Let them eat cake

So … with economic fears rampant … how are people responding from the view of my business? The clear shift we are seeing is a move to entertaining at home. I think that's at the expense of dining out. People still want to socialises with family and friends – but cut the cost of doing so. I understand that supermarket sales of pre-prepared meals are up significantly. And hospitality friends tell me that fewer people are dining out, and of those many are spending less per head – especially on wine.

All in all, a natural response. To date relatively few people have been personally or directly affected by broader economic concerns. But many are acting as if they might be sometime soon.