The good news, I was out shopping on the weekend, which means I didn't actually buy anything but drove halfway across town looking for a bed-head, couldn't find one that fit, and went home empty-handed.
But the good news is the shops I visited were full of people spending money. Hardware store. Full. Furniture store, less full but still busy. The Devil Wears Prada on Saturday night was 100% booked out for sessions running almost on the hour.
I've never rated Anne Hathaway's acting chops, but literally thousands of middle-aged women, glass of Savvy Bin hand, clearly did.
A survey out today says retailers are worried about the fuel shock, but I didn't see much reason to be freaking out o the weekend.
Now the bad news, all the stuff we buy in this country comes by sea.
All the trinkets and furniture and non-perishables come over the ocean, because we're a, yah know, an island.
More than 80% of our trade is done on a ship, by value and weight.
Half of that trade - imports and exports - is done by the shipping giant Maersk.
In a little-reported note to customers Friday, Maersk is slapping an almost 30% fuel surcharge on to inland transport.
The fuel bill for imports is increasing 27%. The Aussies' is going up 18%.
This cost gets added to all the stuff we buy. So anything in country right now will be cheaper than anything that's about to be sent here.
They started the new charging rate on Friday.
Which does make my weekend in busy shops and gay old time at the pictures on Saturday night feel somewhat like, to use another movie analogy, a dinner party aboard the Titanic as it listed into the Atlantic ocean.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
1 comment:
Ryan - "the disease of importing" started many years ago when NZ manufacturing decided that it was to 'expensive' to import raw product, produce and sell a market (NZ) that had limited capacity for product.
Also there was the front of house business (M10) that had limited space for NZ product as much of what they sold was from "overseas" (China specifically).
Thus the 'trend' was to close up shop and let someone else "build it".
Those that "bucked the trend" will now tell you it is 'struggle street'.
Also Union influence has not helped NZ business.
China does not have Unions, nor does India.
Also NZ business got influenced by the "Money People" who arrive here, with cheque book in hand and we saw NZ manufacturing business sell up - J Wattie Canneries, is a good example and now NZ watches whilst the overseas owners close all Wattie's manufacturing plants, as it is now "cheaper" to import - on this note Foodstuffs "will be loving it" - more money in the bank, whilst 'touting' cheap food?
Ryan, as you live in Auckland, you will not see this - but the amount of sawn logs that are shipped from NZ - I am told China is the prominent importer, also India.
Carter Holt - recently closed or downsized plants - along with an operator who owned & operated the major Timber Mill & processing plants in Ohakune, who shut up shop.
Now. did we hear from Central Govt at the time, about this - NO, are we hearing about Wattie's & McCain's - yes - why Hawke's Bay is a major center for voting public, so they are asking a committee to "investigate".
By the time the "redacted report" comes out Wattie's plants in Hastings will have closed.
Yup cheaper to import tinned fruit - from China or Asia.
Ryan go talk to Foodstuffs management in Auckland about the food products they import and ask where from.
As to shipping product into NZ - yup well that is another story, that yet again no Govt of the past has bothered to "review", so we have overseas owners & operators of container shipping dominating shipping lanes & pricing - oh, yes the current oil "shock" will increase the 'bottom line' and we (the consumer) will pay for that.
I use the 'term" avarice & greed - for those who own/operate international shipping companies.
I hope the movie was worth it.
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.