I own a hair salon. Typically, November is my busiest season. It has been SO quiet. A lot of my colleagues are also saying the same thing and have had to close up shop because of it - or get a second job.
People keep saying it will get better and the economy will bounce back but I don’t know. I am so close from just throwing in the towel, closing up shop and getting a corporate gig.
I keep reading posts like this and yet every store I go to is mobbed and busy as hell. Is all business just funneled to large companies and small businesses are squeezed out?
That’s the hardest part, my store is still very busy just extremely low spend per transaction… we go home just as tired but with half or less than b4…
Seeing any increase in theft or other economic factors such as returns, supply chain shortage, or defaults on payment plans?
Sooo much theft which has never been a problem before. Part of this might be CA being so lax on it so they know it’s almost allowed…
That must be extremely frustrating. Really unfair to shop owners that it’s not prosecuted more aggressively. I do think that word has gotten around that employees are dissuaded from intervening when someone steals, which compounds the problem.
What do you think would be a successful solution?
Retail sales are down across the board. You may be seeing crowds but they aren’t spending nearly as much as they did earlier in the year. My company sells consumer goods to Target, Walmart and Costco. Sales are down from all of those retailers. We missed our sales projection by $10 million and that rarely happens during what is typically the best time of year for us.
Our sales aren’t really down, but we have far more people browsing but not buying than we have in the past. So it looks busier than ever but doesn’t generate more money.
I’m wondering if small retail is particularly struggling. But blaming it specifically on the economy or whatever that means in your particular region is too broad. Like you, I’ll go to Costco, Walmart, Target, and they’re packed. And people are buying decor and non essential shit too.
Which stores? Places like Wal-Mart have groceries and are the cheapest so they will always be busy. People need to eat.
Many retailers such as Target have reported consecutive losses though. The economy was hanging on by a thread and it seems everything is finally coming to a head with new jobs seeing a significant decline, unemployment slightly up, student loans going back into effect, credit card debt at all time highs, delinquencies among cars at an all time high, housing unaffordable to 80% of the U.S., etc. these things can only go on for so long.