WE feel we should put pen to paper, being the shop owners of Coco's Vintage Living in the best part of Hereford – Church Street – where we have traded very happily.

We were looking forward to the Christmas period and made a rather large order from Cath Kidston to see us through the expected busy period.

This stock was dropped off to us, and three weeks later we received a telephone call that put our future in jeopardy. Cath Kidston is coming to the city in a pop-up shop over at the new development.

It's very simple and straightforward: Would we have made such an enormous Cath Kidston order had we known?

No, so now we are under incredible pressure to sell our stock alongside another Cath Kidston shop in our own tiny city.

The Old Market (where we have previously had pop-up shops, which we loved every minute of) verbally agreed we could have a pop-up shop for the month of December, but they backtracked on this agreement for the big boys.

What has happened to supporting small businesses? Local businesses? Independents?

Church Street won't be here long if these huge companies keep treading on the small ones.

The support we have received has been fantastic. Hereford people really seem to care.

And of course, we will be in permanent sale, and fingers crossed, we will make it through this very testing period.

Thank you, Hereford, for your continuing support.

MELISSA MARSHALL and POLLYANNA GRIDLEY Church Street, Hereford