The British lock down prior to Christmas hit retail sale more than expected. Unlike the first lock down, where people were waiting for shops to open it just didn’t happen as well second time round.
Take Primark in Middlesbrough opening at 12.00am midnight with huge queues. Move forward 12 hours, to normal opening hours and no queues at all, the rush just did not happen in the way expected. Figures published by the BBC, show a 3.8% drop in sales in November, ending the previous 6 month rise. Of course online sales increased a trend already in place.
It is possible than buying started earlier this year, customers worried any future lock down may prevent those Christmas presents being available.
Shops Already Announced Administration
Some shops that have gone into due to the Covid lock downs and other trading issues include –
- BonMarche
- Arcadia Group
- Peacocks and Jaeger
- Edinburgh Woolen Mill
- DW Sports
- Harveys Furniture
- Go Outdoors
- Lee Longlands
- Oak Furniture
- Monsoon
- Debenhams
- BrightHouse
Of course this list is not conclusive and some may still survive in name and more are likely to be added to the list.
Tier 4 About To Start For Other Retailers
As this is written, Boris Johnson has just announced some South east areas will go into Tier 4, meaning non essential shops will now close over Christmas, this will affect, London, some areas of Essex, and areas up to Milton Keynes. This is does to to a new strain of Covid-19.
For many January sales are not going to happen a key trading time for shops, to put money in the till and clear old stock ready to buy in the new. Northern Ireland had already announced a 6 week full lock down, that was later followed by a Scottish one for 3 weeks.
The positive new of the vaccine created a sigh of relieve for many retailers, thinking it wont be long before it will business as usual. But it is now clear, there is still much pain still to occur, before the country is fully under control.
Discussion about this post