You are in:
Editor's comment - Outdoors
After the summer we've just endured, I can't help but wonder if high-spec tent sales might have gone up. Howling wind, pouring rain and occasional glimpses of the sun that lulled us into thinking we might actually get a bit of decent weather... Combine that with higher than ever fuel prices and an economy that seems to be slipping beyond our wonderful government's control, and you have what would appear to be a recipe for an unhappy society.
But no. Honestly. Really. Everyone I know is happy. They're all enjoying the challenge; the economic climate is making them more careful, and it's challenging them in a way they haven't been pushed in years. They're using their brains in everyday life, and they're loving it. Purchases are chosen carefully, and the "well, if I don't like it I'll stick it on eBay" ethos is long gone. People are still buying, in my experience, but they're going about it entirely differently.
And that's where the independent comes in. Knowledge. Service. Value. A relationship that a web site can't give you.
Of course, the challenge is getting people in the door in the first place, but you're all masters at that, I'm sure, and a lot more creative than I could ever be. The fact remains that the staff in the outdoor retail industry are crucial to the survival of shops everywhere. The advice they give, the way they address the customer, the warmth of their greeting and their sincerity all adds up to a near-unbeatable proposition.
Go and make your colleagues a cup of tea, and remind them how important they are.
Go on.
Jon Bruford, Editor SGB - Sports and Outdoor
01584 877177
