A TOY shop which has stood in Westcliff for nearly 80 years has faced "one of the toughest" years as bosses plead with residents to support independent business this Christmas.

Argosy Toys, which opened back in 1947, has successfully fought against the tide of online shopping and big name retailers, but juggling rising costs is proving harder than ever.

Paul Wohl, 52, from Leigh, co-owner of the store, added it has been difficult juggling operating costs and the prices of stock, and credited his customers for keeping them going.

He urged residents to shop local ahead of Christmas, which he called one of the busiest and most important times of the year for independent businesses.

He said: “For any small retailer this year, all costs of running a business have risen and turnover has dropped, creating a sort of perfect storm.

“There’s been a lot of things this year that we can’t stock due to the prices moving too far, you can’t just blindly put up with all the price rises.

“There is less coming in and more going out, but that’s the same for all shops I believe, other than the big chains.

“Small businesses are the community, what’s left of the community is held together by small businesses, the libraries, the Women’s Institute. That’s the community.

“Customers are the only important thing, your stock is second. The businesses you use will be the ones that continue, we’ve seen lots and lots of shops close in the last ten years, a crazy amount of shops have closed.

“Customers should shop local this Christmas, not just with me, but every independent shop they know. To a lot of small shops, it could make all the difference.”

He added Argosy does not suffer as much as other shops in the area due to owning their building and fears extra costs such as increasing rent, rates, and a National Insurance increase could really hit businesses.

Paul added the shop works hard to keep prices where people will still “buy things,” but added costs have risen due to increasing electricity and stock prices.

He conceded shopping online is cheaper, but added the local shops are the lifeblood of the community.

He praised his customers who like to “come somewhere independent” for their support over the past year and added 95 per cent of the store’s income comes from in-store shoppers.