The owner of Oasis on the outskirts of St Helens has received anonymous phone calls branding him ‘naive’ and ‘stupid’ for passing on a 15% discount to customers.
The Government has this month launched an initiative whereby all establishments selling food, hot drinks and soft drinks to eat-in only need to charge 5% VAT instead of the current 20%.
The scheme is at the discretion of each establishment and gives the option for businesses to gain an extra 15% profit, or pass the savings directly to the customer.
The team at Oasis have decided to pass the whole 15% on to customers enjoying a meal or drink in the on-site coffee shop. However, the decision has been met by some unexpected backlash.
Alan Southwell, owner of Oasis, says he has received phone calls from other business saying that he is ‘naive’ for not taking more profit and ‘stupid’ for bringing it to the attention of customers, who may not expect such discounts elsewhere.
Alan says:
“As with all businesses Oasis have suffered with loss of takings which have resulted in job losses, but we decided that we wanted to give something back to our regular customers and perhaps gain new ones”.
The cut to VAT for eligible industries will last until 12th January 2021.
We were looking for somewhere we could get a drink. We found somewhere, it is an ‘Oasis’. Thank you Alan, we will continue to visit.
Good on you sir glad to see not everyone is greedy.ifor one will be making my way to you for coffee and show my support.
Well done to the owners of Oasis for passing on the discounts to customers. That’s how to attract more customers now and in the future. Thumbs down to the other businesses for criticising Oasis. Hope Oasis do well and take customers away from the greedy businesses that chastised them. Let’s hope many more outlets pass on the discounts when the government has allowed a 5% vat charge for a period of time.
Well done for passing this offer onto customers. I don’t see the big companies offering this at all, Wightlink and Red Funnel should but don’t, unless someone knows different.
Ferry travel is not vatable unless its a freight vehicle.
I think the comment was in regard to onboard food and drink sales!
but probably food onboard is or is it not being served anyway – haven’t been on a ferry for ages – !!
Exactly… especially when they were given millions during lockdown, from the government
Red jet has reduced prices by 30%…
Typical of the greedy ferry companies
Rip off at the best of time
Well done i have been to several establishments on the island where they are keeping the money .
Just shows the difference between family businesses and the greed of the large businesses..
Absolutely agree with you. Not everybody reads the Isle of Wight Echo site. So I for one will pass on this to all that I know and bump into. Hope a lot more do the same. Good luck for Oasis for their future . Refreshing to read the owners reply.
Well that backfired on the people that call them didn’t it! Now the whole island know where to go for a sensibly priced cuppa and snack.
Perhaps that should have been the strategy of other businesses, to pass on the savings and advertise it well. Linked with the government offering to pay some of the eating out bill, that could be a real winner for increased trade, profits and recovery!
Sounds like a winner for everyone!….. except the ones calling and complaining of course.
The establishment will make more if they pass on the savings to the customer as it will bring more in on the three light days of the week. I thought that was the idea behind the scheme. I wouldn’t go to an establishment on these days but I would to get the discount.
Interestingly Old Smithy, Spyglass, Garlic Farm and Honor and Jeffrey all say they are are
going to pocket the money. Their interpretation is the vat cut is for the business.
If you read the government version the reduction is a bid to get customers back into the
establishments. Well done Oasis and Marks and Spencer’s who have reduced the Vat.
I am not surprised by any of those not passing on the reduction. They are all greedy and over rated.
Garlic farm does not surprise me one iota, complete rip off anyway £3 for the smallest sliver of cake they could manage to cut and £2.80 for a miniscule cappucino, no thanks plenty more establishments on the island more deserving
Would rather go to Oasis over some other places. Nice shop and cafe with friendly staff.
This is what the government wanted business to do. You are a honest man.
No, the 50% discount coming in during August is to persuade nervous customers to eat in. The VAT reduction is to help those who are struggling to survive. “These changes are being brought in as an urgent response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to support businesses severely affected by forced closures and social distancing measures.” http://www.gov.uk
Typical IOW mentality. Rip off as many customers as you can. Well done Oasis. Hope you take all their custom.
Obviously Oasis is the place to go. They are honest and care about their customers. Oasis should name and shame those that have called him/them stupid etc so as we all know where NOT to visit.
