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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Dec- 2019 -11 December
Small business owners dip into personal wealth to survive? Of course they do
We are living through an era where there is much discussion about capitalism, taxes, executive pay and so on. Is Philip Green a monster for raiding the BHS coffers when they were his to raid? Is the pay of a city CEO morally acceptable when his lowest paid workers are…
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11 December
Preventing seasonal staff from becoming the Nightmare Before Christmas
As we approach the busiest shopping months of the year, many retailers will look to hire additional staff on short-term contracts to allow for the anticipated customer demand. In fact, a cursory search on one of the UK’s top job sites indeed.co.uk shows no less than 5,000 “Christmas” jobs advertised…
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10 December
Want to know who will win the election? Watch the pound
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about how badly wrong pollsters can get it. Nobody thought Trump would win, nobody thought Leave would win the referendum, indeed even elections have been too close to call. Though it now feels like a different historical epoch to look…
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10 December
Disability discrimination claims– how do you respond to customers?
Customers have strong rights to claim against retailers for discrimination, whether that discrimination is in relation to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or a number of other protected characteristics. As to disability, one of the most commonly underestimated obligations on service providers (including retailers) is the duty to make reasonable…
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9 December
The Lib Dems want to abolish business rates, but don’t hold your breath
Over the weekend the leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson, visited Hertforshire to discuss her party’s approach to SMEs. The timing was important: it was Small Business Saturday, an idea imported from the United States, the purpose of which is to promote buying local, and to draw attention to…
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6 December
Why shoppable social media means retailers must embrace returns
Growing social commerce This year marks 25 years since the first secure online transaction was completed, signalling the birth of online shopping and changing the face of retail. Ecommerce has come a long way since 1994, with increasingly sophisticated advertising and sales tools making online shopping more targeted and convenient.…
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5 December
Four tips to mastering millennial brand loyalty
Millennials can be demanding – they want variety, they want value for money, and they want everything to be available to them at the touch of a button – and quickly. Their demands are being met – from fast-fashion retailers delivering clothes to their doorstep the next day to Netflix…
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4 December
Maintaining a sense of balance in the omnichannel
Marketers often face a challenge when balancing their use of online and offline channels. If one is much heavier than the other, marketing effectiveness can slump, lacking energy and appeal. Digital and physical can work in tandem to trigger consumer engagement and if this is timed correctly, they can complement…
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3 December
A sustainable Christmas is coming to town
We are all reminded that the holiday season is approaching with a flurry of Christmas adverts encouraging us all to spend, yet retailers are anticipating a less than merry Christmas for their sales. According to Deloitte, only 62% of retailers expect to see higher sales this Christmas compared to a…
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Nov- 2019 -28 November
How online retailers can reduce the impact of festive returns
Peak season is just around the corner and this year more than a quarter (28%) of UK shoppers expect to spend more online during the 2019 Christmas shopping season than in 2018. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday now both staple fixtures in the calendar for shoppers and brands, millions…
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