T-Shirt Sale?

Friday 24th of June 2011 05:54:35 AM

T-Shirt Sale?

Shopping online will always net you bargain prices on all types of clothing including polo shirts and t-shirts. That’s true whether it’s a recession or boom times. However, when High Street has one sale after another, it’s a sign that economic times remain very difficult. Of course, most consumers know that the economy is struggling because they still face high unemployment rates that refuse to budge and government austerity programs that produce cuts in public services. Now High Street is using the Sale sign as its concession to a poor economy.

Normally, the big stores on High Street don’t have summer sales until at least July. This year stores like Harrods and Debenhams have already hung the red and white sale signs in windows, and it’s still June. This reflects an effort to jumpstart consumer spending that remains sluggish. One sale after another is not the normal modus operandi for big department stores. The numbers don’t lie though. The retail figures for May 2011 are 2.2 percent lower that spending in May 2010. Interestingly, 2010 was a recession year, and we are supposedly in a recovery period!

The smaller independent shops don’t like the fact the department stores are having these big sales. They claim the large stores are buying too much inventory on purpose so they can hold a big sale. These sales drive business away from the independents.

The department stores like Debenhams don’t have any sympathy for the smaller stores. Competition is competition and consumers need the best prices possible. Of course, the best prices for tees, sweaters and polo shirts are found on the internet and not in department stores. That’s true no matter what time of year it may be, and no matter how good or bad the economic conditions may be which is why internet sales continue to grow.

Image by (Name Hidden), www.sxc.hu/