Comment
Comment features expert perspectives and thought leadership from across the UK retail industry. This section includes opinion pieces, analysis, and commentary from senior retail executives, analysts, and sector specialists on the commercial, strategic, and operational forces shaping retail. Retail Sector’s Comment coverage explores issues such as consumer behaviour shifts, technology adoption, sustainability, regulation, and leadership — providing retail professionals with authoritative insight to inform decision-making and strategic planning.
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Aug- 2022 -12 August
Supply chain: How to avoid price rows in inflationary times
Managing price negotiations with key suppliers can be challenging at the best of times, but with inflation at a record high and a cost of living crisis affecting households across the country, there is an increased risk of disputes arising. By working collaboratively however, both sides of the negotiating table…
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10 August
JD Sports and the Footasylum merger saga – what went wrong?
Following JD Sports’ acquisition of Footasylum for £91.1m in March 2019, The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a non-ministerial government department responsible for strengthening business competition and reducing anti-competitive activities, announced it had launched an investigation into the deal on 24 July 2019, citing that it would examine whether the…
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10 August
Purple’s keys to success in a crucial moment for retail
There’s retail life, but it will not be as we know it With the survey data to hand, Purple has published a New White Paper, entitled: Retail. Not Dead, Just Different. The results provide evidence of a viable heartbeat in physical stores, but also underpin Purple’s contention that retail has…
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9 August
How luxury brands are turning to young consumers to boost sales
Despite the cost-of-living crisis having a firm grip on consumers, it seems that luxury brands are finding ways to retain and attract young customers through refreshing their campaigns, diversifying their offering and leaning into sustainable initiatives. Hugo Boss kicked off 2022 with “social-first” campaigns, for example, that made use of…
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2 August
Naked Wines on uneven footing for the future
The specialty wine retailer, Naked Wines, has experienced a downward trend in its sales, with full-year sales rising by only 3% after peak pandemic trading, and shares in the company down 4.2% at 158.10p each. The company’s chief financial officer even departed the company by “mutual agreement” amid a recent…
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1 August
Platinum Jubilee sales – a warning of times to come?
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) most recent data revealed that retail sales dropped by 0.1% in June 2022 following a fall of 0.8% in May 2022 despite bank holiday weekends and the hope that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee would boost sales. Many retailers may have expected to have received…
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Jul- 2022 -29 July
After four years, how are retailers and consumers responding to GDPR?
May 2018 marked the introduction of GDPR, a landmark piece of legislation that completely changed businesses’ approach to customer data. Whilst GDPR promised to do so much, but rather than resolve consumers’ concern around their data privacy this is an issue that is equally if not more pertinent today than…
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27 July
Quick delivery companies must build a brand beyond just awareness
One of the many changes in consumer behaviour brought upon by the pandemic has been the growing reliance on the rapid delivery of essential items to the home. From the urgent need of toilet paper has spawned a new wave of demand for the quick delivery of ‘nice to haves’…
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26 July
How physical stores can ensure they are refit for the future
The events of the past couple of years have accelerated the pace of change in the retail industry. Retailers have simultaneously had to react quickly to events out of their control, while also embracing the ongoing trends that were clear even before the pandemic hit. The role of the physical…
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25 July
Pure London puts spotlight on Valencian footwear
Ariadna Vilalta on behalf of IVACE said: “Spanish footwear brands from the Valencia region are prestigious and recognised worldwide for their craftmanship, natural materials, quality, and generations of artisan-makers. There is an amazing connection between Spain and UK countries, and the Spanish footwear offer is well-known for its high quality,…
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