Wine tasting event launches ‘Diversifying Revenue Streams 2024’ report

Retail Insider launched the ‘Diversifying Revenue Streams 2024’ report, sponsored by Webloyalty, at innovative venue Brityard involving guest retail speakers and a wine tasting with Gusbourne vineyard. The evening comprised an interview with Hamish Mansbridge, CEO of Heal’s and Lara Chant, co-founder of Brityard, along with a tutored British sparkling wine & cheese pairing and…

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Sustainable Retail: Fast fashion’s last chance saloon?

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes a look at fast fashion’s precarious position – how long does the category really have left in…

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Retail Insider launches ‘Diversifying Revenue Streams 2024’ report

During these tough economic times progressive retailers are increasingly exploring ways to secure additional revenues alongside their core businesses. Retail Insider is pleased to launch a report, ‘Diversifying Revenue Streams 2024’ with Webloyalty that highlights how a group of forward-thinking retailers have successfully adopted such a strategy. We have sought out some of the UK’s…

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Grabbing an ever bigger chunk of the market

Asda is adding 110 more convenience stores this month alone that will enable it to make further inroads into the grab-and-go food category and it is not alone as all the major supermarkets and symbol groups like Spar are experimenting with their food-to-go models. They recognise that we are now in an era that is…

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Sustainable Retail: The Repair Shop

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively so. This month’s column takes a look at what is possible for brands looking to get into the business of repair…

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Sustainable Retail: Developing new delivery models

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes a look at what is new in the world of delivery and returns as we are in…

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Trading Times

The Delaunay restaurant in London’s Aldwych was buzzing when my family pushed opened its solid doors to celebrate Martinstag on 11 November with a dinner of goose, dumplings and red cabbage. We were immediately hit with the welcoming vibrancy of the room and atmospheric (beauty-enhancing) lighting, helped by the traditional St Martin lanterns adorning the…

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Sustainable Retail: Recommerce moving in the right direction

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at the progress of the markets in renting, reusing and reselling of goods that is beginning…

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Delivering the goods

It was a Friday evening and on a whim I’d ordered a pizza but after a long wait and a chase-up phone call two hours had elapsed and I’d finally given up and gone to bed after some unplanned toast for dinner. At 11:30pm I was awoken by a pizza delivery guy suggesting: “It’s only…

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Sustainable Retail: Lessons to be learnt

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes a look at how a Dutch auction-style company operating in South America is attempting to transform the…

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Sustainable Retail: Clothing needs passports

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes a look at the apparel resale market and the DPP (Digital Product Passports) technology that has the…

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Tesco Christmas Preview – from lava lamps to olive Christmas trees

At the Tesco Christmas preview yesterday the watchwords were fun/joy/wow – and from the armchair pet treat thrower to the show stopping beef joint entitled Thor’s Hammer (don’t try throwing that one though – it doesn’t come back) the ranges got us firmly in the festive mood. The standout gifting theme this year is definitely…

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Older demographic calling the shots

News that the former glamorous London restaurant Le Caprice is to reopen on its original site with previous owner renowned restaurateur Jeremy King has made plenty of headlines and highlighted the myriad glitterati that regularly dined there in the 1980s and 1990s including Princess Diana. In these reports it is clear the real star of…

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Discovering London Shopfronts

As a long term resident of London who has been writing about retail along with food & drink for over 20 years I can largely navigate my way around the city by shop and pub. It’s not often that I’m presented with a highly recommended venue that I’ve not heard of before so it was…

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In search of service

Every couple of years, my family enjoys a short stay at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, where we enjoy the sort of old-school ambience and service that is something of a rarity at UK coastal hotels. It is no surprise that an episode (The Body in the Library) of Miss Marple was filmed at the…

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Sustainable Retail: Switching onto refurbished electronics

Welcome to the latest sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at the emerging market in refurbished electronics that might not be as hyped as fashion but…

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Sustainable Retail: Driving the flywheel of sustainability

Welcome to the sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at the resale market and where the focus needs to be for brand owners to boost the…

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The extra mile is the marginal gain

Returning to Florence recently for a short break with my post-GCSE daughter involved a much-anticipated revisit to Il Santo Bevitore, where we had previously dined in 2016. It seems perennially rammed from the moment its doors swing open at 7.30pm, and although many of the diners seem to be tourists, the food more than sufficiently…

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Retailers missing out on influence of rewards/loyalty programmes

