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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Jul- 2020 -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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16 July
Intu the unknown: The future of the shopping centre
Saddled with unsustainable levels of debt and lacking rental income over the past two quarters due to Covid-19 restrictions, Intu finally announced its move into administration earlier this month. The shopping centre giant’s collapse left thousands of shops and livelihoods on the line and it represented a pivotal moment for…
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14 July
Risk, regulation and reputation: The three ‘R’s for retailers
The three ‘R’s are the building blocks for our children’s education. The joy of re-visiting these as a parent-teacher in lockdown has not been unbridled, but a necessary and worthwhile investment that will hopefully reap dividends. Retailers devising survival strategies likewise need a diligent focus on the three ‘R’s of…
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10 July
Why a multi-skilled retail team is essential for optimal efficiency
Retail is a people business. And while the rise of online shopping has increased the role of technology, it has arguably made the colleague interactions that do happen even more important. The mantra for retailers of “right people, right place, right time” has never mattered more. A historical retail resourcing…
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2 July
Why every penny counts as retailers open shop doors again
The long-awaited re-opening of shop doors comes with the even bigger anticipation of turmoil within the next 12 months as retailers regain their feet in an uncertain climate. Lockdown has had a substantial and unprecedented impact on the retail sector. In the last few months, Debenhams has entered administration for…
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Jun- 2020 -30 June
What the fuel station of the future means for retailers
Cruising into a petrol station and filling up the tank is a staple of everyday life for drivers across the world. However, according to predictions from Nissan, this isn’t set to last. In fact, the leading car manufacturer is predicting that in the future, fuel stations as we know it…
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30 June
Should I stay closed or reopen?
Since the start of lockdown, most owner managers have become used to real-time contingency planning and agile decision making. However, with non-essential shops now allowed to reopen, they have been faced with another high-risk financial decision – should they stay closed or reopen? Knowing the key areas to consider and…
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25 June
Is it time retailers challenged digital transformation?
I think we have all heard enough about how quickly we have adapted to working from home, the constant play on words of “new normal”, “next normal”, “old normal” (whatever that means) and the “I told you so” smugness of digital transformation agencies (yes, I am from one of them!)…
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23 June
Three ways that Covid-19 will change British retail forever
In the midst of a global pandemic the UK high street is suffering more than ever before with many ailing big names, from fashion retailer French Connection warning it will run out of cash within the next few months unless it secures a cash injection, to the ongoing struggles of…
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22 June
The perfect storm?
There is something of a ‘perfect storm’ for our town centres… Fewer shops trading than a few months ago, big brands announcing further closures, plans already on the table for repurposing retail space no longer viable, travel restrictions making it harder for people to reach town centres, now fewer people…
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