shedding our customers

[vectra]

Hello,

The definition the book of idioms we use provides for "to shed customers" is "to reduce the number of customers".
Does this expression make sense in the following sentences made up by a student:

- Look, Brian, what is all this fuss about? Are we in the red? There`s much talk but I can`t make head or tail of what`s going on.
- Not completely in the red but the situation leaves much to be desired. As far as I know, some people think we`re heading into a restructuring, others say a takeover is looming.
- Definitely not a blue sky. I heard retailers report on a drop in sales, as if somebody is shedding our customers.

First, I do not think "retailers report on a drop in sales" is correct. I would say "retailers are reporting or have reported a drop in sales"; "to report on" is a bit different in meaning.
Then, "as if somebody is shedding our customers", in my opinion, is out of place here, "as if somebody stealing our customers" might be better, it is not an idiom from the list the students worked with though.

Thank you for the time and help.

[emsr2d2]

Hello,

The definition the book of idioms we use provides for "to shed customers" is "to reduce the number of customers".
Does this expression make sense in the following sentences made up by a student:

- Look, Brian, what is all this fuss about? Are we in the red? There`s much talk but I can`t make head or tail of what`s going on.
- Not completely in the red but the situation leaves much to be desired. As far as I know, some people think we`re heading into a restructuring, others say a takeover is looming.
- Definitely not a blue sky. I heard retailers report on a drop in sales, as if somebody is shedding our customers.

First, I do not think "retailers report on a drop in sales" is correct. I would say "retailers are reporting or have reported a drop in sales"; "to report on" is a bit different in meaning.
Then, "as if somebody is shedding our customers", in my opinion, is out of place here, "as if somebody stealing our customers" might be better, it is not an idiom from the list the students worked with though.

Thank you for the time and help.

"To shed customers" does mean "to reduce the number of customers" but I would say that it would be an action taken (on purpose or otherwise) by the company in question. I don't think another company can shed your customers.

I agree that "somebody is stealing our customers" would make more sense. If another company isn't actually stealing them, then it's possible that another company is somehow "putting off" the customers from using the first company.

The whole final sentence of that excerpt is rather messy.

[vectra]

"To shed customers" does mean "to reduce the number of customers" but I would say that it would be an action taken (on purpose or otherwise) by the company in question. I don't think another company can shed your customers.

I agree that "somebody is stealing our customers" would make more sense. If another company isn't actually stealing them, then it's possible that another company is somehow "putting off" the customers from using the first company.

The whole final sentence of that excerpt is rather messy.

What if I ask the student to change it into the following:
- Definitely a problem. I heard retailers are reporting a drop in our company products' sales; it looks there ia an exodus of our customers to the competitors.