Trading conditions – in short, not good

Greg Bing, A.P. Jones
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Business is terrible.

We have had a very warm and dry May, and a shop full of jerseys and other warm winter ware, and that has had a major impact on our trade. Only in the last 48 hours has it started getting cold and wet.

There has been a lot of scepticism about the elections, and combined with the weather, people have gone into their shells.

Kamlesh Chagan, American Clothing/The Vault
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Trade is shocking, and I don’t know quite what to put it down to – the elections? – people spending more on groceries?

What hasn’t helped is the very good weather until a couple of days ago.

Also, too much product in the marketplace, and the chains murdering the independents. They’re already on winter clearance sales, which doesn’t help us.

Online sales by Temu, Shein – offerings and prices affect the retailers.

Suppliers are only interested in businesses doing the numbers.

There’s no obvious silver lining, but hopefully the cooler weather will help sales of knitwear, jackets and so on.

However, we carry on. My father started this business in 1964/65, and I’ve been in it for 38 years.

Deepak Nathoo, Empiro
Durban, KZN, SA – Business is steady under tough conditions. The brands out of Europe that we have been stocking are now entering the market themselves, and we have to find alternative sources and brands.

The entire business model for independents has to change to stay relevant.

There has been a rise in mono-brand stores globally – here, London, anywhere else you go, you see the same brands on the high streets, and the independents have been pushed to the outskirts. Yes, they’re surviving, but we have to change.