Ecommerce Suppliers Urges Businesses to Ride the Storm as Retail Sales Slide

Over the last year, the country has basked in a wave of retail positivity. The warnings of a downward spiral post-Brexit were unfounded, with sales peaking during the busy periods. But with the news that retail sales slowed during the month of May, Midland Pallet Trucks, which works with ecommerce companies on a regular basis, has urged businesses to look at the bigger picture and be savvy in order to ride the storm.

The experts, which provide robust and reliable such as pallet trucks, lift tables, and aerial work platforms to businesses all over the UK in order to help them streamline working processes, has reassured business leaders that this doesn’t necessarily mean that tides are turning, but a number of factors could be to blame.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at Midland Pallet Trucks, said, “During these testing times, this is certainly going to be a worry, but it’s important to remember that this is just one month out of 12, and there are a number of factors that could have affected the decline. The weather for example picked up last month, meaning less people were spending time in shops, instead being out and about with family and friends. Likewise, May is somewhat of an ‘in-between’ month – nestled between spring and summer, so clothing sales are usually lower than other months.”

Underlining the rising inflation and weak wage growth, this decline could point to consumers feeling ‘the pinch’ according to the British Retail Consortium. In the month to the end of May, in-store sales fell by 4.4%. Highlighting the sharpest fall in four and a half years, the decline has been described as ‘striking’ by the BRC, which monitors sales with the accountancy firm KPMG.

This news comes on the back of Barclaycard stating that a poll conducted by YouGov last month on behalf of the card provider found that 17% of people felt less confident about their household finances than they did in March.  Just 53% of those surveyed felt confident during the month of May – compared to 70% in March. On top of this, Barclaycard’s own data found that growth in consumer spending fell to 2.8% in May, which was marginally above April’s inflation rate of 2.7% – as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

“The best way for businesses to get through this dip in sales is by staying calm, investing wisely, and offering a sterling service to ensure they really stand out,” added Phil.

Midland Pallet Trucks’ products have been built to make it easier for businesses to carry out work behind the scenes with ease, enabling them to pass on their money and time savings to customers.

To find out more about Midland Pallet Trucks, visit the website: http://www.midlandpallettrucks.com