GT CONTRIBUTOR BIRA
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How are you doing?
CEO Andrew Goodacre from the British Independent Retailers Association shares the results of the association’s ‘reopening survey’ and says it’s further proof that businesses still need support to get back on their feet
CEO Andrew Goodacre
20 Gifts Today
rates in 2019; only about a quarter said footfall was higher than it had been. Nearly half reported that sales had been lower than preCovid – further proof if we needed any that businesses still need support to get back on their feet.
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I have said it, and will say it again, retailers of all kinds will need ongoing government support if our precious high street is to survive
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W
hile the reopening of socalled ‘non-essential’ retail on April 12 was a step in the right direction, it is not the immediate happy end to the story. Retail businesses have battled for more than a year, with many closed for at least eight months of the last 12, and their troubles have not simply ended with the lifting of the shutters. Even businesses deemed ‘essential’, which were allowed to trade through the pandemic, are still faced with challenges such as a year of reduced footfall and lower consumer confidence. I have said it, and will say it again, retailers of all kinds will need ongoing government support if our precious high street is to survive. With this in mind, Bira organised a reopening survey to gauge how our members were doing; it was open to both those who had been shut and essential retailers who’d traded throughout. Sixty per cent of those who filled in the survey said footfall had so far been lower than pre-pandemic
Rather optimistically, nearly half (43%) of our members said that they felt ‘reasonably confident’ that within two years business would return to ‘normal’, with 12% saying they felt ‘totally confident’. However, despite this many admitted to having to drastic measures such as cutting day-today operational costs to maximise profit, holding sales to clear out
old stock, and buying less stock moving forward. One member said: ‘Initially, we had a good first two weeks then fell to about two thirds of 2019 trade level. We hope for it to build up over time, but it will be serious for us if not.’ Another said: ‘Initial rush with people wanting to stock up in case we were locked down again. Since then though footfall is around 2530% lower than before.’ We will be passing all our findings and members’ comments on to the Government, and will continue to lobby for a package of support to help businesses recover. After all, while this is not the end of the story, I think we all want to see a happy ending. See the full results of the Bira Reopening survey at: bira.co.uk/ resources/reopening_survey_ results_2021 If you would like to discuss any of this article with us, or would like to find out more about our association and the support we give independent retail business, then please contact our membership team on 0800 028 0245 or visit bira.co.uk.
