Lockdowns throughout 2020 have impacted all walks of life but for the retail industry, the periods where non-essential stores were forced to close has had a worrying impact.
Last month, it was announced that department store Debenhams would be closing for good, putting 12,000 jobs at risk.
It is not only Debenhams that are at risk, with the Arcadia Group, consisting of Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, also going into administration.
With large corporations evidently struggling, it seems as though lockdowns have encouraged people to support local, independent businesses instead.
Etsy is an example of an e-commerce website that encourages small, independent retailers to sell their products. Lucy Dayman, 21, runs LuceEnds, a nature-based jewellery company via Etsy. She believes that the site has helped boost her business.
“I’ve had a couple from America that have bought my earrings, which obviously I doubt I ever would’ve got without Etsy because it’s all over the world isn’t it?”
Dayman, from the Isle of Wight, has managed to get over 400 orders, after admitting she would have been amazed at just one order per week.
It will be interesting to see over the coming months what happens to businesses – both big and small.
