Local businesses in Lincoln are recoiling after, as one shop assistant described, “the worst January we’ve had in 10 years”.
A combination of bad weather and lack of public spending has left some shops and restaurants in difficult situations. Government figures released today have confirmed that the economy had shrunk by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2012 and shops are now feeling the crunch as people continue to be frugal after the festive period.
Sarah Leason works and Mono Boutique, a small clothes boutique up Steep Hill and has told Siren Fm’s Rhys Williams about the difficult start to the year.
“It’s been the worst January we’ve ever had. we’ve been here for nine years now so it’s been pretty horrific”
“I don’t think the snow has helped at all. when it’s really snowy up on a hill no one wants to walk up here. It’s defiantly a lot slower and there is far less traffic than there has been before ”
“I also think when the weather is like this that people prefer to do their shopping online, and that hurts business as well”
Down on west parade La Bottega delitalia, a small Italian restaurant and cafe, told us that January is tough on everyone.
“After Christmas, it has been a little quiet, but it usually is in January, you have good days and bad days. being a cheaper place to eat works to our advantage”
“I managed Pizza express for 10 years and I know that they struggle too during January. We’re lucky here we don’t have big over heads and lots of staff to pay for, but we’re hoping that business will pick up”.
with more bad weather forecast for this coming weekend the high street may not quite be able to shrug off the winter chill just yet.