We have over 80 replies to our latest survey launched last Monday. The April survey garnered 250 repsonses so we will need at least 100 more to get a proper feel for how the industry is travelling. From the answers we received so far the picture is not nearly as bleak as might be expected. Of the six shops who went into hibernation four have reopened already and just one is not going to reopen.
Thanks to businesses in Queensland to have been the biggest respondents. It seems that 87% of shops kept their regular hours during lockdown with the rest reducing opening hours. The three biggest concerns so far are volume, cashflow and the possibility of a 'second wave' lockdown.
The most encouraging data is that 28% of respondents are extremely confident their business can withstand the financial impact of the pandemic with 52% cautiously optimistic.
If you haven't taken part in the survey please take three minutes to do so. We'll publish the full results next week.