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The ability to bake our own bread, and to bring in the goods we need to live, seem fundamental to an Island. Yet this summer we learnt that both CI Bakery and Huelin Renouf were closing, and so changing the basic structure of our economy.
On the freight issue, a new operator has now announced it will be competing with Condor and Channel Seaways, and retaining a ‘lift on, lift off’ freight service which is so important for the construction industry. But for a time, the States seemed ready to intervene in the market, and start their own service; in this edition, Doug Bannister, Chief Executive of the Ports of Jersey, reveals just how close that came to happening on page 44.
The most recent retail figures show that the total volume of retail sales is now at its lowest for at least the last six years, and has declined steadily for the last year. Now that doesn’t include online sales, which in the UK have increased sharply over the same period – which leads to the abundantly obvious conclusion that we are all still shopping, we’re just not doing it in the shops. Guilt-led ‘buy local’ campaigns don’t seem to be enough to change that, and on page 16 we take a look at what the bare statistics actually mean for one St. Helier retailer, and how we might be able to help what is a very important sector – and we’re measuring that not on cold economic value, but in terms of its place in the fabric of island life.
To complete the picture, on page 50 you’ll find diversity and growth within our dairy industry, and on page 58, we’re meeting our match-maker...thankfully, his job is to bring global finance business back to Jersey. I hope you enjoy his story, and the others in this edition of Connect. Feedback is welcome at editor@bailiwickpublishing.com
