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.
As consumer attitudes to car ownership and driving begin to shift and technology companies shape the roadmap for autonomous vehicles, the global in-car entertainment (ICE) hardware market is on track to reach $36 billion by 2021 according to a new
Business intelligence practices are changing quickly across the retail industry. The result? Leading retailers are prioritising analytics programmes more than ever. Increasing numbers of retail and consumer-goods companies are opening up their data to executives and front-line employees to improve
By Andy Morris, head of retail, Egremont Group Walking around the NRF this year it was difficult not to be impressed by the huge array of technology on display. From AI, to VR headsets, to companies promising to 3D print ‘concept
The announcement that Tesco is to complete a £3.7bn deal to buy Booker Group, the UK’s biggest food wholesaler, presents both a challenge and an opportunity to FMCG suppliers hoping to benefit themselves from the consolidated organisation, according to category
Tesco's merger with Booker is an intelligent combination of unique, large-scale, highly capable businesses, say Ray Gaul, vice president of research and analytics and Simon Johnstone, senior analyst
The successful performance of the retail multiples over the Christmas period demonstrates the value being gained by suppliers and retailers alike in better understanding the changing nature of shopper behaviour and requirements. Category and shopper management specialist Bridgethorne points to Sainsbury’s
Retailers can optimise the retail environment by using a customer feedback loop, says PayPoint Benefits of a happy customer base Customers are the most valuable asset of every business, particularly in the retail environment where maintaining strong and positive relationships is important
Justin Anderson, GM EMEA at cloud consultancy firm, Appirio has guidance on how retailers can engage customers through their employees in order to ensure strong sales growth
John Watton, EMEA marketing Director, Adobe, has a clutch of 2017 marketing predictions
Gagandeep Gadri, VP, head of customer experience & analytics, Capgemini Consulting UK, has three top retailer predictions for 2017
Loyalty, IoT, biometrics and AR and VR are top retail trends for 2017, says Capgemini
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
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,
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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.
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’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
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
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
