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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Jan- 2020 -14 January
Javid mulls three-year passenger duty holiday for Flybe
Things are not looking rosy for low-cost airline, Flybe, but the chancellor Sajid Javid may have some proposals that save it from complete collapse. It is reported this morning that he is considering cutting air passenger duty on all domestic flights – a big boon for all the other airlines…
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14 January
How to: Proper supply chain management
“We are forced to work against our will” said the message in the Christmas card opened by a young English school girl planning to write her own wishes in the card. After the discovery of this message from a worker in a Chinese prison, Tesco’s supply chain management has been…
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13 January
Why the debate over Huawei? Just hold off if there’s reason to worry
A debate has been bubbling away in government for the last few years about the safety of using telecoms kit from Chinese tech firm, Huawei, to provide 5G mobile phone networks in the UK. Some are worried that infrastructure made by the firm – which is thought to be very…
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13 January
How retailers can stand out from the crowd in 2020
The start of the year is always a good moment to reflect on what the months ahead – indeed decade ahead – might bring for our industry. It’s an exercise i’ve done many times and yet, this year, setting out predictions felt a little challenging. This is, at least in…
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10 January
Spooked markets seem soothed by Iran-US climb-down
When Iran decided to hit back on US military facilities after president Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, there was talk of the outbreak of war. NATO countries apparently implored Trump not to go for another attack, fearing that if he did things would escalate beyond control…
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10 January
Retailers have more to do to meet consumer demand for deliveries
With the Christmas rush in full flow, the pressure is on for retailers to provide their customers with a platinum service. As a result of the ecommerce explosion over the last decade, consumers’ shopping habits and expectations have changed dramatically. From weekend deliveries, more precise delivery options, to same day…
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9 January
Who would have thought skinny jeans could be anyone’s undoing?
It’s not often that the business pages give you a good belly laugh. But today we have the spectacle of Marks & Spencer blaming its poor Christmas trading results partly on an oversupply of skinny jeans for men. Apparently customer surveys revealed that the high street bellwether’s ranges were “too…
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9 January
How retailers can make their social media shoppable
Social media commerce presents retailers with one of the biggest changes and opportunities since the emergence of online shopping. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are becoming stand-alone direct sales channels, meaning retailers have to change how they approach social media to cash-in on this new opportunity. Social commerce – a…
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8 January
Greggs going vegan has paid dividends: we can all learn from them
There is an adage about business and entertainment emerging in the conservative media, which is “get woke, go broke”. It translates crudely to, “cave to the demands of social justice activists and you will suffer financially”. And while it is true that some have come a cropper by tilting the…
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8 January
Pop-ups: How to ensure your temporary store makes a lasting impression
Recently, the rise of e-commerce and mass-pivot to digital channels by traditional retailers has made people think that physical stores may no longer be necessary. However, as digital disruption presses forward, we can see that technology is not replacing – but rather augmenting – retail as we know it. And…
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