It's a bit of a rubbish time for Retailers at the moment, if your surname isn't Bezos. The state of the UK economy only seems to be getting worse, which means that online retailers are selling much much much less than normal. Completely understandable, as everyone is struggling to cope with rising mortgage rates, food inflation, job security, gas prices.....the list goes on. So the last thing people are going to spend their hard earn money on is novelty gifts.
If you are going to buy a gift, then it seems to make sense to make it something people actually need. Gone are the days when novelties were a thing that people would consider buying for themselves or family and friends. Most of us would much rather get money, vouchers, experiences, homeware items - stuff that's actually useful, rather than something that just makes you smile or laugh.
Which leaves us in a predicament. Our business is all about novelties and the unusual. Things that you might not need, but that can bring a bit of humour into your life. As our customers often say to us 'I never knew I needed one of these until know!' Because everyone needs to keep smiling and laughing through these rubbish times. It's so important to keep our economy going. As more and more businesses close on our high streets, the momentum is now switching to online and all small business owners who offer products and services.
So what can each of us individually to help??? Spend LOCAL. Shop LOCAL, visit LOCAL, holiday LOCAL, use LOCAL........
Stop giving your money to the multimillion pound conglomerates. The money only goes to line their pockets with even more cash, most of which they will never pay taxes on. Before you buy honey from a supermarket for vastly inflated prices, check if there is someone local who sells it. before you ask British Gas to come and fix your boiler - check if there is a local engineer who can do it. Before you buy a new book on Amazon, check to see if anyone locally wants to sell theirs. Easier said than done though when most people are working extra hours, or even working 2 or more jobs just to get by. Convenience and speed is a massive bonus to buying from big business.
So yes, we can't always do what is ultimately best for the economy or the planet, but we can try. And then when the hard times are over and the sun comes out again maybe, just maybe you can start buying novelties and peculiarities again for the people you love. Fingers crossed, we will still be here!
