Updated As SOS Tools and Hardware prepares to say goodbye to Bitterne Park Triangle at the end of November October after around eight years, it has announced a new local delivery service instead. We spoke to owner Anil Sood to find out more.
• Gift shop coming to Triangle
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Speaking to bitternepark.info, owner Anil Sood, widely known as Neil, said the shop had “tried to hang on in there”.
You can hear Neil talking about running the shop and the new service using the audio player below.
No audio? Try this link
“But unfortunately footfall has diminished quite a lot, particularly for our age group which we cater to for our hardware,” he said.
Now he’s reinventing the service and naming it ‘SOS Hardware 2UR door’, with a delivery service within the Bitterne Park ward area and orders being taken online and by phone or text.
He said his time running the shop had been “terrifically happy” apart from eight weeks when there were road closures which affected trade.
He agreed he was also concerned about how the possibility of another lockdown might pan out for small traders.
The Manor Farm Road shop is set to be transformed into a pop up arts gift shop selling local work in the run up to Christmas: for more see our separate piece here...
'Good Looks Beauty' which operates from the back room at the shop and continues to be open on Fridays and Saturdays.
23/10/20 Corrected: closure date should have been at the end of October, not November
24/10/20 Updated with information about Good Looks Beauty