WE have many reasons to be grateful to our friends from America down the years and indeed centuries. From the practical political support which played a pivotal part in our peace process, to the door being opened to local businesses as Northern Ireland plc look for investment and new trading opportunities.
Even this past weekend we had an influx of political and sporting figures from Boston who lit up the SSE Arena, and judging from the genuine words of co-operation from State Representative Dan Hunt at the Aisling Awards last weekend, the linkage between Boston and Belfast is stronger than ever.
But, America, did you really have to export ‘Black Friday?’ The Friday after Thanksgiving now carries this unofficial title. How long until we actually start setting down to Thanksgiving dinner on Black Friday eve?
Reports from the UK suggest that retail footfall on this day was down in 2015 compared with 12 months ago. That is no surprise since the stories of last year's near riots and manifest greed have been repeated often enough that the average shopper probably thought twice about going anywhere near a store which featured Black Friday sales.
The result of that decline in mass hysteria was that some major stores appeared to have more camera crews than customers when the doors opened on Friday. There is no record yet of how Belfast stores fared, but certainly driving through the city last Friday was a chore, and while that was partly down to the cold November rain, it was also the case that Christmas shopping had taken hold of our city before December had arrived. So it would be no surprise if, in Belfast, the Black Friday trading figures remained strong.
The modern alternative to braving the stores is to shop online and Amazon UK received more than seven million orders on the one day. It is hard to fault a person who shops online from the comfort of home, with a warm cup of coffee in hand, and of course I have done it as I imagine you have too.
However, there is a societal price to pay for buying online, and in Northern Ireland that is shown starkly in the too many empty retail units in our cities and towns. Streets and districts that were once famous for attracting shopper from across the city are now characterised by fake, painted stores and ‘to let’ signs.
The most pleasant shopping experience I have had recently was with independent electronic store Noel Grimley’s in Andersonstown, the kind of shop which deserves support and trade, and which helps to sustain arterial routes and employ local people.
Population decline from parts of Belfast is a long term problem and has roots in socio economic and political factors which will take a long time to resolve. Attracting a new generation of city dwellers would also boost city centre retail and service trade but that wont happen overnight either.
Those are long term issues, but Glyn Roberts from the Independent Retail Trade Association makes a strong and coherent case that our retail sector is in need of an immediate intervention by government.
That was one reason, among many, that the transfer of regeneration powers from the Department of Social Development to the new super councils was a positive policy move which had the potential to facilitate local solutions to local problems. That was due to take place in 2015 but DSD Minister Mervyn Storey has told the Assembly that the Regeneration Bill will not now go ahead.
He has argued that the pending shake up of government departments and the re-allocation of powers among ministers which will follow the May 2016 election creates a new context and therefore the transfer of powers should be put in abeyance. Councils, and importantly councillors, don't agree and are annoyed at the delay. It is easy to understand why. This would have been an important policy tool; many councils have already begun work on their development plans which would have been predicated on regeneration powers being devolved. It is an unfortunate policy to leave in a limbo.
Many years ago the Christmas season in our house, and many others, really began on December 8, a ‘holy day’ and therefore one when the schools were closed. That was the day that as a family we went into town to get ‘Christmas clothes’, visit Santa in one of the stores and plan our own Christmas shopping. Those days included visits to shops now long gone including Leisureworld, Harrison’s Records, Gardiner’s Bookshops and the big independent department stores like Anderson & McAuley.
In a clear indication of the changing times and the development of our retail sector the building which once housed Anderson & McAuley is now home to franchises of The Disney Store, Zara and Monsoon - fine shops I’m sure, but each one can be found in any city across the UK.
The last thing we want Belfast to become is another ‘Anytown’ but thankfully there still is an independent retail sector which helps Belfast to stand out, alongside the marquee centres at Victoria Square and Castlecourt.
So as we slip into December never mind the false names put on specific shopping days, set the keyboard to one side and do your shopping locally.
:: Brendan Mulgrew is managing partner of MW Advocate. Twitter: @brendanbelfast
:: Next week: Paul McErlean
