6th August 2009
CONSUMERS REMAIN LOYAL TO TELECOMS DURING TIMES OF
RECESSION
A recent Ofcom report has found that consumers
would rather relinquish nights out or go without new clothes before
cutting back spending on their mobile phones.
The Ofcom survey of 862 people in the UK asked
respondents where they were likely to be cutting back on spending
during the current economic downturn. Of those surveyed, 47% said
going out for dinner, 41% said DIY and 41% said holidays. Only 19%
of respondents said they’d cut back on mobile phone spending, 16%
said they would cut back on TV subscriptions and 10% said broadband
services.
Despite the recession, statistics from Sure
back up the report findings with a significant increase in the
number of customers visiting its stores in Jersey, Guernsey and the
Isle of Man between July 2008 to July 2009. In addition, the local
telecoms supplier has also seen a further increase in the average
transaction value in the last month alone. These trends would
suggest that telecommunication is equally highly valued in the
islands as it is on the mainland.
Hamish Kiernan, Head of Retail for Sure,
said:
“We have no research to verify OFCOM’s
findings, but our stores have been extremely busy despite the
recession. Nowadays communications technology is central to
people’s lives and what this seems to suggest is that we are moving
from mobiles and broadband being viewed as luxuries to
necessities,” he said.
Between June 2009 - July 2009, Sure had a 30%
increase in footfall into its Jersey store, 22% increase to its
Guernsey stores and a 10% increase in footfall into its Isle of Man
store.
For further information on Ofcom’s annual
report can be found at
www.ofcom.org.uk