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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Jun- 2021 -3 June
The benefits of the Amazon model are overstated – it’s time for true disruption
It is undeniable that Covid jumped ecommerce into 2030. A 2021 report from Retail Economics and Natwest discovered that since the pandemic began, nearly half (46%) of UK consumers have purchased a product online that they had previously only ever purchased in store. Meanwhile 32% of consumers surveyed said they…
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2 June
Online retailers are in danger of being overwhelmed by increased orders – Automation is the answer
Online retailers are facing a major crisis. Since Covid-19 hit, reduced headcount and social distancing practices within the walls of warehouses and distribution centres mean retail businesses are struggling to manage the stresses and strains of increased e-commerce demand – which is set to continue to soar. Recent research from…
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May- 2021 -26 May
Mind the gap: plugging the physical disconnect in a digital-first retail era
It is no exaggeration to say that the past 12 months have turned the retail environment on its head. As consumers slowly start to rise above the parapet and lockdown restrictions ease, retailers are having to overcome the physical disconnect between themselves and their customers. With retail moving almost entirely…
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21 May
Customer experience differentiation is at the core of retail innovation
The rise of DTC, net-zero commerce, hyper-local shopping, dark stores, same-day (if not, same-15-minutes) delivery, and brand drops mark the point of no return for mainstream retailers. Over the past decade, retail has somewhat sleepwalked into paradigm shifts that are shaping the modern world. The fall of Arcadia Group is…
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19 May
The Great Covid Experiment – Is the Pure-play Retailer Dead?
A year of enforced change in buying habits where pretty much everything went online is set to revert to “the new normal”. Yes, the Covid pandemic accelerated the shift to online; but is the future of retail really digital only? While in the short to medium term, there will remain…
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18 May
Why retailers must invest beyond the buy button
Over the past 12 months, retailers have turbocharged their shift to digital. A recent survey by KPMG showed that 67% of decision-makers have accelerated their digital strategies because of Covid-19. These changes come in response to the ever-changing needs of consumers, which have proved harder to predict than ever before.…
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14 May
The return to the high street: friend or foe?
With our clocks adjusted to British Summer Time and Government guidelines easing off shopping restrictions for non-essential shopping, the return to the high street is back in swing. However, with non-essential shops implementing social distancing measures to ensure they remain as safe as they can be, the handling of stock…
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12 May
How to benefit from the forthcoming massive wave of ad spend
The recent IPA Bellwether on marketing budgets in the UK has revealed that 2020 saw a fast paced decrease in spend as the effects of the pandemic naturally hit home. Now, as we continue to emerge from the worst of the effects, their forecasts are that there will be a…
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11 May
Plastic Packaging Tax revenues should be reinvested in retail
It’s now less than 12 months until UK retailers face paying a new levy on plastic packaging, with this set to raise hundreds of millions in tax revenues. This money should be shared with retailers to help further improve recycling and sustainability. UK Plastic Packaging Tax explained From 1 April…
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7 May
How Amazon delivered a smart retail customer experience with a human touch
Competition in modern retail is all about customer experience, and during the pandemic e-commerce and digital retail has accelerated rapidly, creating new customer expectations around digital experiences. According to the ONS, online retail sales grew by 46% in 2020 compared to the previous year – the largest increase since 2008.…
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