Retail Insider held its latest evening event with Angus Thirlwell, co-founder & CEO of Hotel Chocolat, who hosted a Cocoa Cuisine dinner with matching drinks while also running guests through the story of his multi-faceted chocolate business. Senior executives from Fortnum & Mason, John Lewis, Tesco, Berry Bros & Rudd, Sainsbury’s, Cook, and Budgens were […]
Archive | February, 2018
Movers & Shakers Q&A – Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, president of techUK and non-executive director & advisor
Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, president of techUK and non-executive director & advisor 1. What is the greatest opportunity for consumer-facing/retail businesses? Once upon a time the retail industry was all about selling, now its biggest opportunity is providing unparalleled, interactive experiences to customers. The rise of subscription services and the pervasiveness of connected devices such […]
Retailers have lots of learn from the restaurant experience
As retailers look to deliver more immersive experiences in-store there is a lot they can learn from the restaurant industry where some operators are creating very rich stories in their venues. Among them is Indian restaurant chain Dishoom that has been building a successful business initially in London but soon it will have an outpost […]
Jury’s out on flights of fancy as retailers vacate high streets
City Darts used to be an unusual venue just off Brick Lane in London’s East End. It was a typical pub in all ways except for it having a large number of dartboards scattered around the room. This unique feature made it worth a visit for any group looking for something different to just sitting […]
Volume is what most brands really value
A few years ago if you wandered into a Poundland store you really would not have known what products you’d find on the shelves. This was because the business sourced many of its branded lines via third-parties because the brand owners would not supply the retailer direct. The issue was that the well known brands […]
Innovative Retailer – Birchbox
Name: BirchBox The Place: Head quartered in New York because, um, that’s where the early adopting cool people live but it’s mainly an online outfit which operates in numerous countries and is now definitely in the UK too. The Story: Every now and again this column likes to give a shout out to a company […]
Secondary Siberia dining rooms
Regular restaurant-goers and those in the industry will know that every venue has its own versions of the Siberia tables, which in the case of the worst examples only the unwitting and timid would fail to reject when directed to by the front-of-house team. Those tables situated right next to the toilets, in draughty doorways, […]
