AS THE country moves officially out of recession and business analysts talk about the green shoots of recovery, has the effect been felt locally in the high street? Gazette reporter Claire Marshall went to find out.
WE ARE out of the recession but can anyone really notice the difference? This was the question I posed to local business people and the answer was in short not really.
One thing that might be returning however is consumer confidence and also optimism. Optimism for a better year to come or for a least some stability.
In Wotton-under-Edge the picture was mixed with some businesses noticing no change and others experiencing buoyant trade.
Chairman of the Chamber of Trade Alex Wilkinson said: "I have spoken to some members and the picture is quite buoyant, it depends what market it is, the luxury goods end is still suffering but many other areas are doing well."
Mary Beasley, of budget shop Cuzens, said: "We have done very well out of the recession because we sell items at the cheaper end of the market.
"Having said that there have been a lot less shoppers in the town. Since the bad weather recently it still looks the same."
Keith Bryon, owner of Wotton DIY, said it is too early to tell if recovery is underway.
"I think we managed to talk ourselves into a recession," said Mr Bryon. "It was on the news all the time and we were told the economy was doing badly. But we haven’t done too bad here. There was definitely a downturn in decorating materials.
"At the moment I don’t feel anything has really changed since last year, it is too early to tell."
In Dursley traders agreed they wouldn’t reap the benefits of an improved economy until work on the new Sainsbury’s supermarket was complete. Mandy Woodward, of Wildwood Flowers in Parsonage Street, said she had noticed a shift in people’s buying habits "It is really difficult to tell if there has been any improvement, especially with the temporary traffic lights still in place," she said.
"I think we have got to be optimistic for the coming year with Sainsbury’s arriving and also Iceland coming to the town.
"The one thing I have noticed is before people would come in and buy just the cheapest bouquets, now we still have people buying the cheap flowers but others that want really expensive ones."
However Margaret Harbard, of Dursley Pet Shop, said she is yet to feel any effects of recovery.
"We are considerably down on last year, so I couldn’t say things have got any better for us and nothing will until the temporary traffic lights are taken down and some parking spaces are found. I have to hope it will improve because if it doesn’t, I won’t be here this time next year."
Gloucestershire’s largest private employer Renishaw has been making slow and steady improvements after taking a hit in the global markets last year, but are still very much in recovery.
Chris Pockett, Renishaw spokesman, said: "Whilst our monthly sales in the UK have certainly improved since the depths of the recession in spring 2009, in the last six months they have generally been at levels below that of the corresponding period in 2008.
"However, we are now detecting a shift in attitude in the UK engineering sector, with customers at least starting to consider investments for growth, rather than simply bunkering down for survival."
One area that has started to bounce back is the local housing market. Estate agent Richard Mace, of Besley Hill in Dursley, said their sales are up 39 per cent on last year.
"We have certainly seen improvement in the market," said Mr Mace. "People feel now that prices have reached the bottom and are leveling out and those that chose not to sell a year or two ago are now deciding to do it.
"There is more optimism about and confidence is the key thing. Peoples’ expectations are now that house prices will increase, so we are really very busy at the moment."
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