...need your help.
Around the world, governments are putting measures in place to help larger companies retain and pay staff. Most medium and large scale operations (outside certain particularly badly hit sectors) are finding themselves able to work around restrictions, with staff variously working from home, seconded to different roles or at least retained on shorter hours.
Amazon will survive this. As will ASOS, H&M, Tesco, Screwfix, IKEA, McDonalds, Walmart, Starbucks and the rest of the industry leaders and giant multinational chains across the sectors.
The people who really need our help right now are those who run and work for independent, small businesses, many of which won’t survive. And losing them won’t just see the loss of the jobs of a large number of individuals.
It’ll be in many cases the loss of jobs for entire families; the loss of unique products, unique services and unique experiences; the loss of years - and decades - of experience and expertise in trades; the loss of community hubs and icons; the loss of traditions, crafts and specialists; and the loss of diversity and consumer choice.
If you’re one of those lucky enough to be relatively unaffected financially, self-isolating/working from home or otherwise, please, please consider making a little extra effort to support small, independent businesses through the crisis.
If you can shop with a local grocery, greengrocers, market, hardware store, newsagent, post office or other small retailer rather than going to the supermarket, then do it.
If you are shopping online, have a search for an independent supplier who delivers rather than going straight to Amazon.
If you can use an independent tradesman or service provider rather than relying on a household name supplier, then do it.
It’ll really help us all come out of this with the world and our communities in much better shape.
Thanks for reading and stay safe everybody.
Small businesses...
posted on 21/3/20
comment by rosso is done with this (U17054)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by Admin1 (U1)
posted 24 minutes ago
Agree with article
Though ASOS could be facked
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ASOS will be absolutely fine, trust me.
Their supply chain strategy is genius. They source and manufacture from 28 countries, with over 500 factories. I believe they are also entirely non-dependent on China for both supply and manufacturing now.
Their model is literally the future of global mass market retail logistics.
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Profit warning in December £4m on sales of 1.3bn
posted on 21/3/20
comment by Admin1 (U1)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by rosso is done with this (U17054)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by Admin1 (U1)
posted 24 minutes ago
Agree with article
Though ASOS could be facked
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ASOS will be absolutely fine, trust me.
Their supply chain strategy is genius. They source and manufacture from 28 countries, with over 500 factories. I believe they are also entirely non-dependent on China for both supply and manufacturing now.
Their model is literally the future of global mass market retail logistics.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Profit warning in December £4m on sales of 1.3bn
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It had made a massive investment in infrastructure, the online platform and other technology.
Their market is absolutely massive now and their customer base is still growing. They’ve learned a lot about marketing the last few years too; they’ve made mistakes they’ve talked about on that front and in service provision that I think they’ve already demonstrated they have learned from. Noises in the industry are that they’re actually in a pretty good place.
And given the empty high streets, I think they’ll do just fine.
posted on 21/3/20
Cheers, i wasnt too familiar with them other than the profit warning and my wife deciding not to buy fast fashion a year or two ago. She was a Boohoo and Asos addict at one point.
posted on 21/3/20
comment by Bryan ROBBson (U22311)
posted 21 minutes ago
I agree with your article but a lot of these smaller shops will close down temporarily in the next few weeks so if that is the case Amazon and the like aren’t a bad option. But I do agree with the principle.
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I guarantee that anything you find on Amazon you could still source from a brick and mortar or alternative independent online retailer
posted on 21/3/20
I own businesses and as of this morning, have had to shut them all.
In my 35 years of business, I have had ups and downs due to changes in the external climate, but this situation is exceptionally tough to comprehend and navigate through.
Any support people can provide to independents is massively, massively appreciated, as I know thousands of businesses will go to the wall despite the governments efforts.
posted on 21/3/20
posted on 21/3/20
Just been down my local brewery where they are selling corona kegs, should keep me going for a while
posted on 21/3/20
99% of business in the UK are SMEs (there are 6 million of them in the UK). They employ well over half of the workforce and account for half the turnover in the private sector.
Without SME's there is no United Kingdom. It is essential we all support them at times like this.
It is said that the phrase “England is a nation of shopkeepers” is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte as his acknowledgement of Britain's readiness and resistance for war with France and the unlikely scenario of any French invasion been successful.
posted on 21/3/20
On a similar side note, the small charities are being hit really hard, if you are in a good position, try to help those guys out first.
posted on 21/3/20
Agree with the OP. well said.