Tim Dowling: It’s cheaper to visit Iceland the country than Iceland the supermarket
An economic recession is a little like a Rothko canvas: how it colours your outlook sometimes depends on which way up you look at it. Now more than ever, we need to take a hard look at the Rothko inside each of us, and see if we don’t like it better hung sideways, or even upside down. It’s up to you.
The good news is that consumers are finally heading back to the shops as Christmas approaches. The slightly less good news is that they are not British shoppers, but tourists who are coming from all over Europe to take advantage of our extraordinarily weak currency.
Plucky British shoppers, meanwhile, are becoming ever more adept at sniffing out bargains, forsaking expensive stores such as Waitrose for cheaper supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi. They’re also stealing more, with thefts from Tesco up 36% year on year. We shouldn’t necessarily dwell on this less cheery side of things, beyond saying the most popular item currently being stolen from Iceland stores is, apparently, a frozen leg of lamb.
Foreign travel has naturally declined during the recession, but the weak pound needn’t dissuade you from seeking retail bargains abroad. These days it’s cheaper to shop in Iceland the country than it is in Iceland the retailer - thanks to the total economic collapse of the former - and the numbers of Britons visiting Iceland in September was up by 20%. In these uncertain times it’s nice that we can understand their present difficulties, and in some small way take advantage of them. Everybody wins - except for losers, so don’t be one.
Recession-busting tip: Should you find yourself with an accidental surplus of frozen lamb - or any meat, for that matter - the local pub is a great place to find someone who will take it off your hands at the right price. You’d be doing each other a favour.
What’s going cheap right now: Heart-shaped heat pads, Inspector Morse DVD box sets, leeks.
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