Year: 2019

Buy Now, Pay Later: Here to stay?

The idea of Buy Now, Pay Later has always been around in the retail market, with companies such as Layaway operating with US supermarket giant Walmart for decades. Yet with the rise in popularity of the electronic credit card halting the growth of this form of payment option in the…

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Boots to trial in-store interpretation service

Health and beauty retailer Boots is trialing an interpretation service for non-English speaking pharmacy patients, starting in five stores across the UK.  The service is being provided by US firm Voyce, with the service being accessible via in-store iPads. Voyce connects colleagues and patients with interpreters who can translate over…

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Boohoo acquires Karen Millen and Coast putting 1,100 jobs at risk

Online fashion retailer Boohoo has acquired British brands Karen Millen and Coast, which were recently put up for sale by their owner Icelandic bank, Kaupthing. The group has acquired only the online business and all associated intellectual property rights from the administrators of Karen Millen Fashions Limited and Karen Millen…

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On-hold marketing

From fashion to food, high street to online, there’s never a dull moment in retail. Store openings and closures, pop-ups, new product launches, endorsements and partnerships are a daily development. The opportunities are endless, but so are the threats. That’s why an integrated and innovative approach to marketing – from…

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Victoria’s Secret CMO Ed Razek to step down

Ed Razek, Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands’ chief marketing officer, has resigned from his position within the company.  According to CNBC Razek, who has been with the company since the 1980s, reportedly revealed to L Brands CEO Les Wexner that he wanted to step down earlier last month and his…

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Sports Direct is not a business ‘in crisis’, claims exec

Sports Direct’s head of elevation, Michael Murray, has moved to quash rumours that Sports Direct was in “crisis” in an interview with Sky News, following the purchase of Jack Wills. The retail group posted a profit drop of 9% last year following the acquisition of House of Fraser, which owner…

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What on earth is Mike Ashley’s game?

If you’ve been paying even cursory attention to the retail market over the last 18 months, you will know that the founder of Sports Direct, the billionaire Mike Ashley, has been on a mission to buy up the high street. As news of the torrent of CVAs and administrations has…

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Boohoo confirms offer for Karen Millen and Coast

Online retailer Boohoo has confirmed it has made an offer to acquire the online business of British brands Karen Millen and Coast, together with all associated intellectual property rights. The group believes that the online business of these brands would represent “highly complementary” additions to its scalable multi-brand platform and…

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How to ensure bricks & mortar stores thrive in a shifting marketplace

Gone are the days when brands can get away with being all things to all people. A brand must build equity and position itself correctly to thrive.  The three most important factors brands need to bear in mind when navigating a shifting market are: Be relevant – listen and respond…

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Hammerson appoints new Premium Outlets MD

Shopping centre owner Hammerson has appointed Simon Travis to the role of group investment director managing director of Premium Outlets. In this new position, Travis will oversee Hammerson’s premium outlets division in addition to his existing investment responsibilities. He has spent over 20 years at the group, and has held…

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