Cost of Living Crisis Hits Sustainability Sector生活成本危机重创可持续发展行业

For many of the UK’s small businesses， the cost of living crisis has hit profits. For those whose mission is sustainability， the knock-on effect has been dramatic.

在英国，生活成本危机已重创许多小企业的利润。对于以可持续发展为己任的小企业而言，连锁反应极其显著。

The independent sustainable products retail sector enjoyed rapid growth during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns， with entrepreneurs launching start-ups from home and a boom in online shopping.

因疫情而封城的头几个月里，随着企业家们居家创业，线上购物突然兴旺，独立的可持续产品零售行业迎来了快速发展。

However， the economic weather has changed dramatically since Christmas 2021， with many shoppers prioritising cheaper gifts rather than sustainable ones. Add in the disruption to supply chains and increased cost of doing business， the result is hundreds of independent businesses closed in 2022， while many more are struggling to stay afloat1.

不过，自2021年圣诞节以来，经济形势发生巨变。许多顾客优先考虑价格较低的，而不是更具可持续性的礼物。加之供应链中断、营商成本上升，结果就是数百家独立企业倒在2022年，而更多的幸存者仍在艰难维持周转。

Fay Watts， director of The Dispens-ary， in Salford， is preparing for her last few days of trading before she reluctantly closes her doors for good2. At her high street store， she offered a refills service for household products， and for a while， business was booming.

费伊·沃茨是索尔福德市环保商店“配药室”的主理人，她正在为最后几天的营业做准备，之后她将迫不得已地彻底关上小店大门。她的店位于商业街，主营家居用品的补充替换装，一度生意兴隆。

“We opened in 2019 and business was good throughout the pandemic，” she says. “But the last six months [in 2022] have been extremely difficult and I have not been able to pay myself a wage for a year.”

“我们从2019年开始营业，疫情期间生意一直不错。”她说，“但（2022年）最后6个月过得异常艰辛，我已经整整一年都开不出自己的薪水了。”

Watts adds that her mental health has suffered as the business struggled and debts mounted. “I never really understood the ‘death of the high street’ before I had a bricks and mortar store. But it’s incredibly difficult to change consumer habits and tough to compete with the convenience offered by supermarkets.”

沃茨补充道，随着门店生意难做、债台高筑，她的内心也备受煎熬。“在开设实体店之前，我从未真正理解过什么是‘商业街之死’。然而，改变消费者的购物习惯难于登天，而且超市提供了诸多便利，我们又难以与之匹敌。”

Zero Waste Path， which started life in an Edinburgh flat in 2018， has been forced to close its EU operation， and the future of its UK business hangs in the balance3. Its co-founder， Giulio Corsi， says the sustainability sector boomed for a couple of years but in 2022 “demand has dropped dramatically”， resulting in a 40% loss in sales compared with 2021. “Add to that a rent increase， energy bills at an all-time high， and the escalating cost of ingredients… it’s just not tenable4 any more.”

2018年，“零废弃之路”诞生于爱丁堡的一间公寓，如今这家公司不得不退出欧盟市场，其英国业务也前途未卜。公司的联合创始人朱利奥·科西称，可持续发展行业火爆了好几年，但2022年“需求急转直下”，导致销售额和2021年比降低了40%。“再加上房租上涨、能源价格达到新高，还有节节攀升的原材料成本……生意难以为继。”

Anni Kriesche， founder of London-based company Funky Soap， says 2022 has been the toughest year since her company began trading a decade ago. “A lot of our ingredients doubled in price， seemingly overnight，” Kriesche says.

安妮·克里舍是伦敦“时髦肥皂”公司的创始人，她称2022年是公司开业10年来最艰难的一年。克里舍说：“几乎是在一夜之间，很多原材料的价格翻了一番。”

Many suppliers folded and by July 2022 she was struggling to pay her staff and discussed liquidating the business with her accountant—“a really low point”. However， a re-structuring has provided a much-needed boost and helped her to seize the opportunity to try new approaches.

随着供应商接二连三地倒闭，到了2022年7月，她付不起员工的薪水，于是和公司会计商量清算公司业务——“真是至暗时刻”。好在资产重组给公司打了一剂急需的强心针，帮她抓住另辟蹊径的宝贵机会。

Kriesche says： “We have started to look at every ingredient and work out how we can buy it in bulk and cheaper. We have also focused a lot more on gifts and personalisation. We’ve come this far and we’re not giving up.”

克里舍表示：“我们已经开始逐一分析每种原材料，然后研究如何低价批购。我们还把业务重心转移到礼品和个性化定制上。既然已经走到这一步，我们就会勇往直前。”

Manchester-based sisters Trina and Charlie Gill run Life Before Plastic， an online shop for sustainable products made by independent zero-waste retailers.

特里纳·吉尔和查利·吉尔两姐妹在曼彻斯特经营着一家名为“无塑生活”的网店，专卖由遵循零废弃原则的独立零售商生产的可持续产品。

However， as the cost of living crisis has taken hold5， the number of suppliers has dwindled dramatically， the Gills say. They cite several， including Naked Necessities， The Kind Store and The Beeswax Wrap Co.， that have folded in 2022， with further closures coming almost daily.

不过，吉尔姐妹称，随着生活成本危机日益加剧，供应商大幅减少。她们举例称，诸如“返璞归真”“善意商店”“蜂蜡保鲜膜”等供应商纷纷于2022年倒闭，而更多的悲剧几乎每天都在上演。

“For us， it means less choice and fewer makers to support，” says Trina. “You can really see the drop-off6.”

“对我们而言，这意味着更少的选择和更有限的对口供应商。”特里纳如是说，“你能实实在在地看到订单数量下降。”

The cost of sales has also risen with the sisters having to incentivise customers with discounts or free gifts. “This is pressure that comes from big companies who can afford to have sales. For us， ultimately， it is coming out of our pocket.”

由于两姐妹不得不用折扣或赠品来吸引顾客，销售成本也水涨船高。“这份压力来自打得起折的大公司。对于我们这种小公司而言，最终还是得自掏腰包。”

Trina explains that although zero-waste products usually last longer than cheaper alternatives， the higher price tag makes them prohibitively expensive for those living paycheck to paycheck.