Cost of living: 'We've become almost a luxury shop'
Adrienne Alher and Okan Aslan have spent almost 11 years growing their east London business. But it's more than that for them. Their vision was to create a shop that was sustainable and green, selling products sourced from suppliers who paid their staff a decent wage, and offering organic produce that didn't need packaging. Customers bring their own jars and bags and can stock up on everything from pasta and porridge to peanut butter and detergent. Stone Mini Market, in Leytonstone, grew from a small off-licence with a few refill stations to four times its original size as the demand for a greener way of shopping grew. But the owners say that, almost overnight, everything changed. Rising inflation among other global factors had a big effect on this small business. "We became almost a luxury shop," Ms Alher said. "The organic food became too expensive for 70% of our customers." Not all of the products Stone Mini Market sells are more expensive than you'd find in a supermarket, but suppliers' prices shot up with inflation, as did energy bills, by about 30%. The couple say sales are down by 60% and if the trend continues into the summer, they will have to close. Adrienne says theirs is one of the last shops of its kind left in the area. She added: "We know of at least seven shops that have had to close." Organic food has a shorter shelf life than other food so if they don't sell it quickly, it is wasted. "If there's no demand for what we do, then we are not proving we are sustainable and we have to stop," Adrienne says. She explains that customers are still coming in, but are buying less. "Organic food became more expensive, and people are buying more of the cheaper, unethical food because of having no choice. "People are choosing to buy from bigger, cheaper companies than smaller shops like ours where we had to put the prices up." She says she understands this and doesn't blame her customers. "We all have to make choices," she adds. Last year, environmental organisation City to Sea commissioned a survey which suggested that 50% of people are doing less to reduce the use of single-use plastic than they were six months ago, as a result of increases in household bills. Steve Hynd, the policy manager at City to Sea, says people do still want to make changes for the sake of the planet. "Plastic pollution is still a major issue for consumers," he says. "They're trying to do the right thing; they're trying to make eco-choices." But, he says, the cost of living is making it very difficult to do that as budgeting is the main priority. "They're having to downgrade essentially how they shop and where they shop, and this often means going to supermarkets and buying products that are covered in plastic." The cost of living is now a bigger concern than climate change for many people, according to the Office for National Statistics . Its research found that cost "is one of the largest barriers people face when making changes to help tackle climate change". The "eco-friendly" delivery service Milk and More says it believes people will still try to be green, if it's also convenient. The business uses a fleet of electric vehicles to deliver produce in refillable containers to its 300,000 UK customers. It says it has also seen customers make different choices because of inflation. CEO Patrick Muller said: "We saw a certain route from organic to basic products, so if people usually buy organic milk, now they're buying standard milk. These are the kind of moves we're seeing." He says the company was "cautious" about passing on rising costs to the customer and "wanted the smallest amount of price increase as possible". Back at the mini-market, Adrienne and Okan have had to be resourceful to keeping their business open - at least for now. It's currently being run as a community interest company, hosting sewing classes and other events. Adrienne says she hopes this will help them stay open, adding that they're grateful for the "good community support" they've been getting in Leytonstone. "We're betting everything on it," she says. Follow BBC London on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk Warning prices to be higher for longer as rates rise Why is UK inflation so high? 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