Recession impacting upon sales of ethical products
The last few years we have seen ethical sales by companies such as Fairtrade flying high with consumers willing to pay a little extra for ethically produced and actually manufactured goods. However, over the last 12 months the sales growth of the past has fallen dramatically and it seems consumers in the UK are more concerned about value for money at this stage of the economic cycle.
While it is likely that sales of ethical goods and ethical services will again show significant growth in the future, restraints on household budgets and business budgets are affecting the short-term potential for this sector. It will be interesting to see how these companies react to the reduction in sales at a time when more focus is being placed upon how goods are manufactured and where they are manufactured.
After a positive end to 2009 we have seen UK retail sales start to flounder as consumers become more concerned about the short to medium term outlook for the UK economy. Indeed we have seen a number of high-profile retailers biting the dust over the last few weeks with more administrations expected in the immediate future. Premium priced goods tend to prove very popular in the good times but when budgets are tight there is a need for value for money!
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