In St John’s, Worcester, Alan’s Fishing Tackle is bracing for a challenge as Angling Direct have plans to open a branch down the road. Angling Direct has over 50 stores in the UK and provides a range of fishing gear. Alan’s Fishing Tackle, however, is independently run by David Beresford and his 77-year-old mother. The store opened in 1972 and has been a cornerstone for the angling community, but with the times changing so rapidly, does this mean that the days of independent fishing stores are over?
The rise of interest in fishing is bolstering retail
The general interest that people have in fishing is increasing as time goes on. Tech has a huge part to play here, as drones and GPS systems can be used to navigate the best fishing spots, helping experienced anglers to make better decisions. Media is also bringing new people into the fold, with shows like Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing being very popular amongst UK viewers.
Games like Fishing Clash: Sports Simulator and Fishin Frenzy are also soaring in popularity. The latter has even spawned several successful sequels, including Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, Fishin’ Frenzy Scratchcard, and Fishin’ Frenzy Jackpot King. With classic icons that range from seagulls to fishing boats and different species of fish, games like this are helping to showcase the allure of fishing but in a fun and unique format. Releases like this help to increase general awareness of fishing, which is having a knock-on impact on sales for tackle stores across the UK.
Source: Pexels
Are smaller tackle shops losing out to larger franchises?
With fishing becoming so popular, and with the UK being home to so many fishing spots, that raises the question. Are local stores dying out in favour of big franchises? Not necessarily.
Alan’s Fishing Tackle once sold 800 gallons of maggots a week, but in recent years, that number has dropped to just 20 gallons. Even with this drop in sales, the shop has thrived on customer loyalty. The shop doesn’t offer online sales, like Angling Direct, but do offer other services including rod repairs. If big franchises do start to overtake local fishing establishments in the UK, this would present a significant number of challenges, but one important factor that could well ensure the longevity of local fishing retailers is specialised knowledge.
Local shops often have deep insights into the local fishing spots, what can be found there, the times to fish, and what bait is best. Larger chains simply cannot replicate this experience, showing that local fishing retailers might still have the edge, even in a chain-dominated market.
Even through the example of Angling Direct and Alan’s Fishing Tackle, with the two stores possibly being just down the road from each other, both establishments still have room to thrive. Both local stores and big-ticket retailers have their strengths, and with fishing growing in popularity again, it might be that there is room in the market for both commercial retailers and local stores, especially given the fact that both offer a unique approach to customer service.
