In my last blog, I looked at the prospects for the
UK's automotive industry in the post-Olympic era which had
left us with a glow of positivity.
Now, a couple of months down the track I'm thinking about
the retail sector and again, will start with an Olympic
reference.
As we entered 2012 there was much anticipation for what the
London Games would deliver above and beyond pageantry and sporting
success. Amongst the retail community there were high expectations
that the Games would drive a boost in sales figures with
Deloitte research revealing in January that 84% of retailers
were expecting a positive upturn. The ONS retail sales figures released in
September,however, indicated that the boost hadn't been as
strong as anticipated. Indeed, a second piece of Deloitte research
conducted during the Olympic Games found that only 59% of retailers
experienced an increase in demand.
