Ms Heather Graham:

I agree totally with Deputy Lyons. Five or six years ago our business dealt entirely with tradesmen coming through the door. We have had to diversify to stay in business. We are now getting the general consumer coming through the door. The merchant is still going, trying to change themselves to become destination stores where one can come and get the lamp and so on. The next stage is IT. We have only recently started a website where one can go online. This industry has changed a great deal in the past five or six years. We have a long way to go but we are very determined and have great potential.

On the jobs issue, one thing I can say about our industry is that there is a great deal of knowledge in it. My staff on the floor can deal with a plumber and everything to do with decor. It is not a business in which a person starts tomorrow and he or she knows everything by the end of the week. Besides job creation, job retention and keeping those with the knowledge in the business is vital to us as merchants.