PUBLISHER'S NOTE
What a start to 2022. Inflation rising. Te euphoria of the festive season fading. And finally, everyone back at work – almost everyone that is.
Over the past week as festive trading figures have poured in, I will admit to having opened many of the incoming press releases with not inconsiderable trepidation. Having ‘done’ most of my gift shopping back in October & November and found that a lot of my contacts had done just the same, I wondered whether there would be a last-minute surge or if the whole country had bought well ahead. I needed have worried because what we’ve been hearing is that most of our reader companies held their nerve, cut back on the Black Friday promotions, retained their margins and sold profitably through to Christmas Eve. It was a levelling out of trade rather than the past slow build up to an ‘all hands-on deck’ peak. Media coverage about delivery driver shortages probably played its part in influencing consumers to buy sooner rather than later. Ten with supply chain issues having hampered many businesses, there simply wasn’t the excess stock around to offload and most retailers have fared better than expected. Tere were the expected price reductions immediately after Christmas in the supermarkets but very much less of the fire sale feel around the high streets.
We should all congratulate ourselves on having traded through some of the most volatile times we can remember but I am mindful of Lord Wolfson’s sage words as he eloquently warned of the impact of inflation on all consumers and how that could affect Next. Higher costs can be expected across the board with energy, wages, freight and merchandise rising rapidly. Omicron affecting us all to some degree and decimating certain trades. Anyone managing a commercial business through these times will need resilience, fortitude and more than a fair wind behind them, but in this sector that is pretty much part of the make-up. I’d also add that having a network of peers who are facing the same challenges is a must too. Tere’s nothing like being able to share problems, discuss possible solutions and find the best way forward. Success in 2022 will be all about partnerships and the company we keep. Tat brings me neatly around to the DCA. If your business is not in membership, then I’d seriously recommend you take a look at what’s on offer for businesses like yours. Tere is nothing like being able to hear first-hand from others in the same boat.
You’ll find details at our main website
https://homeofdirectcommerce.com
JRH
4
homeofdirectcommerce.com | Direct Commerce
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
