Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Markham
This isn't just retail. Other industries are going the same way and big companies can easily send jobs abroad or automate them. This leads to loss of jobs, more on benefits, higher government spending and lower tax revenues.
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For the small shop owners where i lived that had also influence, but not that much. Cause they also buy at a wholesale, but more original and hand made fashion. Woman like shopping, they love those story with original clothes. Or a specialized cheese shop. It was the government terrorizing them. They even banned the bicycles in the street, most people in the city go by bike... And the green party wanted to ban the cars, extra parking cost. But when you shop and have 3 bags of clothes, you want that to put in your car and shop further, can't do that when you come by bus. And the governement complaining that all shopping streets look the same in Holland with all big brands. But saying that the small streets are so nice, not seeing that they are the ones destroying those streets.
Globalisation is just a part, the rules of local governments has more influence. On the other hand you had starbucks that competed with locals that couldn't compete with a brand that payed less tax. And you also have the problem that the employees are protected so well, it is dangerous to hire people. When they get sick, get pregnant, or not working well you hardly can't get rid of them. Not a problem for a big brand with shops all over the country and hundreds of employees. They needed to break up the street for years for a big building project so less people went trough the street. Again no problem for big brands, but a big problem for a small shop owner. The local government compensated one business for that, the local governement casino... can you imagine how a small shop owner felt..
Luckily the green socialist lost at the local elections and finaly they turned back some regulations that put a lot of shops out of business. I went to the city hall on election night when i saw the outcome. Most didn't know my face and i was standing in a group social green political figures and heard them whining that the party that stood up for local businesses and a more right party won. They couldn't believe it. They where so sad they lost and talking bad of the other party. I couldn't resist, introduced myself and said with a big smile that i hoped that they now had to live on wellfare.