The current chairman of the KBSA Richard Hibbert, managing director at KSL in Sudbury, has voiced his concerns for the long-term effect of the coronavirus situation.
The KBB retail sector was already struggling thanks to the effects of Brexit, he said, and the current problems could be the killer blow.
“There are a lot of business of all sizes struggling,” he said. “We were one of them and have been fighting hard to keep moving on. Since mid-December we have been doing well and footfall is still good with only minor supply issues.
“My main worry is, with the lockdown coming, we will have supply issues and [customers] will delay plans as again they will not know what the future looks like. We will continue to keep the showroom clean and open, our service levels high and hope things are not as bad as feared.
“I know a lot of independents cannot survive much more disruption. It shows that the Government should’ve got a grip on Brexit years ago to give us all a fighting chance to have grown before another kick. This sounds very negative I know, but I do worry for businesses – including my own.”
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