… it was exactly the same. The conversations that I used to have with colleagues and my manager are now becoming a reality. As Robert Peston has been saying it’s been a “lame duck retailer” for years and it’s not surprising really.
I worked there from the age of 17 right through to 20 when I was studying. Woolworths was very good to me, I used to come back every holiday from university, on my original rate of pay and get loads of hours. They were probably too nice come to think of it. It was a good place to work (as long as you weren’t planning on staying too long) but you had that nagging feeling that the retail reaper was going to strike eventually.
However, what’s scary is, if it can happen to Woolies then it can happen to anyone. I know Woolies isn’t what it used to be but it is a BIG company. 30,000 comployees, hundreds of stores. And for lack of a better word, it’s buggered. Students’ Union’s and charities, and anyone else for that matter, need to think that if you’re not innovating, upping your game and leading your area then you’re going to suffer. How many charities and third sector organisations will be cutting back, focusing on easy wins, core values and all the rest of it? That’s great, but if you’re not taking the odd risk, maybe failing once, twice, thrice, but making a great win somewhere else then you’re not going to make it.
The big thing that has struck me is that the public may like you, have a soft spot for you, but they won’t spend a penny with you and that’s what everyone needs in the end – money. How many charities are loved, liked, looked highly upon but at the end of the day if you can’t pay the bills then the administrators will be in. The new economy will be made up of companies who aren’t afraid to put themselves out there, but have a solid plan behind everything to make sure that donations/profits/readers/punters/whoever/whatever are still coming in.