This is a guest post written for us by blogger Dale Harris about how since the economic crash of 2008, it’s been a struggle for the retail sector. With businesses large and small turning to the internet for sales, there’s been a rise in unemployment, with the BBC reporting unemployment figures have rose to 2.56 million. It’s no wonder the job market is so competitive these days; but there could be light at the end of the tunnel.
The news that the economy has risen to 0.3% in the first quarter of 2013 has left many optimistic about what the rest of the year has in store for retail.
Branching out
One established company which has cemented itself as an online retailer is supermarket giant ASDA. According to The Independent, the supermarket has admitted that it is intending to increase its focus on ‘multi-channel’ sales with its click-and-collect services and online shop.
However, the chain has also announced that it will be increasing the number of its outlets in the UK by 12, offering up 2,500 new jobs. The company is all too aware of the importance of offering bricks and mortar shops to its customers – and while online sales continue to be good for the supermarket giant, the promise of more jobs is good news for the unemployed.
Despite tough economic times, with sandwich chain Pret a Manger announcing its promise to create 500 more jobs in the UK this year – according to Sky News – with its new shops, it’s never been a better time for online businesses to offer up more employment opportunities.
From clicks to bricks
In recent years, there’s been a growth in ecommerce, with the recession even seeing some companies choosing to move their shops entirely online. Given the accessibility an online shop provides, being able to offer products to those all over the country rather than from a static shop can really boost sales.
However, online shops don’t necessarily need that many employees to work effectively. Many small businesses in fact start online; thanks to how easy it is to set up a shop online when compared to setting one up on the High Street. But the success of online stores means that more companies are looking at setting up brick and mortar shops – and that’s good news for jobseekers.
Recently, there’s been an increasing amount of online-based shops branching out into the High Street by setting up physical stores. This can only mean good things for the unemployed in the area – opening shops means more jobs.
Going with the flow
One online-based company which has opened up a handful of shops across the UK is the Oak Furniture Company, which, as reported by the BBC, started out as an eBay retailer in 2003.
Another company set to open up more High Street shops is ecigarettedirect.co.uk, which recently opened a shop in Wales on the back of its online success.
“E-cigarettes are no longer a niche market – they are becoming more and more mainstream,” said James Dunworth, co-founder of the company, to the South Wales Evening Post.
Providing more jobs by setting up these shops is exactly what the economy needs; if more successful online companies follow suit, unemployment figures have the chance of lowering for the first time in years.
SMEs don;t just need to offer more jobs online, but they need to move the majority of their services across to cloud-based software.
SMEs can only compete if they keep costs low, save time and reinvest those resources back into their business.