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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Aug- 2018 -10 August
How to embrace the ‘age of the customer’ whilst weathering the retail storm
The phrase ‘the customer is always right’ has never been more apt. Today’s customers are savvier than ever before and increasingly shop around, their buying decisions swayed by customer reviews. In this so-called ‘age of the customer’ the top priority for retailers is to deliver a memorable experience that builds…
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9 August
Building customer loyalty
Imagine a world in which every customer is a repeat customer, strategies focused on acquiring new customers would be a thing of the past. It sounds like a dream, but could this become a reality? We understand the value of something already acquired – after all; a bird in the…
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8 August
Five ways an omnichannel strategy can improve customer experience
A customer-centric strategy is the only way retailers can remain competitive in a rapidly changing retail environment. How does an omnichannel strategy help retailers deliver a superb customer experience? 1) Omnichannel lets retailers develop a 360-degree view of the customer Retailers need to create a complete view of the customer…
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7 August
Why online retailers must embrace innovation to capture the ‘almost customer’
British retail habits are shifting. The well-documented trend towards online shopping, as evidenced by the demise of bricks-and-mortar brands and the rise and rise of digital challengers such as ASOS, has seen us become a nation of click-happy shoppers. From fast fashion to furniture, we turn to e-commerce outlets to…
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6 August
How independent retailers can use packaging to connect with customers
Putting a figure on the number of independent retailers is no small feat. According to the British Chambers of Commerce, there were 273,000 indie retailers in total in 2012, but this number is changing all the time due to the fast-paced nature of the industry and how we define independents…
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3 August
How to future proof your SEO strategy in a voice search world
By 2020, 50% of all searches will be done via a virtual assistant or voice search device. In 2015, the year of Comcast’s survey, this prediction seemed almost far-fetched. Not so today. Mobile and voice search are currently the top two SEO search terms [Buzzsumo]. Voice search in particular has…
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2 August
The end of the High Street as we know it? Part II
Like many other Retail Sector readers, I found Kareena Uttamchandani’s post this week about the end of high street fascinating reading. She highlights a couple of reasons why traditional retail is struggling, principally the rise of online shopping, but also the fact that we live in the age of the…
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Jul- 2018 -31 July
Redefining the retail experience
For years we have heard stories of the apparent decline of the high street, with the likes of Comet, Maplin and Dixons dropping out of the town centre mix. Meanwhile, online giants like Amazon have proved disrupters in the way we search, experience and purchase goods – questioning whether a…
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30 July
Reality Check: Would you pay by Instagram?
In the near future, direct payments will be possible via the image-sharing service Instagram. With this announcement the app, first launched in 2010, follows a rather logical path. The potential of many millions of Instagram users should increasingly be used for e-commerce. In the beginning, in 2016, the so-called ‘shoppable…
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26 July
Basket or bounce: How can fashion retailers use content to avoid basket abandonment?
British consumers spend over £16.2bn annually online on clothing, accessories and footwear, making fashion and apparel one of the most lucrative ecommerce verticals. Growing rapidly, this vertical is predicted to make up 28.8% of total UK online spend by 2020 – yet despite this encouraging trajectory, basket abandonment remains a…
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