As an industry, we’re starting to see the shape of the year ahead, and for now it’s not a pretty picture. Retail consumer spending during the year-end holidays was disappointing, to say the least. Other measures of consumer confidence and willingness to spend also aren’t encouraging. Congress and President Obama are about to unveil a massive stimulus package that could come very close to $1 trillion, yet no one is sure whether it, or any other measure, will be helpful, especially in the short run. In such a challenging environment, what’s the right strategy? Can your organization grow, rather than just survive?
In this month’s cover story (page 10), we asked writer Richard Gamble to see what some industry experts think it will take to make it through a tough climate and, more important, what you might do to grow while those around you stand pat or shrink. Some of what he found may encourage some innovative thinking—especially the idea that what you can do to help your merchant customers survive can also help you expand, even in a shrinking economy.
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