It’s absolute poverty, not “market competition” that has led to a drop in food sales – kittysjones

Last Updated: August 26, 2014By

Public spending in food stores fell for the first time on record in July this year, putting the UK recovery in doubt after a very worrying, unprecedented record fall in food sales, with many consumers evidently yet to feel the benefit of the so-called recovery, writes kittysjones.

The price of food was 0.2% higher than a year ago. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) started collecting the data in 1989.The volume of food sales was also down last month, by 1.5% on an annualised basis.

There was also a marked fall in petrol consumption, and the only prominent area of growth was in spending that entailed use of mail order catalogues, and at market stalls, as people use credit to buy essential items and shop around for cheap alternatives and bargains.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that repressed, stagnant wages and RISING living costs are going to result in reduced sale volumes. Survation’s research in March this year indicates that only four out of every ten of UK workers believe that the country’s economy is recovering. But we know that the bulk of the Tory austerity cuts were aimed at those least able to afford any cut to their income.

Read the rest of this article on kittysjones’ blog.

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11 Comments

  1. Stephen Paul Tamblin August 26, 2014 at 5:30 pm - Reply

    This so call recovery is a loud of rubbish thay say unemployment is gone down what a load of rubbish this government is telling every body in England that the economy is on the up loud of rubbish if you believe that you will believe anything

    • Trish Wilkinson (@SlashWilko) August 31, 2014 at 10:29 pm - Reply

      I could cry at the way our most disadvantaged and vulnerable are treated-where has the compassion gone?? #21stCenturyToryBritain

  2. Mike Sivier August 26, 2014 at 5:40 pm - Reply

    Thanks to Tony Dean for pointing out a fault with a link to the original blog post.

  3. Jim Round August 26, 2014 at 6:40 pm - Reply

    Disappointed that my previous comments on another one of your posts was not discussed Mike.
    The one where I said a discussion was needed on how new immigrants to some areas found work where there was relatively high unemployment.
    There still seems to be no real debate about barriers facing claimants, until that happens, all this will sadly continue.

    • Mike Sivier August 26, 2014 at 9:23 pm - Reply

      Sorry, Jim, but there’s not a lot I can do about that!
      Readers respond according to their knowledge and inclination.
      Maybe it’s not a common phenomenon?

    • Tony Dean August 27, 2014 at 7:24 am - Reply

      How new immigrants get jobs in areas of high unemployment is simple. They are the only ones informed about the jobs because they have never been advertised in Britain.
      There are many unscrupulous employers who will not employ locals because the locals know about health and safety requirements, the minimum wage, legal minimum holidays and so on.
      About 15 miles away from where I live is a crop picking and processing company that apparently employs 3500 people. I can find no-one local who has ever seen a job advertised there. Plus there is no signage in English anywhere at the main gate or anywhere on the outside of the buildings. There is however signage in four eastern European languages.

      • mrs. Julie Lloyd August 29, 2014 at 10:04 am - Reply

        Tony Dean ; This is an absolute scandal and more needs to be in the media and papers because so many people are of the opinion that the Brits refuse to take these jobs . The government are probably well aware of the fact and probably bleat ” we can do nothing about it ” What at country we live in !!! _

    • bookmanwales August 27, 2014 at 9:38 am - Reply

      Hi Jim, I can’t seem to leave a reply on your previous post so replying here.

      The fact of immigrants getting jobs in place of native workers is as much a cultural one as it is a financial one.
      The standard of living we in the UK expect is much higher than some immigrants have ever seen. Our housing, working hours, work conditions, transport to work and wage expectations have a much higher bar.
      For example I live in a 3 bedroom house with my son, I pay the same rent as 4 Hungarians living next door who all have jobs working in a hotel ( notoriously poor wages and unsociable hours).
      I pay this rent myself when working, they share between 4 and 6 of them at any time. I pay all my bills alone and again they share.

      This means in effect they individually need to earn only a quarter of what I need in order to cover themselves. I also have responsibility for my son and hence cannot work all hours, they have no responsibilities and hence no work hour restrictions.

      Sharing for Brits (apart from University days) has always been a big no no, this applies to even living with your parents once above 18 or so. This saddles us with a great burden and prevents us taking low paid, irregular hour employment as we never earn enough to save anything for those “between jobs” periods.
      Until we conquer this ” Work for yourself not your family, Live by yourself not with family ” culture we are always going to be at a great disadvantage when it comes to pursuing employment, especially on minimum wage ( which most jobs are these days).

      • Jim Round August 27, 2014 at 7:32 pm - Reply

        So then, in response to the above posts, it is mostly down to bad employment practices, so where is our so called free and great press in reporting on these things, or are immigrants an easier target because they have little redress?
        We go back to the care industry as an example, how much is made from contracts and what are the overheads? Are they so much that they cannot afford to improve the wages and working conditions for staff?
        Thanks to the above for replying.

  4. Thomas M August 27, 2014 at 1:13 am - Reply

    Hunger tends to cause unrest, a lot of it.

  5. Norma Roberts August 27, 2014 at 8:24 am - Reply

    I expect IDS will interpret this as: that food sales are down because more people are going to foodbanks. He will then blame Trussell Trust for opening all the foodbanks, and say that is the cause for the downturn in food sales. He will finish by saying, that if people budgeted correctly there is no need for anyone to use a foodbank, as UK benefits are very generous! So once again he can blame the unemployed, sick/disabled etc for a downturn in the economy.

    Bets, anyone?

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