A South Belfast greengrocer has spoken of his love for the area as he marks 25 years of trading.
Michael Goggin is the owner of Michel's Fresh Fruit and Veg which originally operated on Sunnyside Street, but moved into a bigger unit along the main Ormeau Road 25 years ago, marking a gamechanger for the business.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Michael opened up on working along the road over the years, changes that he has witnessed, and what he loves about the area all these years on.
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"I was in Sunnyside Street before here, but wanted more of a front facing business. This site needed a lot of work done, but the fact I already had a shop meant I knew the dimensions and dynamics the place needed. Most of the customers I would have had in Sunnyside Street would have come up with me when I moved here which was good to see," he explained.
"One funny thing we started noticing after we opened was there were people who weren't customers and would be anything from people going to work or taking their kids to school. They would come in through the door, and look towards our till, and check themselves in the big mirror behind us. It was just so funny - it's one of those things I remember well from our early days."
Michael said over the years, businesses have moved from the Ormeau Road, and he said he would like to see a bigger variety of shops open up again.
He said: "There's a lot of businesses missing out big time not opening up on the road. You just have to look at how many houses there are in this area, how many people living along here.
"On the road we used to have clothes shops, hardware shops, a paint shop, a few bakeries. The road misses that, you need a variety of businesses in the area to give it a certain dynamic.
"We're kind of the last section of the road which has a decent shopping section. You have the Mace, chemist, butchers, barbers, the wine shop, we're the only section really giving a shopping experience. It's interesting to see the differences over the years, as the dynamics have changed."
Looking back over his 25 years of service to the area, Michael said he's proud that his small business has been able to endure.
"I joke with people that it took me 20 odd years to get rid of the competition, but it's sad to see that it's more or less a sign of the times we're the last fruit and veg shop open on the road," he said.
"People ask how I manage with supermarkets and so on, but I just do my own thing, I have my own approach and give the business a bit of individuality.
"Most of the things we sell, we sell them single so people can buy in smaller quantities. I think people got fed up with packaging and having to buy say a big pack of fruit or veg.
"We can discuss with people where the produce comes from too, I can show you a line roughly from where it's being produced to where you're as a customer buying that. You're not going to get that in a supermarket.
"Since covid, people have appreciated smaller businesses more, as during the pandemic people were maybe choosing to shop in small businesses instead of going to the supermarket."
As for his enduring love of the Ormeau area, Michael said it's a very special place he's grateful to work in, and that he's thankful for the support of his customers over the years.
He said: "I like the fact that on the Ormeau Road, people talk to each other, you get a real cosmopolitan mix of people and the people here are very friendly. I have customers who are from all over the world.
"A lot of them, such as customers from Africa and the Middle East, would be used to shopping in markets and picking items individually so they enjoy shopping here. The road is a very special place."
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