SLR p12 comment Nov08.qxp 31/10/2008 17:14 Page 12
comment
Credit crunch? What
credit crunch?
EDITORIAL
Publishing Director & Editor
I thought I would get in on the ‘credit crunch’ act this month – after Antony Begley
all, you can hardly open a newspaper or watch a news programme
0141 222 5380 | abegley@55north.com
without the dreaded ‘credit crunch’ words appearing these days. Features Contributor
Kevin Scott
It’s possibly the most over-used word pairing in the English
0141 222 5385 | kscott@55north.com
language these days, with the possible exception of ‘Brand’ and
Editorial Consultant
‘Ross’, and it’s really starting to seem that the credit crunch has
Karen Peattie
become the catch-all explanation for anyone needing an excuse for
ADVERTISING
why sales / margin / performance is down.
Commercial Director
But that, of course is misleading – maybe sales are down because
T. Paul Begley
things aren’t being done properly. Maybe margins have slumped Group Advertising Manager
because we’ve gotten careless. Maybe it’s nothing at all to do with
Brian McShane
the credit crunch.
0141 222 5383 | bmcshane@55north.com
Advertising Manager
After all, unless you work in banking or the financial sector, the
Donald Stephenson
reality is that your business probably hasn’t suffered much at all. 0141 222 5384 | dstephenson@55north.com
“The credit
People don’t stop buying loaves and Mars bars because the
Classified Advertising Manager
economy’s taking a bit of a pounding of late. Hamish Tennant
crunch has
0141 222 5387 | htennant@55north.com
At the end of the day, I think we’ve talked ourselves into much of
DESIGN
become the
the gloom that surrounds this global economic meltdown. Of
course it’s real and the slowdown is a fact, but the effects are
Designer
Bryan Mullen
catch-all
perhaps not so dramatic in local retailing as we are making out.
0141 222 5301 | bmullen@55north.com
explanation for
So let’s think positive. Let’s see the current situation as an
Junior Designer
opportunity, not a threat. The credit crunch is just a chance for you
Richard Chaudhry
anyone needing
to demonstrate just how damn good you and your business are.
rchaudhry@55north.com
Sorting the men out from the boys, and all that. CIRCULATION
an excuse for It reminds me, in an oblique way, of the furore that kicked off when
Circulation Manager
Cara Thomson
why
the mults were making their clumsy attempts to shoulder their way
0141 222 5381 | cthomson@55north.com
into the convenience market a few years back. There were those that
performance is
screamed at the injustice and there were those that redoubled their
Scottish Local Retailer
is a member of PPA Scotland
efforts and are still hear to tell the tale.
and is produced monthly
down.”
by 55 North Ltd
Much as it pains me to say it, the general standard of the Scottish
under licence from
convenience sector is all the better for that brief period of intense
William Reed Business Media Ltd.
competition – so let’s aim for a similar hike in standards when the
55 North Ltd,
credit crunch finally recedes. Waterloo Chambers,
19 Waterloo Street,
Glasgow, G2 6AY
Tel: 0141 22 22 100
Fax: 0141 22 22 177
Website: www.55north.com
Scottish Local Retailer
EDITOR ANTONY BEGLEY
is distributed free to qualifying
readers. For a registration card,
call 0141 222 5381. Other readers may
obtain copies by annual subscription
at £46 (UK), £62 (Europe airmail),
£99 (Worldwide airmail).
ISSN 1740-2409.
© William Reed Business Media Ltd
2008. All rights reserved.
Scottish Local Retailer, SLR and
William Reed are trade marks of
William Reed Business Media Ltd.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Got something to say about your sector, or some thoughts you’d like to share with your industry colleagues?
Then let us know about it – we’d love to hear from you. No matter what your subject matter is, as long as it’s to
do with local retailing in Scotland, we’re interested.
Email your comments to editor Antony Begley at abegley@55north.com or alternatively, drop us a line to the
following address: Scottish Local Retailer, Waterloo Chambers, 19 Waterloo St, Glasgow G2 6AY.
12 l SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER l NOVEMBER 2008
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