Andrew Marshall who owns Strolling4Shoes To say that the last 12 months have been challenging for retailers is a massive understatement. In a year when shops yo-yoed between unpredictable periods of closure, the British Retail Consortium says UK stores lost £27bn from missed sales with the loss of 67,000 jobs between December 2019 and December 2020. And, while the travails of big names like Marks & Spencer or John Lewis have captured the headlines, Britain’s multitude of family-run, independent retailers have also been working hard to adapt and survive. However, as Steve Matthews - who runs Carlisle’s Bookcase bookshop alongside wife Gwenda and daughter Lucy - points out, Covid-19 has only accelerated many of the trends they were facing already.
We are delighted to announce the launch of this year’s in-Cumbria Business Awards 2021! After a difficult year it’s time to celebrate the successes, innovations and most all, the talented business people we have in this county. Nobody would wish for another year like the one we’ve just endured, but there were some positives. Some companies found the lockdowns of 2020 led to some amazing new ideas and better ways of doing things; more time to focus on strategy and plan for the future. It’s those things we want to recognise and celebrate at our awards this year.