'Lucky break' saves Sheffield optician from Brexit ruin
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Karl Hallam, boss of EYEYE on Devonshire Street, says since January orders from Europe have been hit by extra costs and long delays.
They would have sunk the business but for a stroke of good fortune. He was able to use a break clause on his lease – after five years in the shop - and is moving to premises that are 80 per cent cheaper to run.
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Hide AdHis story emerged on the day new figures showed in January imports from Europe were 28.8 per cent down and exports to Europe were 40.7 per cent down.
A post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal came into effect at the beginning of the year. The Star has reported on a string of firms that face ruin or have moved operations to the continent.
Karl, who employs four, says a January order from the Netherlands still hasn’t arrived despite him paying a handling fee three times. A courier, the supplier and a port agency are ‘shouting at each other’ about it while the order is lost in ‘either Calais or Dover’.
Another time a UPS courier arrived at the premises with an order from Italy and demanded 56 euros to cover duty. Karl refused, but by the time he had paid online three weeks had passed and the customer had gone elsewhere.
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Hide AdA large order from Italy is in transit - the suppliers say it has definitely been sent - but no one is sure where it is. And another supplier who used to deliver weekly is now delivering big batches monthly, undermining EYEYE’s ability to offer unique frames.
Karl says 95 per cent of his frames are from Europe and they would arrive in two days. But now he is losing custom because of the delays.
And if it wasn’t for the break clause allowing him to get out without penalty he would have gone bust.
Now he is moving to Harland Works on John Street where rent and rates are vastly cheaper.
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Hide AdHe said: “I think Brexit was misrepresented. I don’t think anyone voted to make trading more difficult and more expensive.