In retail, whether it is a small shop or a giant outlet, businesses react to the latest economic news just as you and I do. The very first thing business will do to save costs is to cut labor costs of the hourly worker. It is the quickest and fastest way to save a company money. A lot of this is happening now based on the economic forecasts and the doom and gloom of the media. It's the Christmas Season, and labor has been cut drastically as I write this. Full time workers in turn will not have the money they need for essentials resulting in less consumer spending. The media isn't helping matters. Sure there are serious issues, but the fear tactics the media is using is also serving to prep us for a different mind set in politics: more government interference and control. "Fear" is an age old tactic politicians use when trying to change core beliefs, and the upcoming administration is dishing it out. TRedwine
Don't let economic news fool you
By Ben Hillyer (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, November 28, 2008
The sign on the door sent a clear message Tuesday afternoon.
As other downtown shop owners were preparing their stores for the busy Thanksgiving weekend, one store sat in pitch-black darkness — the doors locked to potential shoppers.
As I reached for the door handle, the letter-size piece of paper caught my eye.
“Closed due to the economic crisis,” it said.
If the words didn’t cause alarm, the computer generated image of a man pulling his hair out in frustration did.
The store had cut its business hours in half, no doubt trying to target the weekend when tourists and locals were most likely to be shopping.
“It really is that bad,” I thought as I walked away looking for another store.............continue