‘Make do and Mend’ wartime mantra returns as Scottish households spending falls dramatically

As Scotland continues to battle Covid-19 and a series of fuel, energy and distribution crises, households appear to be battening down the hatches in preparation for a post-pandemic Britain.

The once popular wartime mantra, ‘Make do and Mend’, is once again making a revival in Scotland as household spending begins to fall significantly.

New retail sale data for September from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has revealed that retail spending has fallen to its lowest level since March of this year.*Consumer confidence in Scotland fell due to concerns over supply chain issues and labour shortages, which lines up with new data from Quotezone.co.uk that shows a 4.6% drop in the average value of contents insured over the last 12 months – falling from £45,268 to £43,176.

It’s likely that many households will be unpacking last year’s winter clothes instead of buying new, while others will be stalling on bigger purchases, like sofas or TVs until the dust settles. Households in the UK are likely spending less in preparation for an economic downturn, and some will already be feeling the squeeze and making cutbacks as a direct result of furlough ending and the rising cost of household bills.

Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, a leading financial comparison platform, comments: “The fact that September retail sales fell in Scotland to their lowest level since March, a period when a hard lockdown was in place throughout the UK and non-essential retailers were forced to close, suggests a widespread trend towards reduced spending.

“The drop in spending from March is significant – but unsurprising. Economic disruption is becoming a daily occurrence as a result of a turbulent 16 months, and while some will be reducing spending in anticipation for Christmas, it’s likely many will be taking a longer-term view of their finances.

“The majority of households are looking to save more pre-winter, making it an ideal time to give finances a winter health check.  A good place to start is to check how competitive suppliers are by not auto-renewing, review direct debits and cancel any luxuries, order in bulk and look to sell or repurpose existing household items no longer needed.

“Comparison sites also help households gather information – they can give an overview of what’s on offer across multiple providers instantly – comparing prices, add-ons and policy features to help them make savings.”

Quotezone.co.uk is one of the UK’s leading financial comparison platforms, helping millions of consumers find better deals on everything from personal loans to credit cards, and from car insurance to home insurance.