As the EU referendum edges nearer, it should be noted that there is more to the malaise being felt in some retail quarters than Brexit angst.
“Don’t blame it on the sunshine,
Don’t blame it on the moonlight,
Don’t blame it on the good times,
Blame it on the Brexit”
Whether it’s the final death throes of large chains, the prospects for retail suppliers or even the fact that fashion isn’t selling as fast as planned (although men’s fashion is supposed to be going great guns), the default excuse now is the forthcoming referendum.
Excuses, excuses
Talking to store designers and shopfitters lately, it has been an unavoidable topic as nearly all of them bemoan the near-paralysis that seems to be gripping UK retail ahead of June 23. Retailers don’t want to commit to anything, apparently, until there is some certainty, and indecision is never good for the collective shopping mentality.
Yet might it be that other things are contributing to these retail dog days – and could it be that there are actually some positives?
As for excuses, might it not be the case that buyers have bought the wrong things when it comes to fashion and a marginally cooler than normal introduction to the summer has meant markdown time?
“There are, in short, a number of reasons to be cheerful if you are a retailer. It’s just that the bits of retail that are doing well are selective”
Equally, the ‘small is beautiful’ adage does seems to be holding good at the moment. Whether it’s outfits such as T2, the Aussie retailer that’s adding a little zest to the matter of buying loose tea, or the newly floated Hotel Chocolat, selling ‘affordable luxury’ treats in winsome surroundings, we are, it would seem, flocking to small shops.
Then there is the menswear phenomenon. Big retailers, such as New Look, are lining up to open small(ish) menswear standalone outlets on the basis that we are living through a new age of male vanity where males are trying to act and dress considerably younger than they are.
Reasons to be cheerful
For store designers, this means there is work in the UK; it’s just that it may not be about carving up very large spaces and making them appealing (although this task may lie ahead when the BHS saga is finally played out).
There are, in short, a number of reasons to be cheerful if you are a retailer. It’s just that, as ever, the bits of retail that are doing well are selective.
The Brexit referendum is an excuse for poor performance in some cases. The vote will happen soon enough and those who have stopped in anticipation of its outcome may rue the decision to do so.
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