Digital transformation projects will continue to disrupt the customer experience in 2019, says Aspect Software
Customer experience expert provides predictions of changes to the contact centre and customer service landscape for the year ahead
Articles in category: Opinion Time
Opinion time is the voice of retailers & retail industry figures, find out what they have to say here on Retail Times
Accurate forecasts are a must for retail transformers, says Menzies
It’s no secret that the retail sector has had a tough year. From a host of high-profile CVAs, to reports of weakening consumer confidence in the run up to Brexit, it is clear that retailers are finding trading conditions more
CEOs advise young hopefuls to develop personal attributes
Chief executives from a range of top consumer companies have urged young people starting out to focus on developing personal attributes, such as entrepreneurism, empathy and the readiness to take on new challenges, which increasingly drive success.
Newton: what price does your Brexit procrastination carry?
This weekend EU leaders will meet to discuss the UK’s final Brexit terms as headlines continue to ricochet between high anticipation and dashed hopes of a deal. The prospect of high import tariffs, labour shortages and a bonfire of regulations
Don’t get spooked by Halloween – plan for specific needs of target shoppers, advises Bridgethorne
The growing importance of Halloween as a retail shopping occasion underlines the importance for brands to exploit its potential by developing activation plans that are clearly linked to the specific needs of their target shoppers. Category management and shopper marketing expert
Click and collect is missed opportunity in retail, claims Doddle
It’s time to start waking up to Click & Collect – not as a fulfillment afterthought – but as integral to the retail experience of the future. 12.75m UK consumare too valuable to be ignored. That’s the number that now prefer
LEGO Group’s Mosaic Maker experience proves value of omni-channel enabled retail, says BookingBug
Today’s retailers are all working towards one common goal: to provide consumers with a seamless, omni-channel customer experience. In recent months, we’ve seen Wayfair announce plans to open physical locations and Sally Beauty announce that it is planning to re-invest
Why it works: next generation mobile devices give retailers a performance edge
In today’s competitive retail landscape, ensuring absolute efficiency is critical to survival. Both on and off-line, retailers face constrained budgets, rising customer expectations and more pressure via ‘click and collect’ requests, ‘buy to returns’ and a big push for same
Why online businesses are taking the retail community by storm
Take a moment to consider how much time you spend on the Internet during an average day. When was the last time you purchased a product with the help of an online portal? The chances are high that you now
Consumer interest in luxury fashion is piqued, finds Brewin Dolphin analyst
Nicla Di Palma, equity analyst at Brewin Dolphin, discusses a revival of consumer interest in the luxury sector ahead of London Fashion Week
Why it works: turning the tap on success with retail display stands
When you turned on a tap at home this morning, it’s unlikely you will have given any thought to who made it never mind the mechanics that contribute to its functionality. And, while your interest in those often under-appreciated domestic
When it comes to courting millennials, it’s all about how you make them feel, says Adoreboard
By Chris Johnston, CEO of emotion analytics firm, Adoreboard If you’re reading this, then you’re clearly already more than aware of the potential of the millennial audience and spend much of your working life trying to find ways of courting them...
Ashley HoF success will depend on data integration, says Data Clarity
By Kevin Carrick at global retail software solutions provider Data Clarity The retail news has been dominated by reports of the buyout of House of Fraser by Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct for £90m, and his vision for creating the
Combat retail challenges by taking ‘in-house first approach’, says reichelt CEO Ulf Timmermann
Retailers can combat the current challenging market conditions by adopting an 'in-house first approach', according to the CEO of one of Europe’s largest online electrical retailers, reichelt.
Vype launches its most satisfying closed-system vaping device yet: The Vype ePen 3
British American Tobacco’s e-cigarette brand Vype today announces the latest evolution in its range of vaping products – the Vype ePen 3.
British brick-and-mortar stores continue to play a critical role in retail, despite job cuts, says Tryzens
Andy Burton, CEO of Tryzens, comments on the news that Britain’s largest businesses have cut 50,000 jobs in the last six months as high street shops struggle against online rivals “The high number of job cuts reported in the retail sector is unfortunate
Don’t wait for retail hammer to fall, plan your response now, FMCG suppliers urged
Branded and own-label FMCG suppliers need to urgently prepare for the prospect of retailer delisting by identifying the steps they need to take to defend themselves against delisting and put themselves in a powerful position to positively argue their case. That’s
Jermyn Street Design adopts a uniform approach to a changing market
High street stores are having a tough time at the moment. Under pressure from on-line retailers, stores are almost permanently discounting prices, and at the same time closing or downscaling operations. This seems to be the new normal, and the high street
Brexit, the weather and online shopping: how Britain’s favourite conversations are shaping supply chains
Volatility has been the enemy of logistics and supply chain professionals in the UK and the current environment doesn’t show any signs of getting any easier. The two favourite topics in British conversation have been dominating issues around the supply
WorkForce Software: what retailers need to know about the GDPR and employee data
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect May 25, 2018, and companies around the globe are scrambling to prepare. While much attention has already been paid to understanding the GDPR’s impact on collecting customer data, retailers must also remember
In my opinion: technology can give retailers sugar for IFRS 16 pill, says CCH Tagetik
Given the myriad difficulties high street retailers face right now, the fact that they will be the hardest-hit by the new IFRS 16 accounting rules seems a particularly bitter pill for them to have to swallow. Essentially these rules, which
Friction in free Wifi could end up costing retailers in-store conversions, reports Vodat
While offering free Wifi in-store can offer additional conversion opportunities to retailers, failing to deliver a friction-free service could, in fact, result in poor customer experience and lost sales opportunities, the latest research from Vodat, a leading communications provider, warns.
Small manufacturers can keep the voracious supermarkets at bay, and turn a profit, says West Coast Foods
For many ambitious, innovative, smaller manufacturers, supplying to national supermarket chains is something of a Holy Grail, a game-changing relationship which allows them to scale up to undreamt heights.
In my opinion: Amazon is doing independent retail a big favour, says Vend
Amazon is disrupting the parts of retail no one likes. Standing in queues in the supermarket with your jumbo pack of toilet paper and baked beans. New batteries, or cheap bits and bobs you would otherwise buy from pound shops.
Digital payments and the retailer: the pros and cons of using digital payments-only
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
