Right now, things aren't shaping up for a good Christmas at my
Big Issue pitch compared to last year ... A number of factors
seem to be the problem right now since returning from the
Middle East just under a week ago. One there's been nothing
but constant rain and wind and cold almost all day long
and every day at my Covent Garden pitch. Such doesn't
help me in trying to sell The Big Issue at the best of times
and especially at this time of the year when Christmas is a
"make" or "break" period for most vendors. If they don't
make any money now, then they're not going to make
much at any other time of the year ...
So Christmas is obviously critical.
Aside from the appalling weather on the streets,
the economy this year isn't as bright as it was last
year. People are more in debt, too, and the cost
of living like food and rent has increased while
real wages have stayed in limbo for most of the
folkz I know ... Such only helps compound what
looks right now to be the upcoming Christmas
blues ... at least for many Big Issue vendors like
me ... High street department stores are crying,
too, due to fears of poor sales and consumer
spending. We've become so materialistic as a
nation, one wonders when it will all end and
get back to the Christmases where people
were more important than things and money ...
Other factors revolve around The Big Issue itself.
This year it appears it will have two Xmas bumper
issues -- the present one is called a "Christmas
Special" and next week's is called a "Festive Special"
-- costing vendors to buy at a £1 a piece and to sell
at £2 a piece to the public. The problem with what
is now to be two undated Xmas editions instead
of what was one Xmas edition from previous
years for vendors to sell, is that we are forced
to pay more to buy them and make less profit
by doing so ... When I pay 70 pence a piece
for the regular editions during the business year,
I usually make at least £1.30 profit because most
of my customers give me two quid and say keep
the change. The cover price is £1.50 regardless.
But now when I get two quid for the cover
price of the Xmas editions, all I make from
selling such is a mere quid. Hence, I pay
30 pence more for the Xmas edition and
make 30 pence less in profit. So, overall,
I lose 60 pence almost each time for each
issue sold during my Christmas selling
period at my pitch. Only when I get
donations above and beyond selling the
magazine do I perhaps make some
headway, financially. So if this Christmas
doesn't shape up to past Christmases,
then I and alot of vendors are going to
be down the shoot ...
It seems to me that the only real beneificary
this Christmas will be The Big Issue itself
and not the vendors struggling like me to sell
on the cold and wet streets of England ...
It also seems that The Big Issue isn't giving
much out this Christmas to its vendors, either.
Two Christmases ago, The Camper Company
gave sneakers or trainers for vendors via The
Big Issue Foundation and comfy weather-
proof jackets. Last year I saw nothing and
this year all that I have seen is a post-free in-
sert for customers to send only a lousy Xmas
card for The Big Issue to deliver such0
specific vendors. From my own experience
of having received some 174 Christmas cards
last year from my customers and friends at my
own pitch was that they simply handed them to
me at my pitch. They didn't need to send
them post-free via TBI for me to receive
the welcome greetings ....
Hang in there and let's hope Christmas on
the street isn't as bad as I think it may be
right now ...
UPDATE: One vendor has just informed
me that they'll be the usual Christmas Dinner
for vendors, but he and I have yet to know
when it will take place. There has been no
notice for us to read or any verbal announce-
ment of when and where such is to be held.
We assume the so-called "Xmas Meal" is also
called "The Vendors Party," which is now
held at sometime during January although
before it was held on Christmas Eve which
proved to be fatal since many homeless
vendors were either going to CRISIS for
the Xmas period or simply couldn't make
it due to problems of transportation or
their particular personal situation ...
CRISIS will be open again this year
on December 23rd, 2oo7.
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