COMMENT - Did we miss out on golden oportunity? (From Cotswold Journal)

COMMENT - Did we miss out on golden oportunity?

9:00am Thursday 5th July 2012 in Letters

WHAT a terrific welcome the Olympic Torch received in the Cotswolds and Vale of Evesham.

Hundreds of people entered the spirit of the occasion and lined the streets to cheer the inspirational torchbearers as they bore the flame through our communities.

It was a wonderful day, and encouraging to see our towns packed with families enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But was this an opportunity missed?

Rarely can Chipping Campden and Evesham, the two main towns on the route of the relay, have attracted such large crowds on a Sunday.

In these tough economic times, it was a heaven-sent opportunity to showcase themselves to an audience of potential shoppers.

So why were more shops not open for business?

There are, of course, many difficulties involved in opening for an extra trading day.

But traders in market towns facing increasing competition from shopping malls and superstores need to be more nimble. They must respond quickly to opportunities such as this.

We live in a changing world where the Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm way of doing business is gone. All of us must adapt or suffer the consequences.