This Saturday is a chance to support the small businesses livening up our streets Michelle Ovens As fewer lights twinkle on Britain’s high streets, and individuals tighten their belts anticipating tough times ahead, small businesses are unsurprisingly fearful of what winter will bring. It’s not the backdrop we’d hope for to mark a decade of Small Business Saturday tomorrow, but it underlines the ongoing importance of supporting the UK’s 5.5 million [...]
Bumper Black Friday and cyber Monday sales are a relic of old consumer habits Not for small businesses For small businesses, the weekend of bumper sales from Black Friday through to Cyber Monday is not just a race they cannot keep up with, it is a race right to the bottom. No wonder most independents are not taking part. The now classic Black Friday sale is big on discounts and small on nuance. [...]
DEBATE: As discounts get out-of-control, is there a case for retailers to ignore Black Friday altogether? As discounts get out-of-control, is there a case for retailers to ignore Black Friday altogether? Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, says YES. Black Friday started off as a day when consumers could enjoy making great purchases, but now it has just become a day for deep discounting – and that is incredibly damaging to small [...]
