[Source - Telegraph Business Club - 21st October 2008]
Has the Far Eastern bubble burst?
In the past week I have spoken with two very different companies, both of which were built on the back of low cost, high quality goods from China.But now life is no longer as rosy as it once was, it seems. Inflation in China was running at 8.7pc earlier this year and while it has dropped a bit, it is still higher than our own above target inflation rate.
Cheap labour is also coming to an end, I’m told. No one would condone child labour or subsistence-level wages but now new working time rules and a minimum wage have affected the production costs there.
The price of raw materials is also increasing and, as goods and services have to be paid for in US dollars – which this year has seen a fall from more than $2 to the pound to $1.75 – the price advantage seems to becoming eroded.One of the companies was also bemoaning the loss of identity here in its own UK market.
As one of many firms who bought in its goods, it was finding it hard to create a point of difference, it said. Its answer is to revert to its own designs and outsource production to UK providers. I wonder if this is a blip, or the beginnings of a revival, albeit small, of a UK manufacturing base?I’d welcome your thoughts and experiences.
paul@theenglishstore.co.uk
http://www.theenglishstore.co.uk/
About Us
- The English Store Blog
- The English Store was the creation of Brian Dash and Paul Green who came up with the idea in order to promote English made products and English produced food and drink, as amazingly there were no such sites anywhere on the web.
On the right hand side you will see a list of all the categories that we cover - please browse and click on any of the topics that take your fancy!
Friday, 31 October 2008
Press Release
THE ENGLISH STORE
PRESS RELEASE
30 September 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE ENGLISH STORE - A NEW WEBSITE TO SOURCE ALL THINGS ENGLISH
The English Store (www.theenglishstore.co.uk) is an exciting and unique new website which allows buyers to source all things English at the click of a mouse.
With the lack of any websites promoting English made goods and produce, Brian Dash and Paul Green came up with the concept of The English Store. It offers a unique new concept, an online directory of companies with English-made products and English-produced food and drink. Anyone who can truly claim the 'Made In England' tag can have an entry in the directory.
England produces a large and varied selection of food and drink to beat anything from the continent, such as dairy products, fruit, vegetables, poultry, confectionery, wines, beer, cider and liqueurs. It even produces its own whisky! Plus, England makes an enormous range of high quality goods ranging from furniture to jewellery, pottery, china, glass, silver, clothes, toys, art and cosmetics. Unfortunately, many products are just hard to find!
Bringing these offerings together in one, simple place that can be easily navigated allows the patriots among us to buy English goods, thus helping the economy and the variety of companies out there "flying the flag for England".
There is also the green issue - people can save on their air and food miles by buying goods and produce in England rather than purchasing goods from faraway places such as China, Australia or New Zealand.
Brian Dash said: "Twenty years ago, everyone waved a Union Jack at English sporting events. Today, everyone waves the flag of St George, which seems to indicate that the English are becoming more patriotic. The French, Germans, Italians and most other Europeans buy their goods, produce and services predominantly from their own country and that's why they have some very successful small companies and indigenous industries".
Paul Green concurred. "The English tend to buy most of their goods and produce from abroad - the supermarkets and shops are stuffed with foreign items and I guess that around 80% plus of their stock is from abroad".
To celebrate the launch of The English Store web-based portal, there is an introductory offer of a 3 months free trial for companies with a "Made In England" label.
Brian added: "The intention is to promote the English entrepreneurial spirit and we will only charge people if we can prove to them that we are generating traffic to their websites. It's a no brainer really!"
The benefit to any of the site's advertisers is that it gives a low cost way of promoting and marketing their company. The English Store brings a number of like-minded organisations together and makes it easier for the consumer to find well made, quality and value for money English products.
www.theenglishstore.co.uk
For further information:
Brian Dash
t: 01628 778437
m: 0790 512882
e: brian@theenglishstore.co.uk
Paul Green
t: 0870 420 2756
m: 07949 703137
e: paul@theenglishstore.co.uk
PRESS RELEASE
30 September 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE ENGLISH STORE - A NEW WEBSITE TO SOURCE ALL THINGS ENGLISH
The English Store (www.theenglishstore.co.uk) is an exciting and unique new website which allows buyers to source all things English at the click of a mouse.
With the lack of any websites promoting English made goods and produce, Brian Dash and Paul Green came up with the concept of The English Store. It offers a unique new concept, an online directory of companies with English-made products and English-produced food and drink. Anyone who can truly claim the 'Made In England' tag can have an entry in the directory.
England produces a large and varied selection of food and drink to beat anything from the continent, such as dairy products, fruit, vegetables, poultry, confectionery, wines, beer, cider and liqueurs. It even produces its own whisky! Plus, England makes an enormous range of high quality goods ranging from furniture to jewellery, pottery, china, glass, silver, clothes, toys, art and cosmetics. Unfortunately, many products are just hard to find!
Bringing these offerings together in one, simple place that can be easily navigated allows the patriots among us to buy English goods, thus helping the economy and the variety of companies out there "flying the flag for England".
There is also the green issue - people can save on their air and food miles by buying goods and produce in England rather than purchasing goods from faraway places such as China, Australia or New Zealand.
Brian Dash said: "Twenty years ago, everyone waved a Union Jack at English sporting events. Today, everyone waves the flag of St George, which seems to indicate that the English are becoming more patriotic. The French, Germans, Italians and most other Europeans buy their goods, produce and services predominantly from their own country and that's why they have some very successful small companies and indigenous industries".
Paul Green concurred. "The English tend to buy most of their goods and produce from abroad - the supermarkets and shops are stuffed with foreign items and I guess that around 80% plus of their stock is from abroad".
To celebrate the launch of The English Store web-based portal, there is an introductory offer of a 3 months free trial for companies with a "Made In England" label.
Brian added: "The intention is to promote the English entrepreneurial spirit and we will only charge people if we can prove to them that we are generating traffic to their websites. It's a no brainer really!"
The benefit to any of the site's advertisers is that it gives a low cost way of promoting and marketing their company. The English Store brings a number of like-minded organisations together and makes it easier for the consumer to find well made, quality and value for money English products.
www.theenglishstore.co.uk
For further information:
Brian Dash
t: 01628 778437
m: 0790 512882
e: brian@theenglishstore.co.uk
Paul Green
t: 0870 420 2756
m: 07949 703137
e: paul@theenglishstore.co.uk
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