From David Warr, chairman of the
Small Business Group, Chamber of Commerce.
WHAT price community? The people who live in Maufant are beginning to ask that question as they see the heart ripped out of their community.
But why should we be surprised? The very same thing has been happening to communities all over England as consumers are lured out of town by the ‘big box’ retailers. In Jersey, though, the changes are much more subtle.
A decision by a few hundred people to change their shopping habits tips a once profitable business into making a decision to quit. What would be the social consequences of a new major third operator, encouraged in by government?
The Chamber of Commerce has been castigated by the JCRA about using ‘anecdotal’ evidence as part of its submissions, but then how do you measure the social consequences of small local businesses closing down in a community?
It would appear that because you can’t put a number to it, it doesn’t count. Well, maybe now we will start to realise that it does count and that when the government of Jersey looks to make decisions that could have a significant impact on the economic viability of businesses in our community, they do more than simply measure the differential between one basket of goods and another.
As the old adage goes: You can know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. 25 Pier Road,
St Helier.
You can know the price of everything, but the value of nothing
From David Warr, chairman of the
Small Business Group, Chamber of Commerce.
WHAT price community? The people who live in Maufant are beginning to ask that question as they see the heart ripped out of their community.
But why should we be surprised? The very same thing has been happening to communities all over England as consumers are lured out of town by the ‘big box’ retailers. In Jersey, though, the changes are much more subtle.
A decision by a few hundred people to change their shopping habits tips a once profitable business into making a decision to quit. What would be the social consequences of a new major third operator, encouraged in by government?
The Chamber of Commerce has been castigated by the JCRA about using ‘anecdotal’ evidence as part of its submissions, but then how do you measure the social consequences of small local businesses closing down in a community?
It would appear that because you can’t put a number to it, it doesn’t count. Well, maybe now we will start to realise that it does count and that when the government of Jersey looks to make decisions that could have a significant impact on the economic viability of businesses in our community, they do more than simply measure the differential between one basket of goods and another.
As the old adage goes: You can know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.
25 Pier Road,
St Helier.
Share this article:
What are these?