Love oasis been going there for yrs lovely customer service and food ect good to hear your doing well see you soin
Well done Oasis you are obviously customer focused something that many Island businesses are lacking. You will no doubt have an increase in trade.The greedy businesses that have decided to pocket the money will be the ones who will lose custom which in the challenging economic climate is short sighted. It is better to have a full cafe/shop with money changing hands constantly for a small profit than an empty one.
This article has just advertised his prices are 15% cheaper than his competitors very smart
Who is having the last laugh.(Alan Southwell)
Typical Island business mentality. Rip people off, give poor service and bad food then get the poison pens out when a real business shows them how to do it. This place will never progress with the mentality of its xenophobic inhabitants.
Well done to oasis best shop and cafe on the I.o.w we never miss a visit when we come to see our grandchildren.
Well done Alan for not being a tight arse and doing what the Government intended and giving relief to the people who need it. Hope you are as busy as hell now!!!
Pauline
Anonymous phone calls or he found a free way to advertise by saying he received the calls?
Are you one of the whinging businesses or related to one of them.? If you’re not then are you happy that the 15% is not being passed on. Knowing Alan I would believe him but then again you have the absolute right to your opinion. God bless businesses like Oasis.
Zoltan Chivay from the other paper lol
No I’m in no way connected to a business. Seems very unlikely anyone would bother making anonymous calls on something like this, but I assume he has passed the matter to the police, or has he just gone straight to newspapers with this? It certainly doesn’t seem like news to me, more like free publicity
I didn’t see your comment until after I had posted mine – but I agree with you 100% (cynic that I am) 🙂
What an honourable thing to do. WELL DONE ALAN. I’m guessing the reason other people have branded you stupid is simply because you show them up for what they are, profiteers.
It’s good to see someone who is putting their customers first. You are showing the other retailers how to build a loyal customer base.
Perhaps you should name and shame those who are profiteering so we can avoid them
That’s selfish, jealous island businesses for you! Good on oasis for not ripping people off. No wonder a lot of people buy online now from the mainland. I’ve been quoted £500 less for a shed from the mainland, which proves island shops are a rip off!
Brenda
I do agree everybody should share, but it is just worth noting that not everything is vatable e.g a lot of foods,and smaller businesses may not reach the VAT threshold, so may not have anything to pass on.
Good to see that someone cares about their customers unlike all the other money grabbing fast food outlets and rip off cafes i know where I shall be heading for food
This guy is far from stupid, he is using government support to provide customers with a reason to shop, he may loose 15% on a product but I can guarantee that customers will not be leaving the shop with just one as the prices seem to good to be true well done
Effectively Miles they are not loosing 15% anyway that was previously for the VAT man … so they quits! All good well done Oasis 🙂
So much negativity in the world now!!Alan you are an inspiration in this world of greed!!
Well done you.just look at the reviews your getting.who are the naive & stupid ones now???? Can’t wait to pop in and see you all.x
Myself and my partner are coming to the Isle of Wight on Friday and we always visit Oasis. This year because of their honesty we will stop to eat in their cafe.
Well done oasis for giving to the public in such a tough time
Good for you, makes a change for the customers to benefit. We will be using you .
Don’t forget a lot of small businesses trade under the vat threshold so do not have any discount to pass onTo their customers.
Nice thing for a small business to do, not like Tim brexit Wetherspoons who sacked all his staff on lockdown, until he got pulled up on it, got 50million quid from boris to shore up his empire, and has now slashed the price of his pints to draw people in, so he couldnt have needed that 50 million.
As an update on my earlier comment other businesses not giving the money back
are The fighting Cocks,Woods in Godshill and the The chequers in Rookley. They are basically
saying to the customer get stuffed.
Nice to think not everyone is just thinking of themselves…..well done oasis….great shop and staff….
Re comment from Magnum funny how he mentions same thing twice seems like he has an axe to grind!!
No axe to grind just stating an opinion, it’s a pr stunt nothing more, get 15% off well overpriced food and drink then leave the cafe and buy full price, the man is truly a hero but seriously he is very ingenious for getting people talking about it
Nice of you to praise Oasis and the owner Alan as ingenious. Praise indeed as ingenious is Latin for Inborn talent. As well as original,creative and inventive. I would just say what a great guy and wish the business Oasis good times for now and the future.
Thank you oasis
What an amazing free advert for Oasis! Definitely not stupid – he has just saved an absolute fortune and tricked the unwary into making a visit – very clever. By the way who contacted who? Did islandecho rock up on the offhance that Mr Sothwell has been getting anonymous calls or did he contact them? Asking for a friend…