One month after the floods that devastated parts of England and Wales finally drained away, many retailers across the country are still far from being home and dry.
With a vast backlog of claims still to sift through, insurance companies are warning that many retailers face months, if not year-long waits, before they can get back on their feet and start trading again.
Jenny Jackson, whose post office and convenience store in Toll Bar, South Yorkshire, was gutted when a muddy torrent swept down her street, is still living in a caravan. She has been told that she will not be able to re-open her store until well after Christmas.
"My spirits are very low at the moment. I feel as though my life has been put on hold," she told C-Store. "I don't have a clue what's going on and can't plan a thing. Some days I don't see the point in getting out of bed."
Guy Warner, who runs five Budgens stores in the Gloucestershire region, was also hit hard when four of his stores suffered varying degrees of flood damage. His Tewkesbury store, which was swamped under nearly five feet of water, has yet to re-open.
The Federation of Small Businesses waded in to help this week by joining forces with leading computer company Dell. It hopes to assist flood hit retailers by offering them new IT equipment at significantly reduced rates.
The tie-up could help many small businesses bypass insurance company delays and get back on their feet quickly, said the FSB.
With a vast backlog of claims still to sift through, insurance companies are warning that many retailers face months, if not year-long waits, before they can get back on their feet and start trading again.
Jenny Jackson, whose post office and convenience store in Toll Bar, South Yorkshire, was gutted when a muddy torrent swept down her street, is still living in a caravan. She has been told that she will not be able to re-open her store until well after Christmas.
"My spirits are very low at the moment. I feel as though my life has been put on hold," she told C-Store. "I don't have a clue what's going on and can't plan a thing. Some days I don't see the point in getting out of bed."
Guy Warner, who runs five Budgens stores in the Gloucestershire region, was also hit hard when four of his stores suffered varying degrees of flood damage. His Tewkesbury store, which was swamped under nearly five feet of water, has yet to re-open.
The Federation of Small Businesses waded in to help this week by joining forces with leading computer company Dell. It hopes to assist flood hit retailers by offering them new IT equipment at significantly reduced rates.
The tie-up could help many small businesses bypass insurance company delays and get back on their feet quickly, said the FSB.
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