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.
-
Nov- 2018 -15 November
Don’t forget about returns during the Black Friday boom
With less than a week to go until Black Friday – arguably the most important day of the year for both the high street and eCommerce – we’re already seeing offers and tips for getting the best bargains starting to appear. The temptation to take advantage of the sales and…
Read More » -
14 November
What makes a good buyer?
Much focus is often placed upon the ability to sell. Countless lectures, classes, videos and column inches have been dedicated to strategising techniques in selling products to various customers, but with this emphasis on educating people in the art of persuasion, it could be argued that the ability to buy…
Read More » -
13 November
How to improve productivity in the workplace
Procrastination can come at a great cost for businesses. According to research, procrastinating professionals can cost a company up to 36 working days each year, with texting, shopping and browsing social media during work time being top distractions. So, what exactly can be done to help boost your workforce’s productivity…
Read More » -
12 November
How high street retailers can make it as ‘bricks and clicks’ companies
Next year Amazon is set to celebrate its 25th birthday, although much of the high street won’t be joining the party, with an estimated 38,900 UK retail jobs being lost or affected this year alone. The roll call of businesses that have entered administration, from House of Fraser to Poundworld…
Read More » -
9 November
What does the Black Friday of the future have ‘in store’ for us?
Black Friday, a term which originated in the US and refers to the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has become common parlance in recent years. The specific meaning behind the phrase is still a matter of debate, with theories ranging from “the first time retailers start to show a profit…
Read More » -
8 November
Preparing retail for what’s to come right up to and beyond Brexit
Next, one of the biggest British retail names, recently reported ‘better-than-expected’ quarterly results but raised a red flag on Brexit-related risks to its business and the industry as a whole. With threat of online competition already causing uncertainties, ambiguity around Brexit has added to the challenges keeping retailers alert. This…
Read More » -
7 November
Digital-first retailers cannot overlook payments
Despite the retail industry being worth £366bn to the UK in 2017, the traditional high street has struggled this year. Chancellor Philip Hammond announced a financial package that includes £900m in business rates relief for nearly 500,000 small businesses, and a pot of £650m to rejuvenate high streets. But in…
Read More » -
6 November
Tackling the serial returner – time to ban them?
I think like most online and brick and mortar stores, we’ve noticed an increasing challenge with serial returners. We sell high-end fashion and designer clothing and while our returns rate remains low, particularly compared to industry standards, it’s an issue which has become gradually more problematic for us over time…
Read More » -
1 November
Why retailers need to be aware of the potential for bias in AI
Artificial intelligence is distinguished from simpler forms of automation by its ability to learn from its experiences with people. However, at its core, AI is simply an algorithm programmed by humans. While an algorithm can’t be inherently prejudiced, the people who created it may be. They might not mean to…
Read More » -
Oct- 2018 -31 October
How internal collaboration can unlock the best ecommerce experience
With online shoppers in the UK making 80% of retail purchases online, ecommerce managers can’t afford to adopt a ‘let’s hope for the best’ mentality when it comes to their website infrastructure. Not only would a crash reflect badly on the brand, but the downtime could mean lost revenue and…
Read More »
