EDITOR’S COMMENT Jack Cheeseman
August 2023
ertonline.co.uk
This roller coaster market W
elcome to the August edition of ERT! I hope you’re all enjoying the Summer holidays! It can be a bit of a strange time in the retail sector; with so many people off on their travels it’s unsurprising
that high streets and shopping centres can be quieter than normal. However, while I’ve been out and about in the past few weeks, I’ve noticed the complete opposite – everywhere has been so busy. Heaving, in fact! And that was reflected in the latest data from MRI Springboard, which showed that UK high streets were undoubtedly supported by the start of the school holidays in August, with a rise in footfall in coastal towns – where many people were probably on holiday – that was more than double the UK average (figures jumped by 4.8 per cent).
It was a similar story in July too. Total UK footfall increased by 1.8 per cent year-on-year, again driven mostly by high street shoppers. We could put this down to the Summer sunshine bringing people out, but we all know that’s not true given the dismal weather we’ve had in the past few weeks! The retailers I’ve spoken to recently have provided mixed views. Some are
busier than ever and seeing significant upturns; others are a little quieter and hoping for a boost come September. One thing is for sure – this tumultuous, roller coaster market right now means it’s very hard to predict which way things will turn from one week to the next. This was something I discussed with Alison Taylor in this month’s ERT Interview. Alison is the new Managing Director of Domestic Appliance Distributors (D.A.D) and it was her first major interview since taking the helm at the start of this year. She spoke about how the company is navigating the twists and turns of the market, but by pushing forward and focusing on its key strengths and own-brand products, she said she’s confident that there’s recovery ahead. She told me she’s starting to see “green shoots” coming through, adding that there’s likely to be seasonal upturn between now and Christmas. I guess only time will tell! D.A.D is a previous ERT Awards winner, and once again the company has been shortlisted in multiple categories for the 2023 Awards. I asked Alison what she thinks makes D.A.D stand out in the market; she said everyone in the business plays a vital role that has helped to build the long-standing, trusted brand that everyone knows today. Read more of my interview with Alison Taylor on page 14. Talking of awards, in case you missed it elsewhere, the finalists for the
ERT Awards 2023 have been announced, and the full shortlist is on pages 18 and 19 of this issue! Don’t forget to book your tickets, and we hope to see you in London in November!
Email the editor at
jackcheeseman@ertonline.co.uk What do you think ?
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