Features
Features delivers in-depth coverage of the people, brands, and trends shaping the UK retail landscape. This section offers detailed reports, case studies, and interviews exploring innovation, strategy, and performance across high street, ecommerce, and luxury sectors. Retail Sector’s Features coverage provides retail leaders, managers, and suppliers with contextual insight into business transformation, consumer behaviour, and the evolving commercial environment driving long-term success.
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Mar- 2023 -29 March
Brendan McDowell: ‘Online marketing has been huge’
Can you tell us a little bit about your background in cosmetics and what led you to start this company? I worked for LivingSocial for five years, working with a lot of beauty salons. At the time, I noticed that there was a gap in the market for really strong…
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27 March
It’s always someone’s birthday: gift cards remain evergreen
Inflation and rising living costs have turned consumers into paranoid penny-pinchers, who are cautiously awaiting the next fiscal catastrophe to empty their wallets once again. According to Barclays, nearly six in 10 Brits are actively curbing their discretionary purchases, which has led to just a 5.5% uplift in year-on-year spending…
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27 March
BaxterStorey’s supermarket venture using AI technology
What was the idea behind The Social Bee store? What compelled you to utilise Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology? We opted to partner with Amazon and implement the Just Walk Out technology for several reasons. Firstly, we needed an extended hours offer where the customer could still get good quality…
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16 March
Bazaarvoice takes an ‘and’ strategy to UCG in e-retail
Can you tell us a little bit about your career and your role as CMO for Bazaarvoice? Before joining Bazaarvoice, I was a marketing leader at different tech companies including IBM, SAP, and Rackspace Technology, as well as private equity portfolio firm Syniti. And previous to that, I actually worked…
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8 March
Data is the perfect conversation starter for retailers – check out Tesco for proof
Improving online and in-store integration is a priority for many omnichannel retailers in 2023. Tesco, for instance, has seen huge success by making its Tesco Pay + app integral to improving the customer in-store experience. The app allows customers to pay with their phones and collect Clubcard points, and has…
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7 March
History of Subway: how a small sandwich shop became worth $10bn
Subway is a well known sandwich shop that sells subs. It’s a staple of most British high streets and at one point was the most ubiquitous fast food store in the world with even more sites than McDonalds. However, in recent weeks reports have emerged that the owners Doctor’s Associates…
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3 March
EPR for Packaging – are you covered?
EPR for packaging has arrived. Businesses have already started collecting data, and the first data submissions are due by October. So, What is EPR? In a nutshell, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging makes producers responsible for the cost of collecting, sorting and recycling household packaging. This includes the funding…
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1 March
What tenants need to know as Covid rent arrears support ends
The Government’s support for commercial tenants with rent arrears from the pandemic has ended, giving landlords the opportunity to take action for non-payment of rents. Fuelled by the cost-of-business crisis, the financial situation for businesses and tenants is more precarious than ever, making it vital to prepare for a potential…
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Feb- 2023 -22 February
Could stationery retailers be facing a future in concessions?
Stationery retailers have not had a brilliant start to the year, as shown by a succession of less-than-stellar financial results from big players in this corner of the market, such as Ryman and WHSmith. For starters, Ryman reported a loss of £8.5m in earnings for the first time in 25…
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13 February
Talking Logins – Insights from leading tech experts on what’s in store for the rest of 2023
Whether it’s enhancing revenue potential as a retailer, adhering to ever tightening iGaming and sports betting legislation or maximising security as a fintech provider – one thing is sure. Logins are set to be a huge talking point in 2023. Remembering many complex passwords is impossible so their inevitable re-use…
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