Re: ‘Rising wages and falling sales' article on page 3, The Weekend Sun, March 31.

In this article one phrase in particular stuck with me. Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said: 'There are opportunities to have very targeted marketing to get the right types of customers in” for small businesses. I wonder what type of people he thinks are the 'right type”?

Perhaps he meant affluent folk with expendable income. For those who are on stricter budgets in order to keep the four walls secure – food, utilities, housing and transport – the luxury of hiring a cleaner or buying ready-made food at a bakery has gone by the wayside long ago.

Those who used to be on what was considered a 'good wage” remain on the same wage and dealing with the increased overheads, while those on minimum have experienced pay rises to help them catch up, but it's still not enough. Now both categories of income can rarely afford such. That wee throwaway phrase shows a cavalier attitude of the top level incomes, that is disappointing to see.

Andrea McIntyre, Ohauiti.