Business owners on Hamilton's Barton Street are up in arms over the kinds of clientele the Cash Converters store is attracting in the street and say action needs to be taken.
Managers of surrounding stores didn't want to be named citing safety issues but told Hamilton News that since Cash Converters moved from their Bryce Street location to Barton Street six months ago there have been numerous issues with litter, defecation and alcohol consumption outside the store.
"I've cleaned up vomit outside my store, on my window," said one shop manager. "The rubbish has definitely increased. I picked up a couple of dirty nappies," said another.
Five surrounding stores claim that on a daily basis large groups of people are loitering outside the Cash Converters store for an hour or more at a time.
"It's not the staff at Cash Converters, it's the nasty people who come to sell their stuff. They come in pyjamas even. And sometimes there's 30 people waiting out front, so we don't open our doors until they do," they said.