To Jan’s regret, there is no successor. It was intended that the business would pass to his daughter, but the competition from the national drugstore chains is simply too great to remain profitable with the small village shop.
“It’s no different, you just can’t compete with the 1+1 free promotions. Moreover, you can already buy a lot of our stuff at the supermarket,” says Jan.
He thinks it is a pity, especially for the customers, that the Alldro has to close. Over the years, the village shop has grown into a social meeting place. Jan: “Just a cup of coffee, a chat, the latest gossip or an arm around the shoulder. I think people who came here regularly will miss that.”
Jan himself has been looking forward to his retirement for several years now. “It’s been more than 19 years since we last went on holiday. In any case, I want to go to Brabant more often, a grandson lives there. Stay in a hotel and then pick him up from school,” laughs Jan.
For those who get really homesick, you can still go to the Alldro in Tynaarlo. Owner Monique Edens started as a shop assistant for the Efdee family at the age of 17 and is now her own boss. “Wijmie and Jan wanted to devote themselves completely to the store in Annen. Then I asked if I could take over the store here. And I succeeded,” says Edens.
Her village shop is keeping its head above water, but Edens emphasizes that her fellow villagers play an important role in this. “If you want to keep a shop like this going, you just need customers. They provide turnover and you can continue with that turnover. If no more people come, then that will be the end of the village shop.”
With the help of crowdfunding by a fellow villager, money was raised to renovate the store and bring it more up to date. Edens probably couldn’t have done that without help. “That way you see how important it is to help each other in a village.”