Crunch time for shops
Tuesday 23rd December 2008, 3:00PM GMT.
JERSEY’S high street stores have suffered a tough festive trading period after the looming recession turned an increasing number of shoppers into Christmas Scrooges.
Retailers including de Gruchy and Voisins said that sales had been slow over the last three weeks. But they added that the downturn was expected – and were hoping that the last few days of Christmas shopping would help get sales back on track.
It is believed that St Helier has been generally busy with shoppers taking advantage of some unusual pre-Christmas discounts, but many were spending less and holding out for even better deals.
David Elliott, managing director at Voisins, said: ‘It has not been the best of Christmas periods but on the whole it has been okay. We have all had to work very hard over the last three weeks and I think that by the end of the Christmas period we won’t be too far adrift of where we were last year.’
He said that the store’s HMV outlet had been ‘extremely busy’ and the rest of the shop was expecting a good last few days of Christmas shopping.
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Don’t just blame the “credit crunch” for shoppers not spending as much as last year – there is an enormous amount of stuff out there that is either tat or the same as last year… and the year before that.
If we are to spend money a) make sure we get a good deal, inline, or better, with UK shoppers and b) give us better choice and more variety.
And finally, don’t forget more people are turning to the internet as most UK companies will knock off the VAT and if under £400 they don’t have to pay the GST either!
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Christmas Scrooges eh? What a cheek, lower your prices and people might not use the internet so often. I think the christmas scrooges are the owners of the shops trying to get a higher profit.
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It’s a bit harsh to label those unable to spend an absolute fortune in shops as “scrooges”.
The current financial climate coupled with typical press hysteria of doom, gloom and job cuts is hardly an incentive to get out there and put oneself into further debt by lining the pockets of retailers who are still overcharging
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I thought our now “First Minister” had claimed that there would be no recession in Jersey, a claim he made whilst looking after our finances.
It will be interesting to hear his New Years resolution and prediction for the Island for 2009.
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the,ve had it good for far too long,the buck stops here
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I did most of my Xmas shopping online. Far cheaper that St Helier as I don’t have to pay VAT or GST when buying online.
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maybe if voicins and de gruchy offered on line sales they could pick up some trade. I live in England and thought i would try and send a gift from de gruchy or voicins. what a waste of time!!!! those stores really need to come into the 21st century. I ended up ordering something from Thorntons websiye!!!!
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“Scrooges” how dare that be said, this island is over priced compare to the UK as we are paying additional 3% GST which crippling people in a ridiclous way…have we us islander been told about what and how this additional 3% is being applied to the island and who is going to benefit!!!!! Also not we do VAT and don’t say we don’t pay it as that is a load of rubbish…
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Not Chistmas scrooges just not christmas “stupids”
Your ripping us off! and most of us have clicked on to it.I just laugh at some of the prices they are asking in some shops.I personally dont have enough money to throw away for someone selling tv,s to rip me off buy hundreds of pounds.
Any chance of some price control for 2009*
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hmm not scrooges i would say just wanting to pay a fairer price and get more choice of goods via internet stores. by the looks of the post office when I go down on a daily basis to collect my parcels amazon, play, asos etc seem to be doing very well from islanders. maybe its about time Jersey retailers realise they can’t sell at a premium just because we live on an island.
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Don’t you people realise that high street stores have massive overheads such as lighting, heating, staff etc compared to online warehouses ?
You are the ones who will be moaning in years to come that there are no shops to go browsing in, or do you just want to be sad and sit indoors doing your shopping ?
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‘Christmas Scrooges’ or ‘Shoppers with Common Sense’??
Just an Example…..
Anjum’s New Indian Cook Book.
Online at Amazon.co.uk = £9.99
WHSmith in Jersey = £18.
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I looked at the price of several Christmas presents in town then compared them to the internet. The technology presents in town were 20% higher then on the internet. I am not a scrooge just not stupid, the local technology stores feed off people who to no fault off their own do not understand the technology.
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Yes, “us people” are well aware that online stores are cheaper due to lower overheads, sir! The higher prices are also due to GST, and old-fashioned greed. I do the vast majority of my purchases online and save a fortune, and it’s not because I’m “sad and want to sit indoors” although that would be preferable to the ‘fun’ of trawling through crowded, overpriced shops..!
So you can enjoy paying 50% extra for your shopping whilst you feel good about yourself, but “us people” will stick to the internet, thanks!
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Much like many other people, we too, as a family did most of our christmas shopping either online or when in Europe on family holidays, much cheaper than buying in Jersey even with the poor EUR-GBP exchange rate.(That’s another issue!) There is a call to support local businesses, that I do agree with, however, but, unless the prices locally match those that can be achieved from other sources, why should we; family’s also have budgets, and salaries/wages, to be perfectly honest, are not that much proportionately higher, taking all basic family expenditure into account. Forget what the stats say, look at the real prices available rather than the RRP. Once again we return to the reason that prices locally are high, could this be because of the local cost of running a business, which, for most will be due to the high rents charged for the local retail outlets, or could it be due to greed. I guess it will be the former in most cases.
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Having recently asked a local store to match an on-line price for a TV, they flatly refused and told me to buy the TV on-line. If that is their attitude then no wonder people do not support local businesses. Even with £40 delivery charge, I saved £200.
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Rover, While i do shop around i will buy off line if it is a big saving like a recent purchase i made saving me £55. Then having saved time by not driving into town, waiting in queues, recieving bad service from uninterested kids… I can spend the extra free time enjoying the others things Jersey offers.
You can still have a life even if you shop online!
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