Articles in category: In my opinion

In my opinion, retail industry executives and experts give Retail Times readers their views, insights, and analysis on the latest retail trends.

In my opinion: women in the warehouse – how careers in supply chain are changing

Two decades ago, it was a rare thing to find women working within supply chain operations.

In my opinion: businesses must reframe retail sustainability with the five capitals

Say the word ‘sustainability’ to someone, and their immediate thoughts may gravitate towards initiatives around the environment. This connection is hardly surprising considering the increased awareness among consumers to do more for the planet. In fact, 68% of highly empowered

In my opinion: how retail can create a seamless journey between online and offline

By Chris Griffiths, managing partner – customer experience, REPL Group, part of Accenture

In my opinion: improving retail customer engagement requires a mobile mindshift, says MoEngage

By Mike Barclay, senior director of European operations for MoEngage, an insights-driven customer engagement platform

In my opinion: top hybrid retail features that retailers need to know in 2021

By Nils Zündorf, Amazon expert and managing director of the largest European Amazon agency, factor-a The pandemic’s effects on customer behaviour in 2020 lead to significant changes in the e-commerce world. With increases in online sales of over 30% compared to

Thriving high streets and fire pit moments: a glimpse into the future of our town centres

As 2021 offers hope for a return to normal life, high streets and town centres will become a focal point for everyone looking forward to safely getting together with friends and families again. Andrea George, director of town centres at

Retail HR managers must invest in tech to maintain competitive advantage, says caseflowhr

Stressed HR professionals in retail should consider automating employee relations (ER) case management to free up their time, according to HR tech start-up, caseflowhr. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, and with Brexit making itself felt, essential retailers have found supply

Forecourts facing an immediate economic headache over whether to invest in charging points, says Rapleys

At the start of 2021 the number of electric cars registered in the UK soared to almost half a million (435,000). With a record 175,000 (approx.) new electric vehicles registered in 2020, a 66% rise on 2019, along with the UK policy to ban

In my opinion: retail market uncertainty may be unavoidable, but e-payments offer an element of control, says BRIDGE

In the face of multiple ‘once-in a generation’ challenges, retailers across the breadth of the industry are working tirelessly to equip their businesses to survive and thrive through change. Many of us are feeling at the mercy of elements –

In my opinion: why communicating values is key to brand loyalty

In recent years there has been a growing trend towards ‘conscious consumerism’ and a call for brands to act in more inclusive and ethical ways. We only need to visit social media to see that this has accelerated in 2020.

In my opinion: how predicting shopper behaviour is key to encouraging loyalty

Segmenting the market is a tried and tested approach for marketers to help them understand the different types of consumers that they want to reach and to develop approaches that suit each. However, in the current environment, retailers need a

Critizr: seven strategies for the physical retail reboot

If the decline of physical retail was a hot topic before Covid-19, what are we to make of the headlines now? For every story of resilience and optimism, there are countless more of closures, redundancies and disappearing brands. Retail’s transformation

How to win the Black Friday battle

Black Friday is without a doubt one of the biggest dates in the retail calendar, and this year will be no exception. As the industry continues to try and react and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020’s Black Friday weekend

In my opinion: a robust delivery strategy enhances the customer experience, says GFS

The e-commerce industry has been growing year on year, but the Covid19 pandemic has accelerated this growth as consumers were forced to take their shopping online. As the country went into lockdown back in March, consumer habits shifted dramatically, with

How lockdown will change the way retailers use home delivery technology, and what this means for consumer experience

If COVID-19 has taught us one thing it’s that, on the whole, we Brits love home delivery. On-demand goods delivered within hours of a click have been a lifeline for many in lockdown. Companies are working harder than ever to

In my opinion: retailers could benefit from ‘free online games’

Do you want your customers to be rewarded after completing a level in any game that they have downloaded on their phones? Do you want them to grab great offers and discounts from playing games? If the answer is 'yes',

Risks over Brexit raise need for skilled interim supply chain executives, says Bis Henderson Group

Even if the UK finally leaves the European Union on 31 October, the bad news is, that isn’t the end. In fact, it’s just the beginning of a whole set of changes in trade and other processes that may occur

In my opinion: has the time come for retailers to evolve into media brands?

In the turbulent and ever-changing retail sector, there is one thing which is certain. Playing the same game you always have is going to get you nowhere. In an increasingly data-driven world, the champions of retail in the future will

When it comes to courting millennials, it’s all about how you make them feel, says Adoreboard

By Chris Johnston, CEO of emotion analytics firm, Adoreboard If you’re reading this, then you’re clearly already more than aware of the potential of the millennial audience and spend much of your working life trying to find ways of courting them...

Jermyn Street Design adopts a uniform approach to a changing market

High street stores are having a tough time at the moment. Under pressure from on-line retailers, stores are almost permanently discounting prices, and at the same time closing or downscaling operations. This seems to be the new normal, and the high street