pads, narrowing shoulders and shortening coats to jacket lengths. With dresses, they’re replacing zips where they wouldn’t have bothered before.”

Shopping online has also brought new custom to the shop – not being able to try before you buy combined with the common confusion between American and European sizes sees lots of people coming into Des Byrne’s to get their shopping errors fixed.

OF COURSE, IN some cases, it does not make financial sense to try to get an item fixed, and the cheap prices of many electrical goods sees to this. When Argos sells four different kettles for less than €10, the obvious solution is to buy a new replacement if yours breaks. But when it comes to major household appliances such as fridges, washing machines and cookers, it’s about seeing what can be done with it before purchasing a new one.

This has always been the case, but Paschal Brown of Irish Appliance Repairs has noticed that customers are keen to establish the price and feasibility of getting a machine fixed over the phone before getting an engineer out to the house. They also want to get the best possible value out of one call-out. “I’ve had a lot of calls recently where they ring me because the washing machine is down and the oven or dishwasher is as well. The oven might have been broken for months, but they wouldn’t have the money to get it fixed, so they’re waiting for two appliances to go down so they can get the engineer out to fix both.”

But whether you go the repair route or not, think before you dispose, is the plea from Irish charities. “It doesn’t matter if you think it’s not suitable, it’s still recyclable,” says Edwina Brady of Age Action. “An elderly person might be able to start a computer course for the €5 you’d get selling a bag of clothes on clearout.ie.”

Meanwhile, at Oxfam Ireland chief executive Jim Clarken says “donations to shops have reduced significantly over the past two years.

“I would encourage people to rummage through their wardrobes and homes and donate any unwanted items to their local Oxfam shop.”

The key question To repair or not repair?

1 Know your limitations Kyran Byrne of Des Byrne Tailoring sees many customers who have tried and failed to mend something themselves before admitting defeat and getting professional help.

2 Don’t ‘trade up’ for the sake of it Just because a new model of your phone is available, it doesn’t make your current one redundant.

3 Weigh up the costs Will the repairs cost more than what you paid for the item?

4 Call in the computer experts According to Carl O’Brien of computer repair company Compufix, the majority of PC problems are repairable. Bringing a PC back to its factory state, which costs about €55, will generally improve problems with speed.

5 Prevention is better than cure Basic care such as waterproofing your shoes and storing clothes properly will increase their shelf life.