Easter & The Budget

Easter is fast approaching and stores are full of Easter product lines and spring stock. The warmer weather has finally made an appearance which should put consumers in a ‘Spring state of mind’, and we hope that they will be out in force this Easter holiday period.

Ah, if only life was all about chocolate eggs and long weekends...

Forget dangled carrots or chocolate-coated pre-election giveaways. The effect of the freshly announced budget is something that retailers will be keeping a close eye on is this early stage of post-recession recovery. With an election just a few weeks away it was not anticipated that the budget would contain any major surprises for retailers, however it has been met with disappointment by some, due to the lack of detail on future public spending cuts.

British Retail Consortium Chief, Stephen Robertson, said "Knowing there's pain to come but not where or how much is damaging. This was the Chancellor's opportunity to remove some uncertainty but, so far, he has left too many blanks…at the same time the Chancellor announced or confirmed new cost burdens which will undermine retailers' ability to maintain and create jobs." Read more on the BRC's response here.

Whether we agree or disagree with the Chancellor’s announcements - directly or indirectly feel the effects - retailers will no doubt move forward and adapt. As with any budget, we are presented with a fresh set of challenges. From utilising and opening up new channels to reinforcing existing ones; this fast-paced industry will no doubt be innovative in the way in which it overcomes them.