Case Study - Totness, South Devon

Question 1

What year did Costa try and open an outlet?

Answer 1

• 2012

Question 2

What happened within weeks of the proposal?

Answer 2

• Three-quarters of the town’s population had signed a petition saying that they support the independent high street.
• Saying that they will boycott any coffee shop chain.

Question 3

How did the opposition feel?

Answer 3

• They weren’t anti-capitalist, rather a community proud of its independently-owned outlets.
• And they didn’t want Totness becoming a clone town.

Question 4

How long did it take before Costa dropped the proposal?

Answer 4

• 8 Months

Question 5

What did Costa say after dropping the proposal?

Answer 5

• ‘That they recognized the strength of feeling in Totness against national brands and taken into account the specific circumstances of Totnes.’

Question 6

What did Totness introduce?

Answer 6

• They introduced a local currency

Question 7

What was the aim of the local currency?

Answer 7

• To encourage people to shop more locally, keeping money in the local economy, with the aim of less money leaking out of the local area into global financial systems.

Question 8

What other city introduced a local currency?

Answer 8

• Bristol introduced the Bristol pound in 2012.

Question 9

How successful was the Bristol pound?

Answer 9

• Very successful, that since 2015 residents were able to make council tax payments with it.

Question 10

When was the Totnes pound first introduced in Totnes?

Answer 10

• 2007 as a project of Transition Town Totnes.

- With the aim of bringing together local consumers, businesses, and suppliers who share a common interest.