It seems that no matter what the weather or economic conditions, headlines can be made to make out that things are really bad (they rarely get written if things are really good!). The latest is that retail figures for March in the UK are down because of the un-seasonally cold weather. Well, that's a big surprise isn't it. Next we'll have higher than predicted profits at the energy companies because people stayed inside and kept the heating on! Such economic indicators are neither newsworthy or even relevant. Yes, economic activity will decrease when it's really cold and also when it's really hot - never, ever, ignore the weather.
At the same time I find it extremely disappointing that small businesses appear to be lining up to complain that all is so bad. What do they expect when people can't get out or simply don't want to go out in atrocious weather conditions. It makes you wonder whether such small businesses have really thought things through properly. When people can't go out but still need things they will turn to the internet. Do the very same small businesses have websites that offer shopping facilities, even basic ones? Times are difficult for many small businesses but if they don't respond to the changing needs and expectations of consumers they will go to the wall just as so many large retailers and others will come in to better meet customer expectations.
No comments:
Post a Comment