Unless you’ve been trapped down a man hole for the past several months, you will be fully aware of the current economic noose that is asphyxiating the majority of the UK’s retailers. The knot may be loosened slightly by news that banks are monitoring the situation on the high street and would be willing to financially assist if the posture of many well-known shops worsens, or potentially “hanged” out to dry. No one wants to see further public executions of our favourite retail outlets. The upside of being trapped down a man hole of course is how much money you would have saved during this time of anxiety and uncertainty. On the surface, however, many people have still over-spent at Christmas, and are under threat of compiling even more debt to compensate the festive indulgences that we are all too familiar with. But, it’s not all doom and gloom. As a consumer, you still have options when foraging the high street, or clicking through the Internet to find what you want. The effortless question you need to ask yourself is: Why buy new when you can buy used, or part exchange? It is possible to save money, but not compromise on quality when shopping. The seemingly indomitable eBay is only 13 years old, but arguably has the commercial maturity and stature of a business that has been around for 30 years. The reason for its success, and more importantly its predicted longevity, is it knows its target audience; millions of people who want to save or make money. It is a frustratingly simple marketing objective, with an expansive demographic, but eBay capitalise on the fact that their customer base have little or no temptation from their competitors. eBay’s shares have slid, however, by about a third since New Year. The fall was triggered by a company announcement of a miniscule shortfall in earnings compared with analysts’ predictions. As one commentator put it: “it’s not often a company’s quarterly sales and profits shoot up by 44% only to have its stock plummet by 19% the next day. “ Like most, I enjoy shopping. I also enjoy the nice things in life. But, if these things come at high price, then I will change my attitude and tactics. This is not necessarily disloyalty, more adapting to the current economic climate. The reality is we are at the beginning of a retail recession; a time when frugality is the new frivolity. Smart shopping arrives in the form of purchasing used goods that look, feel and respond as if new. I still expect, however, a great service with expert knowledge of what I’m buying. Is this balance possible though? I recently put my curiosity to the test when searching for a second hand digital camera, or alternatively (if it was cost affective), part exchange my old one in order to upgrade the model. Of course, I wanted a new, cutting-edge brand, but also accepted that my bank would dispute any over zealous expenditure. So, with minimal capital, but maximum optimism I began shopping. There has been a torrent of extortionate cameras to flood the market since the end of last year, due mainly to the diminishing pound and strengthening yen. Manufacturers such as Canon, Sony and Nikon are understood to be planning an increase in prices between five and 10 per cent to cover their inflating costs. Photographers will now have to expect the already costly Nikon D3x to rise from

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