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.
Some retail outlets are experimenting with moving to digital payment-only operations. As non-cash payments become the norm, some retailers, particularly in hospitality, no longer accept cash. Here Richard Loh, MD of Eurostop, and Mark McMurtrie, independent payments specialist outline the
VoiceSage’s Lee Trenam says a successful re-think of how to connect customers to processes at the catalogue giant may have lessons for all retailers
In the last decade alone the world has seen an incredible amount of technological advances which are continually changing the way people go about their daily business. Smartphones, for instance, have completely revolutionised the mobile phone market, to the extent
Evolution of consumer habits means brands need to ensure they lead the way in customer experience, says Dave Stark, CEO of Conversity
In the fast-evolving world of retailing, it's all too easy to become preoccupied with the notion of e-commerce and digital sales. While there is good reason for this, however, such an approach ignores the rise of omni-channel retailing and the role
Channie Mize, general manager for retail at Periscope By McKinsey, gives her thoughts on the key trends at NRF’s The Big Show 2018
Christmas shopping has changed significantly in the last few years. Consumers are now choosing to avoid the biting cold and high street crowds, and instead take the bulk of their festive shopping online. Traditional visits to see the Christmas lights,
With forecasters predicting that rising inflation could steer Christmas shoppers away from premium food and drink products this year, FMCG suppliers are being urged to draw on insights of what influences and motivates their shoppers as part of their commercial
It is a fascinating time in the motor trade industry right now with some startling statistics that reflect what is happening in a broader sense in the UK. The economic and political climate in this country has created a storm
Every retailer I meet these days insists they want to be data-driven, but the reality on the ground is very different. Depending on whose research you trust, adoption rates for business intelligence (BI) and analytics range from 21 - 32
Andy Morris, head of retail at the Egremont Group, reports on his visit to the Chicago Amazon store
Crimson & Co, the industry leading end-to-end supply chain and management consultancy, comments on Sadiq Khan’s plans to transform London at night Following the London mayor’s unveiling of plans to transform the city, management and supply chain consultancy, Crimson & Co,
Many UK consumers think of Amazon pioneering ecommerce, leaving UK brands slow to catch up. But the e-commerce delivery expert ParcelHero says Tesco’s launch of UK nationwide deliveries before Amazon is no surprise; as Tesco was the first company ever
Imagine walking into any leading retail store, quick-service restaurant (QSR) or banking institution and not being directed, informed or entertained via digital signage? It is a positive reflection of the industry that the days of being communicated with via poster
This week marks 10 years since Apple first put the iPhone on sale, a decade in which the device has wrought tremendous change in every sector from retail to banking. Derided on its launch, the device sold over 270,000 units
After 23 years, Amazon has finally made the inevitable move into physical retail with the purchase of Whole Foods Market. The implications for the future of retail can’t be understated. The world of e-commerce has thrived on the diversity of
Today’s high street retailers need to be changeable, says Egremont Group consultant
With retail multiples looking to downsize their ranges, especially in the context of cost price negotiations prompted by recent currency fluctuations, FMCG suppliers need to become master storytellers to remain competitive. Category and shopper management specialist Bridgethorne is urging suppliers to
Erik Juul-Mortensen, president of leading duty free and travel retail trade body Tax Free World Association, discusses the importance of technology within the travel retail sector When the two sectors of ‘travel’ and ‘retail’ come together, the combination is a
By Andrew Fowkes, head of retail centre of excellence, SAS UK & Ireland Success in the retail space boils down to one simple function: the conversion of sales. However, retailers can only do this if they have stock readily available on
Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, comments on changes announced to the basket of goods and services used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to calculate consumer price inflation
Morrisons' plans to recruit 200 more British suppliers, following the revelation that only just over half the food eaten in the UK comes from local sources, signals the growing global supply chain risk; partly as a result of 2016’s political
Intelligence Node’s Sanjeev Sularia predicts the major technology changes that will hit the retail sector over the next few turbulent months
Figures published towards the end of 2016, which showed that one in four non-food purchases were made online in November, underlines how commercially important it will be this year for brands and suppliers to gain a better understanding of shopper
This week the BRC and KPMG reported that online sales of non-food items grew by 8% year-on-year in January 2017, taking with them an increasingly higher proportion of the sales in comparison to the high street. Andy Burton, CEO of e-commerce
