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.
Forecasts show that 2016 will continue the trend of minimal year-on-year growth in consumer goods spending, both in the UK and across Europe; in this environment manufacturers will carry on looking for opportunities to consolidate and pare down costs, focusing
Adam Chapman, head of Knight Frank’s automotive team, considers the impact of dropping fuel prices on petrol forecourt property values Oil tumbled to its lowest level for nearly 12 years last week, raising the prospect of further falls in fuel prices
The past 12 months have been some of the toughest for the British retail industry, with trading results from the major retailers highlighting the challenging environment in which many are now operating. In tough times, retailers need to inspire consumers
Andrew Fowkes, head of retail centre of excellence, SAS UK & Ireland, highlights the retail winners and losers of 2015 While 2015 has been an unpredictable and often difficult year for many UK retailers, their customers have certainly prospered. The Christmas
The past year has seen the rise of more relevant and targeted outreach to consumers, and marketers are already seeing results from doing so. For example, Facebook’s head of agency relations Ed Couchman revealed that users are twice as likely
Urban Outfitters' acquisition of Pizzeria Vetri, a Philadelphia-based chain of Italian restaurants, is the latest example of a retailer finding innovative ways to bring in new customers and represents a shift in shopping habits. Giuliano Iannaccone and Heather Ohlberg, retail attorneys
Customer engagement is key if businesses want to maximize profits. Here real-time engagement platform iAdvize reveals how businesses can stay at the top their game in 2016
The recent Forth Road Bridge closure can cause immense disruption for retailers and e-commerce businesses at this busy Christmas gift-buying time of year. Matt Kingswood, head of nationwide managed IT services provider, IT specialists (ITS)), advises online businesses on how
Rupal Karia, managing director of retail and hospitality, UK and Ireland, shares his predictions for the retail sector in 2016
The marketing industry is going through a massive transformation with technology changing the game as we know it. John Watton, EMEA marketing director, Adobe, shares his thoughts on what this means for marketers in the year ahead
The decline in sugary drinks sales, combined with heightened consumer interest in health initiatives, is forcing the hand of drinks manufacturers to guarantee tighter control of their bottom line. To support this, organisations should look to employ an effective manufacturing
Louis Georgiou, managing director of Code Computerlove, has five top digital trends for 2016
Communications expert, Moxie, predicts what's in store for the retail and e-commerce space in 2016
Ricky Cooper, VP EMEA & APAC, Digital Realty, believes smart technologies can be provide a boost to Black Friday sales events and help to mitigate chaos Last year shoppers in the UK spent £810m on Black Friday. Predictions are that the
Black Friday deals spell the death of January sales as we know them, warns Elizabetta Camilleri, London Business School MBA graduate and founder of SalesGossip. Retailers who are late to the party will face a bleak January.
Stephen Springham, head of retail research, Knight Frank, claims Black Friday is really just a glorified promotion day
Liam McElroy, managing director of retail at Wincanton, considers the implications for Black Friday in the UK Black Friday is back. And this time everyone knows what's coming. Launched in the UK just five years ago, it is thought the
As final preparations for Black Friday get underway, Damian Hanson, CEO of leading multi-channel retail technology specialist One iota, is warning that retailers risk missing out on huge sales opportunities if they fail to provide customers with a fully connected
Profit profiles are changing in the UK grocery market as superstores make floor space work harder and online profitability declines. According to Knight Frank, the main channels of growth in the grocery market have ironically now become the least profitable,
Ryan Wilk, director at NuData Security, has top tips for retailers to ensure a painless and profitable Black Friday
Following the recent release of Mintel’s Christmas Shopping Habits 2015 report, Eagle Eye Solutions’ founder Steve Rothwell has warned that a dependence on Black Friday can actually be very damaging for a retailer and that rather than increase brand loyalty
Opting out of the US imported concept of Black Friday could be the most sensible business decision for retailers as they head into the pre-Christmas trading period, according to leading academic Dr Heiner Evanschitzky, Professor of Marketing, Aston Business School.
Andrew Fowkes, head of retail centre of excellence, SAS UK & Ireland, on why this is the most unpredictable time of the year for retailers and what they can do to make the most of it Once upon a time, the festive
Retailers should drive the shopper experience around Black Friday in order to build their brands, argues Piers Guilar, executive director of strategy, EMEA at FITCH With the US-imported shopping holiday known as Black Friday approaching, an increasing number of high
Poor processes are arguably the biggest issue preventing supply chain executives from transforming performance. This is according to research from global supply chain consultancy Crimson & Co. The most striking discovery is that 29% of supply chain processes are deficient. This
