Just asking, as many people like them but not sure how many use, support, & buy from them.
I’m asking this question after a few seem to have gone from our merry gang & I don’t want to see anymore good businesses leaving us 
I have to admit Sainsbury’s in Bell Green is where I do most of my weekly grocery and fresh food shopping (ample parking, car essential for bulky items). And in the evenings I pop into Sainsbury Local … sheer convenience (location, opening hours, everything in one place)
I did, however, buy a load of Red Snapper from @WatersSE23 the other day, which was excellent. And I’m regularly in @StDavid, @HopscotchCafeBar and @TheArchieParker. Also, Rob’s is great for gents hairdressing and On The Hoof serves great coffee in the morning for my commute.
@anon5422159 can you create a poll please 
What would you like the options to be? BTW, anyone can create a poll. Click the little cog in the editor window, then "Build Poll. "
Things to remember:
For this particular topic, rather than a poll, it might be worth posing the open-ended question: “what factors lead you to shop in chains rather than local independent businesses?”
Cool I’ll have a look now & email you if it’s above my head Chris xx
Okay
What local shops would you use.?
Why would you use then?
What shops would you like added?
What shops would you love in FH?
Maybe just the last one as a question 
I don’t think so, maybe just add a poll to ask what peeps want xx
There is a thread about what shops FH needs already.
The rest of the things are questions, not something you can “vote” on in a poll.
Just seems more of a questionnaire, which could maybe be answered in the same way chain questionnaires are answered on FB etc.
Post questions, complete with your answers below so to speak.
I’m not sure a poll will garner any useful information that we don’t already have on the ‘what does FH need’ thread.
It might be more interesting to ask why the businesses that closed didn’t make it. Was there no demand for the product they were selling? Were they in the wrong place on Dartmouth Road, neither FH nor Kirkdale? I’ll admit to not being particularly aware of either of them.
In answer to the question which local businesses I use regularly (apart from cafes):
Bunka
The Butchery
Geddes (all the family now go there apart from me)
The interesting one of those is Bunka as spend in there is arguably always discretionary (whereas we always need meat and haircuts). I go there because they sell a good variety of stuff so I’ll pop in if I want something to wear or if I want to buy a gift, fairly sure I’ll get something to meet my needs. I rarely leave without buying something, quite often not the thing I intended to get! They have a great location too, which I’m sure helps.
I’m with you there RachelDunlop - Bunka is massive for Forest Hill. They, together with Stag & Bow, have done a stunning job for this town for many, many years.
I’m also uncomfortable with this thread as it stands.
For me, it’s - what needs to change on Dartmouth Road for people to actually want to venture beyond the aforementioned gems?
Yes, I know there are a few good-uns but there’s too much of a nothingness in between so it feels too bitty and we need a few more to come in to join up the gaps.
Will the Dartmouth Road Improvements Scheme (or whatever it’s called) help? I hope so. I hope it might give it a bit of an initial boost, which might attract 3 or 4 good new businesses to jump in at the same time and that could be the catalyst.
The other thing is that I believe the town’s stakeholders need to all get their heads together to come up with a plan and a strategy. So it might be to ‘contrive’ the end result that many of us would like to see for the town, rather than hoping that it will happen organically.
As much as I know local businesses are loved, and chains are opposed strongly. But maybe, just maybe it needs something that everyone knows along the road a little, to increase the footfall and curiosity.
In this day and age it is not too common for people to just randomly go exploring for new and exciting shops. Everyone is just simply too busy.
If however a business interests you, you may notice the next 5-6 businesses further up the road.
Local and independent, as lovely as it is, isn’t always the answer.
I must admit I don’t use them much aside from Cafes/Pubs.
I am pretty much at work Mon-Fri, usually rammed at the weekend too and I hate shopping!
I do use Shannon’s for allotment related stuff, Prowd Sow for meat, Water’s for a bit of fish and veg and Finches for bike stuff. Sylvan Post, the Chandos, Babur, Honor Oak (maybe), Blythe Hill Tavern and a few other get my hard earned penny when I venture out for a pint.
I should give up proper work and start doing something local/part time!