nursery matters JOHN BARKER Image source: pexels.com
Barking Mad This month Pramland’s John Barker takes a look at the impact Lockdown 2 has had on everyone in the nursery retail sector.
T
here once lived a small (ok, so he wasn’t that small) boy called JB. JB lived in a far away land, just past the home of the yellow bellies and right a bit once you pass the magic bridge. It was a strange land filled with toothless ogres and folk that think nightwear should, and can be worn out in public. You know the type of folk, they class joggers as every day wear and Elizabeth Duke gold drips off them like honey off a bee. Pramland was it’s name and it was part of a world shrouded in uncertainty and oddness. The land suffered from a terrible sickness and many folk feared for their loved ones. The evil ruler of the land, Borisof Wigglyhair knew the land was sick but he just couldn’t settle on what he should be doing about it. One week Borisof told all the town folks to eat and make merry, then the next he told them “you must stay at home, but go to work, but don’t go if you don’t have to. . . .and do not go to the pub as grog will make you sick again. . . .Especially if you drink it after the moon hits 10 in the sky!”, JB was confused, and he wasn’t alone. Sounds exciting doesn’t it? I think it could lead to a multi-million book
48
nursery today
deal, cinema trilogy and Netflix 12 part series! (talking of which. . .if you haven’t already, you much watch the Queens Gambit! Wow it’s awesome). It may sound like a fantastic story but in reality it’s what we’ve all been living through for almost a year . . . . and I’m a little fed up with it now. So lockdown 2.0 is officially over, the R rate nationally stands somewhere between .8 and 1 (If I understand correctly this is a good thing and means things are getting better?) and a vaccine as arrived. The stock markets are starting to rally; house prices are on the rise and football stadiums are finally welcoming fans back through the turnstiles. This all sounds very positive doesn’t it? It does until you also read about the latest batch of job losses. Arcadia group slipping in to administration caused Debenhams to also finally fly the white flag. Shortly after another retailer, Bonmarche also announced they’d gone in to administration. So for every piece of good news the retail sector has multiple tales of woe. Figures are suggesting Black Friday
20 Figures are suggesting Bl ack Fridayter20across was a complete, un mitigated disasowing little the board with most retailers sh This should or no movement in sa les figures. rrent state come as little surprise given the cut very, very of the nation. Lockdown 2.0 fel r. different to its predecesso
john@pramland.co.uk