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.
-
Jun- 2019 -7 June
Offering frictionless delivery is key to winning over millennials
Driven by the rise of online shopping and the modern on-demand lifestyle, millennials now expect their customer journey to be seamless. This has inevitably led to the transformation of the retail industry. While many bricks-and-mortar stores report losses and closures, the world of ecommerce continues to flourish as it meets…
Read More » -
6 June
Developing sustainable retail brands with employee engagement
When it comes to sustainability, some brands are way ahead of the game. Others, however, are certainly falling behind. There is so much potential for brands who embrace a more sustainable outlook to both appeal to a wider audience and benefit from cost-saving in the long run. But in order…
Read More » -
5 June
Personalisation and its role in retail
In order to encourage footfall and, by extension sales, retail stores are having to work twice as hard to stand out. This is particularly true for bricks-and-mortar stores, where competition is not only restricted to other stores in the area but the digital platform too. But both offline and online…
Read More » -
4 June
The foundations of a successful retail marketing campaign
We all know that in-depth market research is an opportunity to find out exactly what your customers want, as well as uncovering barriers to purchase. A high street retailer, targeting aspirational shoppers, may find people want to buy a product or service but perceive it to be too expensive or…
Read More » -
3 June
Why retailers should add automation to their contact centres
In the face of a struggling UK high street, retailers need to do whatever they can to boost sales and draw in customers. Many have already turned to emerging technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help grow online purchases in the face of plummeting in-store sales, and this is a…
Read More » -
May- 2019 -30 May
4 click-and-collect mistakes all retailers need to avoid
When it comes to high street retail, offering click-and-collect can have a monumental effect on a business’ overall customer experience. And that can be monumental ‘good’ or monumental ‘bad’, by the way. If a customer has a negative click-and-collect experience, chances are that it’s not just going to deter them…
Read More » -
29 May
Payments: the key to personalisation in retail
Retailers are cost-cutting, trialling customer policies and experimenting with tech such as smart mirrors in the aim of securing their future. Cutting through the noise and getting through to customers is critical, but also easier said than done. You just need to look at ASOS updating their extended returns to…
Read More » -
29 May
Disrupting physical: Who needs a store?
Only a few months ago, I was discussing the longevity of the high street with an e-commerce director at a luxury furniture retailer. Recalling the closing down sales in my local House of Fraser, I suggested it was just the beginning of an industry-wide revolution. His response surprised me. “It’s…
Read More » -
24 May
Achieving sustainable growth through digital in an unstable time
How much do you use your smartphone? I recently tracked my own personal usage and found that I use my phone for about three hours a day, receiving around 250 notifications and unlocking my phone around 100 times in the process. I’m sure these numbers would be relatable to many…
Read More » -
24 May
Pivoting on experience to revive the UK high-street
It’s no secret that it’s a troubling time for the UK high-street. The recent news that Boots might be considering store closures globally following “its most difficult quarter” since the retailer’s formation is the latest brushstroke of a much larger picture. Global Data, the market research firm, points the reason…
Read More »
