Who in the retail sector doesn’t want to know what will happen next year. Unfortunately, we have to rely on crystal-ball gazing and good old analysis of the market.
After what is generally considered to have been a rocky 2006, main industry players are predicting a mixed bag for the New Year (p24). On the one hand, talk is of a market that has stabilised during the past 12 months. But, on the other hand, 2007 is certainly not going to be plain sailing.
Surprisingly, for industry players — normally adept to talking up their market — there is no great hype about what is to come. Most are taking a cautious stance, issuing warnings ranging from deflationary pressure on profits to how the increasingly unpredictable British weather is affecting the retail market.
However, this is also the time to focus on the good news. European and American retailers are still vying to break into the UK market — the entry of Danish giant Bestseller and the US fashion house Abercrombie & Fitch (p36) are two welcomed events, while the country’s investment market is still one of the most sought-after in Europe. Looking at its positive aspects is not to say the market should be falsely talked up. But the next time talk in the bars and cafes in Cannes during MAPIC turns to doom and gloom, remember that the customer is always on the lookout for new experiences, as well as fresh thinking in old brands. So it is up to those working in the retail sector — developers, retailers and agents alike — to keep the market thriving; and to stop blaming the weather.
