Advice
Visit Retail Sector for advice, best practice, how to guides, and top tips for successful retailing, both on the high street and online. Retail Sector is your one-stop-shop for retail news, analysis, interviews, features and advice, keeping you in the picture.
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Dec- 2020 -2 December
Why we should be focussing on repurposing and not death of the high street
For several years, there has been a very evident and well publicised demise of local high streets as they struggle to compete with the ease and efficiency of online shopping. This has led to what is commonly termed the ‘death of the high street’. According to research from the Local…
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Nov- 2020 -11 November
AI is the key to closing the expectations-reality gap in home delivery
Online spending was forecast to overtake high street sales this Christmas, even before the announcement of a second lockdown. But the pandemic hasn’t transformed the way we shop, it has merely accelerated the rise of e-commerce. That’s because, when executed properly, it’s a very satisfying way to shop for a…
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9 November
How retailers can change the way they make decisions
How often have we heard of the demise of a retailer being linked to poor decision-making? For a long time (at least pre-pandemic), an inability to combat the rise of ecommerce was often positioned as the reason for many retailers’ struggles. Just look at Blockbuster – we’ve all heard how…
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Oct- 2020 -30 October
Keeping up growth: How online retail teams can work smarter
It’s been a heck of a year for online retailers. But being so busy means teams are increasingly stretched. Growth in sales and increasing profit is fantastic, of course; but scaling brings both opportunities and challenges. With shoppers flocking online and ecommerce booming, the need for teams to work smarter,…
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Sep- 2020 -29 September
How to retain customers gained during the pandemic
Big life events like marriage, divorce, becoming parents, and the current once in a century pandemic, all have a huge impact on our shopping behaviour. This, in turn, creates an opportunity for retailers to establish new, profitable customer relationships. It’s no surprise that those with a strong ecommerce offering have…
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10 September
How the retail experience is evolving in a contactless world
The goalposts have moved for digital customer experience and retailers the world over need to excel online now or risk losing out. Covid-19 has triggered a colossal shift in consumer behaviour and shopping habits after millions of non-essential businesses were forced to close for months with little warning. In the…
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Jul- 2020 -31 July
Reopening retail: Four ways to embrace creativity, safely
Reopening retail; four ways to embrace creativity, safely Meredith O’Shaughnessy, Creative Brand and Retail Strategist at Meredith Collective Coronavirus has been the final reckoning for great swathes of retail, and it’s been brutal. Some high street stalwarts (Warehouse, Oasis, Accessorise) won’t open their doors again. Others are tentatively reopening but…
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16 July
Effective stock management is key to retail revival
Following the optimism of non-essential high street shops reopening in mid-June, pessimism remains about near-term sales. The CBI’s monthly Distributive Trades Survey shows the vast majority of retailers expect sales to be lower than July 2019, with 62% believing lack of customer demand is the biggest operational challenge they are…
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Jun- 2020 -19 June
How e-commerce can maintain business continuity in the face of Covid-19
Covid-19 and the government stay-at-home and shutdown orders have wreaked havoc on the retail industry. Footfall was down 44.7% in March. High street stores without ecommerce operations saw sales collapse. Primark, for instance, saw its monthly sales of £650m a month evaporate. And whilst ecommerce retailers have the advantage of…
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19 June
How email can save the high street
According to IMRG, online sales in the UK grew by just 6.7% in 2019. The current pandemic, though, helped online retail sales soar to ten year high. A recent press release by IMRG reports growth to a “staggering +23.8% Year-on-Year (YoY) in April 2020, as high streets across the country…
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