It’s that time of the year again. When the thoughts of many businesses turn to how they can serve up the same basic offering with a nominal twist, hike up the price, and sell it on as a ‘festive period’ offer. Prices rise higher than the scones. So it is at The Dorchester hotel, famed as […]
Archive | October, 2011
Observations on Prague – a city of choices
Few people enjoy having restrictions forced upon them and being dictated to about what they can and can’t buy. With the advent of the internet there has arguably never been a better time for consumer choice. Pint of Kipling or something unpronounceable sir? While the retail industry largely delivers on the consumer choice quota there […]
Innovative Retailers Part 2 – Only having a Plan A can work
The Name: Marks & Spencer The Place: Just about everywhere The Owners: Thousands of people The Story: Plan A with its famous slogan ‘There is no Plan B’ is a monster of an undertaking. Consumers take on board only a tiny part of it from the in-store billboards but this is a company that is […]
Guest Slot – City Insider – Dan Coen
Christmas is the final big hurrah of the year for consumers but for an unprecedented number of retailers the festive season this year will not be a celebration. It will be their last quarter before restructuring forces major change upon them and their survival is put in doubt. Christmas 2011: more funereal than celebratory. Having […]
Movers & Shakers Q&A with Sarah Curran of My-wardrobe
Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and K3 Retail. Sarah Curran, co-founder of my-wardrobe 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?We see a huge opportunity for my-wardrobe to be a global brand. We have been working on the international expansion of the business over the last three months in two key markets, Australia and […]
Guest Slot – Analysis Insider – Sue Grist
Money-off coupons, vouchers, discount codes, group buying offers, and double and triple loyalty point deals are feeding a frenzy of margin-eating activity that has reached unprecedented, and seriously damaging, levels in the retail industry. Discounts and offers taking margins downwards. Offering enticing deals was regarded as a necessary tool in the armouries of merchants to […]
Youth market as skint as everybody else
One of the stronger arguments at the start of the recession – that seemed almost plausible at the time – was that youth-oriented retailers would escape the worst problems because their audience was insulated from the skirmish. Plenty of items here to keep one young shopper insulated. This worked out for some time but the downturn has […]
