The queues were the tell. Photos of snaking lines outside London Swatch stores hit social media yesterday. Today, the shutters are down.
Swatch has closed multiple UK outlets citing 'operational issues.' But retail analysts are whispering about something bigger: supply chain chaos. The cost-of-living crisis?
Inflation? 'This is a warning shot,' a Whitehall source told me. 'Shoppers aren't just buying less.
They're hoarding. That's a supply shock waiting to happen.' Swatch's move is a canary in the coal mine.
If a global giant like Swatch can't keep its doors open, what about the rest of British retail? The Lobby is buzzing. MPs are demanding Treasury briefings.
The stock market hasn't reacted yet. But the game is changing. Watch this space.
