We’re fasting approaching the busiest period in the year for retailers with fierce competition and several compelling events yet to play their cards and determine the sales and profitability of our high street shops and restaurants. With the Met Office starting to predict the severity of winter a year in advance, this will come as welcome news to data analysts trying to predict the impact of an unusually warm or cold winter.
The march towards ever increasing online sales, rewards those that have invested in their operations to deliver goods quicker than ever before, but brings challenges (and dents profits) when dealing with returns. And then of course, there is the small matter of Black Friday sales to drive shoppers into stores before Christmas. The jury is out on whether the extra footfall and sales actually increases revenue and profits but it looks like it is here in the UK to stay for now anyway.
While all of this brings uncertainty for the high street, the one thing they can predict is our willingness to make our money go further. From seeking out bargains online from the comfort of your sofa to braving the sales, customers are savvy and know where to look for a bargain. The popularity of employee discounts cards has exploded as more high street names sign up, offer better more tailored discounts, and make it easier than ever to consume the offer in front of them. And employers are seeing the benefits too.
With pressure on organisations to deliver benefits packages that employees actually want and can use frequently, employee discount cards are a quick and low cost way of making an instant impact. So why not give your employees an early Christmas present with discount cards they can use to spread the festive cheer even further this year?
Sally Duckworth, CEO, You at Work