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.
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
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
