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 -4 January
Carnage on the shop floor
The pressure on the retail sector has been a consistent staple for investors since the end of the financial crisis, partly as a result of changing shopping habits but also down to rising costs and outdated business models. This has been no better illustrated by the way UK consumers behaved…
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3 January
Why the profit warning from ASOS has added to the retail gloom
Retailers are hoping for a busy New Year period following a very tough year of trading. Much of the current market analysis and speculation has placed the blame for a host of high-street insolvencies on a rise in online shopping and skyrocketing rents for stores. However, the recent news that…
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2 January
Why shoppers are holding on to smartphones and laptops for longer than ever
In the golden era of technology, gadgets have become increasingly consumable as shoppers now upgrade to the latest models and versions well before there is any technical need to do so. Despite the latest designer smartphone brands continuing to seemingly fly off the shelves, recent studies suggest that the average…
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Dec- 2018 -21 December
Will retailers rise to the occasion this Christmas?
Retailers are entering their busiest and potentially most profitable period – but it is also their riskiest. Fail to hit the nail on the head, and retailers could struggle to make it through to next Christmas. House of Fraser, Debenhams and Marks & Spencers are just some of the stores…
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21 December
How retailers can avoid the £2.4bn peak returns crisis
The Christmas peak period is often heralded as the saving grace of retail’s calendar. But any dramatic spike in sales also leads to a marked rise in the number of returned items – and this surge brings a multi-billion pound hangover which haunts UK retail through to January sales and…
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20 December
The shift towards conscious consumerism
The UK’s ethical retail sector has grown by more than £40bn since 2008, with households spending an average of £1,263 on sustainable goods last year according to not-for-profit consultancy Ethical Consumer. With trends like Fairtrade and organic growing in prominence, people are wanting to know more about the provenance of…
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19 December
How retail marketers can cut the cost of Christmas
Christmas is an expensive time of year for everybody – particularly retail businesses as competition intensifies around the seasonal period. In fact, brands spent a record £6bn on Christmas advertising alone last year. That’s not to mention the cost of Christmas-themed point-of-sale materials, seasonal collateral, digital elements, visual merchandising and…
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18 December
Why automation is a crucial opportunity for retailers
It doesn’t take an expert to tell you how prevalent automation is right now in British industries. We’ve all ‘self-scanned’ in the supermarket, engaged with online help desks and know that the industrial production line is now more a robotic parade than a human process. But, while there’s no denying…
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17 December
Balancing Christmas demand with employee needs
With the countdown to Christmas now on, the retail industry is reaching the height of this years’ busiest shopping period. With Christmas spending hitting a record £50bn in the UK last year, it’s a frantic time for those working in the sector. In fact, our own research highlighted that almost…
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14 December
How can e-tailers transform the high-street?
While 14 shops close every day in the UK, a number of e-tailers are moving into the physical retail space trying their hand at bringing the online experience offline via immersive and experiential activations. This is hardly surprising, given shoppers continue to crave real-life, tangible experiences. But what does this…
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