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- 2019 -22 January
Four key trends that will shape retail over the next 12 months
“Retailers need to be ready for an onslaught of industry change. They need to look at store standards and up their game… in order to compete” former Landmark Wholesale MD, Martin William forewarned in 2018. Industry change is certainly happening, but it’s by no means all bad news. New ‘experimental’…
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21 January
Let’s give retail its pride back
Looking at all the analysis and commentary relating to the ‘golden’ quarter trading figures, published in January by the UK’s major retailers, it’s clear that after a dismal November, retailers had to play a game of catch up in the closing stages of 2018. Whilst there were some positive stories…
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18 January
Fall of the high street — can retailers survive?
The UK’s high streets are under attack. From the continued rise of online shopping, which has led to a reduction in footfall, to increases in business rates and the Living Wage, Britain’s retailers are struggling. The decline of the British high street has dominated the headlines in 2018 with in…
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17 January
What steps should brands take to ensure their online presence is optimised?
Online retail sales are growing and are estimated to be in the region of 8.8% of total retail spending globally, equivalent to around $2.5trn. The UK already tops the list of countries with retail e-commerce sales as a percentage of total retail sales, with 18%. So, given that we live…
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16 January
AI-enabled retail – helping to level the playing field for physical retailers
The rise of ecommerce and subsequent access to a whole lot of data about online shoppers has provided retailers with new insight into customers shopping habits and behaviours and as a result, has changed the way retailers engage with their customers, both online and in store. In the past, it…
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15 January
Three retail predictions that didn’t happen in 2018 – but might in 2019
Today, customers are fortunate enough to have a wide variety of options to choose from when shopping online. However, this means that shopping expectations – and habits – have changed. Retailers must ensure they offer a seamless shopping experience for customers, that meets buyer needs; otherwise, they risk losing out…
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11 January
Keeping up with Amazon
Since its inception in the 90s, Amazon has become a global retail giant that has transformed the industry. Whether that transformation is seen as a positive or negative will vary depending on experience and which side of the argument you find yourself. For many retailers, Amazon, and similar online giants…
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9 January
Why online retailers must address the checkout process
The retail industry has dramatically changed and continues to do so at a rapid pace. The days of bricks-and-mortar stores being a consumer’s only option are long gone. Easy to navigate web pages, a wide variety of products to choose from and getting items delivered straight to your door all…
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8 January
Turning marginal into massive gains for retailers
No-one talks about retail in terms of online and offline anymore. The word omnichannel entered and left our parlance with equal speed. Retailers are now focused on providing customers with the choice, experience and delivery they want, when they want it – regardless of the channel on which any part…
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7 January
How retailers can benefit from corporate structure simplification
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” Whilst I’m sure Albert Einstein was referring to complex physics when he made this assertion, his words are true for business generally and more specifically,…
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