Insights from Sam Canning: Cash Is Back!

Cash is back at Cannings! Whhhhaaaaaaat??? Allow me to provide some backstory and context as to why I decided to go cashless back in 2014 and why, in 2024, I have decided to bring cash back.
Insights from Sam Canning: Cash Is Back!
Back in 2014, 80% of our payments were card. Cash was dwindling, yet, forever and always, I received feedback from customers that cash was filthy and that it shouldn't be around food, and I kind of agreed with that sentiment. Given that card was so much more convenient, I decided to remove cash entirely from the equation. Yes, it created a bit of a stir, but I've always been a "rebel" so I was happy to take a bit of heat if required. As the years passed, it became well known that Cannings was cashless and it was widely accepted without issue until people began to consider the flow on effects of an increasingly cashless society.

Once people had time to envision what kind of reality this could potentially funnel us into, more and more of our customers became extremely averse to our cashless business model. In the last twelve months, we received countless customer complaints, emails, social media, Google reviews etc. The people had spoken, and I was willing to change my position on this for the benefit of our communities.

My intentions were always pure going into this cashless thing, and they are pure coming out of it because I too can see the pitfalls of exclusively card/digital payment options. Do we need a better example of why an analogue fallback is necessary than the worldwide IT issues of last week? For me though, the most inspiring of all is the concept of 'cash is freedom'. I get it now... cash truly is King, and I stand corrected!

- Sam Canning
(Founder)

20 comments

  • Sam C
    Aug 05, 2024 at 14:06

    Hey Vicky. Greatly appreciate your message of encouragement and your ongoing support. For now, I have lost the ‘never-ending-expansion’ bug, so I’m not looking at opening any new stores at the moment. Let’s see what the future holds!

    Reply

  • Vicki Barnett
    Aug 05, 2024 at 14:03

    Thank you Sam. I very much appreciate your honesty and being prepared to publicly change your stance on something – so few people are willing to do this these days regardless of changing circumstances. As a firm advocate for ethical meats I shall continue to shop with you regardless of whether you accept cash or card. Thanks again.
    P.s. any chance of opening a store in Carlton North?

    Reply

  • Peter S.
    Aug 03, 2024 at 07:36

    To the gentleman who thinks handling cash is expensive: a $50 note will always be a $50 note. A $50 EFTPOS payment immediately becomes $49.50 or less after the bank takes it cut for handling the transaction. EFTPOS is much more expensive than handling cash. Stop giving the banks free money.

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:59

    Totally! The fact that we no longer have to turn anyone away has got to be the greatest benefit here. All are welcome! Bitcoin next perhaps???

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:57

    I know right!! The less we can give the banks, the better!

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:54

    $imon… I truly appreciate your passion. Thanks brother!

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:54

    Oh Christine… you make this all worthwhile. Thank you!!

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:54

    Hey Kay. Appreciate your concerns here. Please trust that we have all matters of food hygiene under control.

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:54

    Hey Peter. I appreciate your perspective. As the Founder and Director of the business, I’m very much in tune with my staff and I’m well and truly cognisant of my customer’s wishes. I value all of my customer’s opinions, in particular the ‘vocal minority’ who we actually rely on to represent the ‘acquiescent majority’. Thankfully, I’m more than capable of deciding when a change in business direction is necessary and although you may perceive this change to be a regression, I assure you the Cannings Innovation you speak of is alive and well.

    PS: Please trust that we have the food safety issues under control… we do this for a living!

    : )

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:54

    Hey Jenny. Yes… woke up a few years ago actually, but was kind of ham-strung until now. No pun intended. Hahahaha.

    Reply

  • Sam C
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:20

    Hey Gill. Thanks for your support. You too, give me faith!

    Reply

  • Gill Dimos
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Yay Sam! Yes cash is definitely king and, clearly, I don’t need to explain to you the plethora of reasons why.
    Thanks for being an outlier. You give me faith 👍🏻

    Reply

  • Jenny Fontana
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Thank God you woke up. As a Registerd Nurse I can fully understand your position on hygiene and the effects of not proper hand hygiene when dealing with money snd food. Perhaps you could demonstrate to your customers on how you have improved in this area.
    Keep up the good work I do love your meat quality which is why I kept coming back!
    Thanks x

    Reply

  • Peter
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Sam,
    When you opened Hawthorn we had a number of chats.

    This move is Very disappointing Sam. A totally unnecessary move.that takes food safety backward. The Cannings innovative spirit appears to be dead.

    Cash is expensive to handle. I presume you’ll be passing this cost on to your customers (who I note no longer see you). Perhaps you’ve jumped the shark and lost touch with your customers, now relying on the complaints of the minority keyboard warriors. Send me your email and I’ll send you my phone number for a chat.

    Reply

  • Kay Davies
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Personally I like it cashless as I think it is more hygienic. No one has to handle money which is one of the dirtiest items humans carry. My thoughts

    Reply

  • John Candido
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    I got rid of all of my credit cards but I still use ApplePay with debit cards only. I have also swung back to cash as a fallback when there are technical issues and to avoid surcharges. Cash will go sometime in future but after they have figured out how to operate the economy when there is a technical problem.

    Reply

  • Christine Hunter
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Thankyou . I will shop with you again

    Reply

  • Emma
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Agreed. Going cashless cuts out the disadvantaged too, which isn’t a good thing, particularly at the moment.

    Reply

  • Ann A
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    Well done . The other consideration is that now we are all paying the banks with a percentage on every sale . The banks are reaping it in . Hate them with passion because they provide no service these days . Post offices have had to take over their role .

    Reply

  • $imon
    Aug 02, 2024 at 16:16

    This is such great news. This is the type of realisation that we really need more businesses and individuals to make urgently.
    I will not only cease avoiding shopping at Cannings now but will go out of my way to shop at Cannings now in support of this move.

    Reply

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