Comments on: Dhanji Patel, Men’s Outfitter

By: John White

John White — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:54:02 +0000

As a loyal customer of many years, I would like to stay in touch with Dhanji. Have you his current contact details, please?

Stay safe stay well.

John

By: Bailey Jones

Bailey Jones — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 15:02:42 +0000

This really is a sad tale. Sicilian Avenue is (was?) a wonderful part of the West End. Mr Patel’s shop sounds great, a real testament to his skills as a shopkeeper and business person. Don’t you just hate what the billionaires are doing to London? (A truly rhetorical in your case, GA).

The irony of the developer’s ‘upgrade’ is that no one really gives a fig for ‘high end shops’ anymore. Hogarth will be turning in his grave.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of a drink and conversation with a curator from the Whitechapel Gallery who said he felt London was ‘Eating itself’. Maybe someone should eat the billionaire property developers?

By: Cynthia McNair

Cynthia McNair — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 21:46:21 +0000

So many comments here that I agree with. Corporate facelessness is a blight of society and the soul sucking chains are just as bad. I cannot understand why they want to take the life and soul of an area and make it bland.

I wish Mr Patel all the best and wish I had known about his shop when I lived in London .

By: Maev Kennedy

Maev Kennedy — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 13:04:52 +0000

For 30 years I have been buying gifts for the men in my family from this delightful small gentleman in his enchanting small shop, and my son has been a customer since he was a teenager – and treated with as much courtesy as if he were a bank manager. Dhanji’s shy smile for every passerby lights up the greyest day, and the fate of his shop is an example of the corporate greed which is sucking variety and interests out of our streets

By: Ann V

Ann V — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 17:38:09 +0000

Corporate greed once again! I sincerely hope that Mr Patel can continue to trade, and no doubt there are people who will help him. This has made me realise once again that we must use our small local independent businesses, as long as we still have them.

By: Claire D

Claire D — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:02:24 +0000

I am so sorry to hear that your shop must close Mr Patel, I hope that your landlords behave with decency and give you a bit more time to sell your stock.
Best wishes to you for the future.

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:03:05 +0000

“The end of an era” is a trite phrase — and yet it seems to be just the right phrase here.
Somehow/somewhere we lost our appreciation for “small”. Insidious advertising has convinced us that bigger is better. Any brand that is omni-present must……surely…….be
better? Alas. No.
As we navigate our lives and make choices, let’s recommit to support our local businesses and the intrepid people who put so much individuality into these efforts. The independent book seller. The local coffee stand. The car mechanic. Etc, etc.
I am so impressed with Mr. Patel, and salute him for his accomplishments — and inspiring
attitude. And thank you, GA, for always shining a light.

By: Jared

Jared — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:43:25 +0000

A wonderful article and a terrible shame that Mr Patel is being obliged to give up his shop. It seems like it has been such a labour of love.
Be wary of ecommerce companies that will charge an arm and a leg to set up a shop though – it’s actually very inexpensive – if not exactly free then just a couple of hundred pounds to set up.
I would be happy to help him set up a webshop – I have built several using the WooCommerce platform. It is very straightforward these days and can be managed easily even for one unversed in all things internet.
By all means put us in touch.

By: Lynn Perham

Lynn Perham — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:33:46 +0000

What a lovely man with a delightful story. I sincerely hope that someone steps forward to offer him another shop to continue his life’s love.

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:21:19 +0000

I’ve bought quite a lot of clothes from Dhanji, his shop is a wonderful, old-fashioned outfitters and he is a lovely man. Always smiling and always helpful. He doesn’t sell rubbish either. His clothes are very good quality and last for years. It is such a shame that shops like his are being erased from London by corporate landlords who care only for profit. Rents in London are disgracefully high and only affordable by the faceless multi-nationals who sell cheap Chinese made tat for high prices. My beloved London has been hollowed out and is now a sad, soul-less place, destroyed by the ugly carbuncles erected by greedy developers, aided and abetted by idiot seagull politicians who make a lot of noise, crap everywhere and then are gone. If I can get into Holborn I’ll definitely be paying Dhanji a visit before he closes forever.