Articles in category: Comment

The comment column is for retail professionals to have their say. Whether responding to published opinion, reacting to or challenging reports or commenting on retail trends and predictions this is where you can gauge sentiment on all sorts of retail focussed topics.

Loyalty, IoT, biometrics, AR and VR are top retail trends for 2017, says Capgemini

Loyalty, IoT, biometrics and AR and VR are top retail trends for 2017, says Capgemini

It’s time for Christmas Day deliveries, says leading parcelbroker

With Christmas Eve same-day retail deliveries now widely available, 2017 will be the year we finally see Christmas Day deliveries, predicts ParcelHero. Shoppers are leaving Christmas ordering later than ever this year; thanks to Christmas Eve same-day deliveries from retailers such

Fashion retailers must minimise customer ‘alone time’ in-store and at the checkout, says Manhattan Associates

Balancing convenience with a high quality experience is the perennial retail challenge. For supermarkets in particular, the focus has shifted to self-serve in recent years – from mobile apps that enable scanning to self-serve checkouts – offering customers a quicker,

Barclaycard advises online retailers on how to get the most out of discount days

As discount-day season kicks off, Colin McSkeane, head of Gateway Products at Barclaycard, shares insights into how retailers can make the most of the pre-Christmas shopping season

Innovations in bill payments: PayPoint has four predictions of how you will pay in 2020

By 2020 many things will be different: London’s Crossrail will be in full service, England will be hosting the first international football tournament since 1992 and Britain may well be voting in the next general election. The UK payments landscape will

Retailers can foster profitability during a promotion-filled Christmas, says Manhattan Associates

By Henri Seroux, SVP EMEA at Manhattan Associates The impending Christmas break signals a host of seasonal staples, among them retail promotions and sweet desserts. While these might not initially seem related, they actually share many commonalities. Just like sugary treats,

Supply chain planning skills are in short supply, suggests Crimson & Co

Today, businesses expect their supply chain and procurement specialists to be delivering business strategy and integral to this is the need for competent planning processes. According to Dave Alberts, director at global supply chain consultancy Crimson & Co, an Advanced

Malibu’s ‘digital bottle’ shows how focus is developing on emerging, connected Millennial demographic, says Bridgethorne

A pilot scheme in which tapping bottles of Malibu with a smartphone will give shoppers access to exclusive content, prize draws and even a bar locator, indicates the direction brands may start to move in order to keep up with

Retailers believe consumers will buy wonky vegetables, says Blue Yonder

There has been a quiet revolution in the fruit and vegetable aisle. After years of physical perfection as demanded by the EU and the consumer alike, finally shoppers are willing to consider buying wonky fruit and veg. This development matters

FedEx has top tips on companies finding success overseas

Martin Davidian, managing director, sales, UK North and Ireland, FedEx Express, on how to tap into fruitful overseas markets Led by a Government drive, exporting has been steadily creeping up the news agenda and now sits at the top of ‘to

Virtual assistant, ava, has five top tips to improve customer service

New research undertaken by virtual assistant service provider ava has shown that 51% of people in the UK would happily pay over the odds for something if it meant they received better customer service.

The fine print: Coles Pens reveals why retail sales of stationery are on the rise

With the stellar performance of stationery over the last few years and new lifestyle brands making the mighty pen and journal cool again, it appears stationery is no longer just a school necessity, but more a grown-up essential. As the

Amazon drone delivery will be winging its way to you soon… but it still faces limitations, warns Crimson & Co

Amazon’s announcement that it is working with the British government to test deliveries via drones represents the beginning of an exciting new era for the way people receive goods, but ultimately it won’t revolutionise the retail industry just yet. This

India’s supply chain developments open up opportunities for businesses, says Crimson & Co

Supply chain operations in India, which have historically been hindered by a complex tax structure and poor infrastructure, could see significant improvements over the next few years thanks to a recent government bill, says Crimson & Co. Coupled with the

Profitero puts European e-commerce trends – AmazonFresh, Prime Now and Brexit – under the spotlight

The arrival of Amazon Fresh in the UK, and more recently Prime Now in Paris, is set to shake up a highly competitive European grocery market. In this transcript from Profitero’s Podcast Series, Keith Anderson speaks to Andrew Pearl, Profitero's

Brexit will have far reaching repercussions for UK and global economy and property markets, says Knight Frank

Today’s referendum result will have far reaching repercussions for the UK and indeed the global economy and property markets, argues James Roberts, chief economist at Knight Frank

The possibility of Brexit leaves many businesses in the dark, warns Crimson & Co

Despite being less than a week until the EU referendum, a lot of UK organisations remain unsure about what a Brexit vote might mean for their businesses and supply chains, according to Duncan Boyd, manager at global supply chain consultancy

South East Asia’s supply chain challenges have reached a turning point, says Crimson & Co

In the light of economic growth, rising affluence and booming consumer demand, many international businesses are seeking to capitalise on the growth in South East Asia’s developing markets. This is according to global supply chain consultancy Crimson & Co. The supply

Mobile commerce platform provider, Bijou Commerce, pinpoints top trends in online fashion

Beth Wond, m-commerce entrepreneur and managing director at Bijou Commerce, on the current trends in online fashion As surely as the fashion trends evolve from season to season, so does fashion’s business outlook morph from quarter to quarter. As we emerge firmly

Battle for consumer spending moves from high street to out-of-town, CBRE reports

Martin Summerscales, head of retail consultancy, CBRE, says the battle for retail spend is moving from the high street to out-of-town retail parks Out-of-town retail parks have become an essential ingredient in the UK economy. The sector provides employment for a

Sugary drinks tax likely to leave a bitter taste for drinks manufacturers unless action is taken, says Crimson & Co

Greater consumer awareness of health initiatives is heaping pressure on soft drinks companies to develop a coherent, global strategy that is able to address rising concerns regarding the sugar content of their products. This is according to Crispin Mair, co-founder

Customer centricity through insights and technology: Periscope spies top trends from NRF 2016

Channie Mize, general manager for retail at Periscope, a McKinsey Solution, gives her view on some of the exciting trends seen at NRF The Big Show 2016 This year’s NRF Annual Convention and EXPO certainly lived up to its moniker ‘Retail’s

Manhattan Associates tips mobile commerce, millennials and faster fulfilment will drive retail innovation in 2016

Manhattan Associates predicts a rapid migration to customer-centric retailing, more personalised shopping, and the pervasiveness of mobile commerce will present some of the biggest challenges and inspire some of the greatest innovations shaping retailers’ strategies during 2016. Consumer spending shows no

UK retailers did not have a good Christmas, says Knight Frank partner in commercial research

Stephen Springham, partner in commercial research, suggests Christmas was a non-event for UK retailers The expected has now been officially confirmed – the UK retail sector did not have a good Christmas. Recent reporting and general newsflow from many (but not