Chamber News Article

The Jersey Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a survey with retailers and close contact services island-wide, to gather data on the detriment to business income over the last month of 2021 and first month of 2022. This follows the Jersey Government excluding these sectors from co-funding support, in the last (Phase 7) round of support.

The survey shows that almost 90% of those responding reported a drop in their January 2022 turnover, compared to the same period in 2019. A quarter of those taking part in the survey saw a drop of more than 50% of their 2019 January figures, with half of all questioned seeing a decline of between 20% and 50%.

Chief Executive of Chamber Murray Norton: “In the many discussions we have held with Government, Jersey Chamber has consistently pointed to the lower footfall particularly in January as affecting sales. The Government has said it wanted further data and this survey conclusively points to the need for these sectors to be included in the short-term Co-funding Support Scheme that was announced just before Christmas, with three-quarters of those responding seeing a drop of 20% or more”

The Government rightly followed health advice to recommend that wherever possible employees should work from home and businesses did follow this advice. That Government intervention clearly reduced footfall to many businesses in retail and close contact services, hampering their trading conditions at the worst of times. Previously, the Government have supported these sectors with co-funding based on an evidenced detriment. It would seem appropriate for the same support to be in place again”

Just over 50% of those completing the survey felt the recommendations to Work From Home and the mandatory wearing of masks drove down turnover in January. The Jersey Chamber of Commerce has delivered the survey to Government, who have welcomed the data resource which is now with Ministers to review any further support.

SURVEY RESULTS
 
*The Jersey Chamber of Commerce Survey ran from the 24^th-28^th January 2022, with 118 businesses responding.