Christmas seems to arrive earlier every year—and in some places more than others.
Last week, Selfridges sparked debate by opening its festive shop in London a full 124 days before the big day.
The iconic Oxford Street department store—already with its Christmas food collection—launched its taster offering at the height of summer, a move Scottish retailers will no doubt be monitoring.
Early signs show Christmas might just come early for Selfridges.
It was also with the retail sector in mind that I awaited the latest Retail Index for Scotland figures, covering April to June.
Annual sales were up 1.6 per cent, with the value of sales up 1.4 per cent for the quarter and almost four per cent for the year. Tentatively positive, given general economic uncertainty and one of the wettest Junes on record.
Bolstering results were strong food sales, with AG Barr performing well thanks to new products Irn Bru Xtra and Rubicon Spring.
But Scottish retailers are faring worse than their UK counterparts.
Volumes of sales in the UK grew more than 1.5 per cent for the quarter and more than 2.5 per cent annually. Sales values in the UK were up 1.6 per cent and 5.6 per cent annually.
With a quarter of a million Scots working in retail, this discrepancy is concerning.
And with increasing food and drink prices affecting consumers, non-food retailers are also feeling the pinch.
So while growth is good, we may need action to sustain it long-term.
Wonder Woman, Daenerys & Gender Pay Gap
Wonder Woman is the highest-grossing live-action film by a female director, hitting $800m globally by the end of July.
Time Warner—the parent company behind both Wonder Woman and Game of Thrones—also reported a revenue rise of 11.6 per cent, thanks in part to strong female leads.
It’s ironic then that these hits arrive alongside a sustained outcry over gender pay issues.
I also noted research from Aberdeen University showing that workplace high heels can cause health issues.
Earlier this year, attempts to ban companies from enforcing high heels failed.
Imagine Wonder Woman’s reaction if Superman tried to send her home because her heels weren’t high enough! And Daenerys’ fire-breathing dragons would certainly incinerate any such sexist nonsense.
Perhaps it’s time for a re-think across the country’s offices too.
Laugh
The Church of England is ditching collection plates for contactless card payments.
Some larger churches will have static terminals; others will have handheld machines passed around.
Churchgoers can choose from three donation amounts.
They hope to appeal to younger churchgoers who rarely carry cash, with plans to introduce this at weddings and christenings too.
With Scots supposedly being stingy, maybe the Church of Scotland will trial this—perhaps they’ll call it iPray?
Weep
I was saddened to read about the millions of couples staying in unhappy relationships to get on the property ladder.
According to L&C Mortgages, 1.8m couples are sticking it out because shared income allows them to buy a home.
Some stay together for more than a year longer than they would otherwise, driven by large deposits and mortgage repayments.
Remember folks: you can’t put a price on happiness—and there’s no place like a happy home.
