Trader Representatives get a
pretty good picture of trader moods and it
usually ranges from measured interest when times are OK to almost manic anger when
times are tough.
Traders speak through their
wallets and there is nothing wrong with that. We also generally react to today’s
business with little sympathy for long term trends. We can contend with a poor
day when the next day shows hope of an improvement but there are times when
that seems a remote possibility.
The Federal election appears
to be having a negative impact on retail sales right now. Data (ANZ – Roy Morgan
Consumer Confidence Index) tells us that in fact Federal elections don’t impact
greatly on longer term consumer confidence although there may be some deferment of spending
until after a poll.
Trying to be logical and
understanding when your takings are down, and there are bills to pay, is not
easy. Venting with your Trader Representatives and your neighbours is probably
a healthy activity but maybe we need to keep that from our customers – they have
enough to worry about.
The Chairman of Ibisworld recently
stated that shoppers tend to take a “wait and see approach” during elections
and that seems to be what is happening right now. So, in turn perhaps we
traders need to “wait and see”. Next Thursday’s announcement of a special
promotion at QVM will be a very interesting ingredient in the whole picture.