Saving Britain’s culture

You know it’s the end of Summer when your friend orders a Pumpkin Spice latte instead of the usual Caramel Frappucino. You also know that the monopoly of Starbucks has become overwhelming when you understand precisely what drink I’m referring to, love the brand, hate it, or have allergies. With nearly 24,000 cafes in over 70 countries, it is the epitome of a multinational corporation. And despite my impartiality for the Pumpkin Spice latte in question, I hate it. The way my eyes light up when I see the green beacon from afar, the sense of comfort it lends me, because the worst thing is, I am not alone in this feeling.

Everyday, people will eagerly slip into their habits: return to the familiar countertop, buy the soothing beverage, even if it’s in an unfamiliar town. That local coffee shop is disregarded, despite the slightly battered wooden chairs and friendly chalk board signs in the window. But thankfully the uncomfortable, sad presence of the family-run cafe, with the lingering smell of cookies and hopeful smiles of the staff, won’t bother anyone anymore. It’s closed down, not only intimidated by the massive chain looming over them next door, but also starved financially, through the diversion of all their customers elsewhere. Now, companies don’t owe it to the smaller businesses to keep them running, but we do. We can choose to pump more money into huge industries, or support the smaller ones by dropping by and trying out their services. MacDonald’s makes over $75.18 million dollars a day. I’m sure if, a couple times a week, you buy your sandwich from somewhere else it won’t bust your heart…or gut. At least we could try and stop the stand alone companies from closing down all over the country. Monocle, a rival magazine, rated the best cities to live in the world by how many independent bookstores they had, and how many Starbucks. Unsurprisingly, the higher up the list you got, the more there was of the former, and the less of the latter. (Berlin, the second-best city in the world, has 222 independent bookshops and only 23 Starbucks.)

Actually, I am bored of globalization. It may sound petulant, but the glamour of being faced with the same string of brands internationally is starting to fade away. Rapidly. Over the Summer I went to Singapore, excited to indulge in an alien culture and bring home unique clothes that can serve as souvenirs and a way to stand out among the cluster of Topshop jumpers. Even with my resident friend, we struggled to find any unusual shops on the street, and so we resorted to a shopping mall. I was faced with the same clothing rails that were also 10 miles away from my home, on the other side of the world, in England. The monotony of chains: I travel halfway across the world and yet I still can’t escape the pout of the models starring in Zara’s new campaign, the generic Ripcurl waves or Nike tick.

Call this a first-world problem, but it seems that multiple countries across the world are morphing into the same mould of outlets. If we don’t reign in these brands’ growth, and make room for new ones, then we may be asking ourselves agonizing questions: Is there any point visiting New York, if all the streets look identical to London, save for the tinged Statue in the distance, and tangy accent in the air?

I fear that countries are losing their culture, family run coffee shops are dying and that if something doesn’t change in our attitude towards chains soon, then there will be no other alternative. Now excuse me, I’m aching for a drink, and if I run, I may catch Tarrant Espresso before they close. If not for today, then forever.

#BREXIT #GlobalizedIssues