Why trade counters buck Covid downturn

摘要

Back in January, when I was interviewed by this magazine ('Hobby reveals trade secrets of Dunmoore', p49,30.01.20), I said I viewed trade counters "as part of the last-mile logistics business" and that I believed "they will play a big role in the future supply chain", Of course, I wish my prediction had not been borne out quite as quickly as it ultimately was. What Covid has done is accelerate trends, such as people wanting to work more flexibly, the decline of the high street and trade counters' important role in the supply chain. While the Covid lockdown just two months after the interview forced the closure of bricks-and-mortar shops, trade businesses -such as Screwfix and Toolstation - were deemed to be 'essential businesses' and permitted to keep their physical branches open.