There has been much talk about the likelihood of a Brexit where no trading deal has been secured and the retailers have all warned that the ramifications are dire. It would be great to be able to report that following extensive investigation, this is not going to be the case. The problem is, it is. […]
There is a huge difference between tactics and strategy. In our conversations with retailers across the globe, more often than not, there is a lot of confusion between the two. Most people create a retail strategy that is less about the medium to long term view and more about a shift of operational focus for […]
Experience a lack of care from your retailer and you usually shop elsewhere, no need to complain, too many of us are too reserved to do that anyway, we just go. It’s rarely direct rudeness or poor customer service, it is either apathy from the colleagues or not being able to locate one that makes […]
My first visit to Jack’s, Tesco’s alternative discount grocer, was the day after the new store in Middlewich opened. Here is the blow by blow account of my views. Let’s start with the car park and entrance. I must say that there was ample parking, more than I would expect to get in a similar […]
So the great and the good of the big 4 have all had a little look at what they can do about the grocery discounters and come up with surprisingly different solutions to the same problem. The discounters you see do not merely offer cheap goods at cheap prices, nor is it all own label. […]
The UK grocer’s shareholders are breathing a sigh of relief after the industry reported a better than expected Christmas and Q3 trading. There were one or two little surprises nestled in the results last week but overall, food sales were strong only hampered by general merchandise sales. Looking across the industry a couple of trends […]
The appointment of Roger Burnley as CEO from January and his subsequent appointment of Thakrar as his Chief Strategy Officer implies we should expect change at Asda over the coming 12 months. The last 12 months have seen a simplification of the business, reduced cost, fewer promotions, clearer messaging, which is ideal for a business […]
Doesn’t time fly! At the end of last year, we looked forward to 2017 and made a few educated guesses about what we might expect from grocery retailing. If you would like a recap, read the blog here first. Sweeping statements concerning online grocery sales, the use of tech in supermarkets and pricing were made […]
There are a number of basic principles in retailing that evolved from the very beginnings of trade, I have something I do not need myself that someone else will want. Long ago it might have been excess crop or an inherited tool. It was probably bartered for another item the originator thought worthy and then […]
Keeping the customer interested, keeping the offer relevant and keeping the bottom line growing are ongoing challenges that retailers face. Standing still is, quite simply, not an option. In the last week alone we are reading news of a checkout-less store trial in Sainsburys, a one hour delivery trial from M&S, and hearing about Microsoft […]