Retail rewards and loyalty programmes influence a mighty near-£75 billion of consumer spending but it could be so much more because the majority of retailers have yet to implement such tools and are missing out on attracting additional sales. In a new report ‘The Constrained Consumer’ from Webloyalty and Cebr involving a survey of retailers…

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Closing the Digital Divide: Empowering Retail Workers with Digital Literacy

In an era characterised by a whirlwind of technological information digital literacy has never been more critical to the workforce. The growth of e-commerce and the shift towards omni-channel retail highlight the widespread transformation, but too many workers are on the wrong side of the digital divide. With advancing technology and consumer demand, digital transformation…

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Sustainable Retail: Addressing the sizing problem

Welcome to the sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at how sizing technology solutions are becoming much more widely used as a way for retailers and…

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Pennies micro-donations overcoming cost-of-living crisis

Micro-donations provider Pennies is helping its retail partners achieve growing volumes of donations at their points of sale from customers despite the cost-of-living crisis. During Q1 2023 volumes of donations increased 47% versus the same quarter in 2022 as large retailers confidently rolled-out the Pennies solution across their estates. In store the software sits on…

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Moving too quickly to a cashless society

Back in mid-2008, food-to-go chain Eat was something of a pioneer as it had installed contactless card readers at each of its tills within its Moorgate branch as a bit of a test. It was looking to roll-out the equipment to more of its units because it had hit the pre-arranged number of contactless transactions…

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The growing appeal of travel hubs

Rather sadly, my local WHSmith recently closed its doors for the last time in a move that is not particularly unusual, because the company has had a tough time on the high street over recent years and is reducing its presence in such locations. Meanwhile, its travel stores are on fire. At its recent half-year…

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Sustainable Retail: Growth in rental

Welcome to the sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at how the rental model is moving beyond cars, tuxedos and ball gowns to encompassing a wide…

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Who are the Disruptors & Innovators in Retail Top 30?

Retail Insider was pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Disruptors & Innovators in Retail Top 30 report produced in partnership with the Retail Technology Show last week. For those people who have not yet seen the 30 visionaries celebrated in the report then it is accessible here. This new annual report seeks out the…

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Sustainable Retail: Taking a smarter look at returns

Welcome to the sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column takes look at that perennial problem for retailers – returns. Making this service stack-up financially and more sustainable has…

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Disruptors & Innovators in Retail Top 30 report launches

Retail Insider is pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Disruptors & Innovators in Retail Top 30 report produced in partnership with the Retail Technology Show. The 30 visionaries celebrated in the report are highlighted for the change they are driving within the retail sector. Topping the publication’s first list is James McMaster, CEO…

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Preview of IRX & eDX 2023 – Day 2 Highlights

It feels like we are awash with mentors, gurus, specialists, consultants and myriad other experts proffering their knowledge of varying levels of quality and relevance. It can, therefore, be difficult to cut through to the real insights so help is needed sorting the proverbial wheat from the chaff. Help is at hand for finding this…

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Preview of IRX & eDX 2023 – Day 1 Highlights

Retailers are facing myriad challenges including the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, sustainability, and handling the increased complexity that comes with operating across multiple channels, which requires difficult decision-making around the adoption of technology solutions and managing the supply chain. Against this backdrop the forthcoming IRX & eDX exhibition and conference at the NEC in Birmingham on…

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Developing sustainable resale models

Welcome to the sustainability column that takes a look at what retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. Much of the ongoing focus will be on fashion but not exclusively. This month’s column explores some of the issues around resale that need to be considered if this potentially crucial part of the…

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Sustainable fashion: Resale finding its place in fashion industry

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column explores some of the exciting activity taking place in the resale market that is drawing in more fashion brands and proving increasingly attractive to a growing number…

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Sustainable Fashion: Click & Collect

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column is about click & collect – it’s not rocket science but done correctly it might just be the better environmental and economic solution that some big players…

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Sustainable Fashion: Slick Fashion

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights the new market of slick fashion. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. It may seem that the current mood music is very much…

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Simply Roasted: Innovative Marketeer

Last week Retail Insider attended the launch of a four-day pop-up shop in London’s Soho for upmarket, roasted crisp brand Simply Roasted. The company – not content with entering the ridiculously over-crowded snacking market last year – introduced a very novel concept as its latest marketing channel. We’ve had lots of pick-and-mix sweets. We’ve eaten…

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Collaborations and how to make them work

There have been many unexpected repercussions of covid-19 but it’s difficult to know how wereached the point whereby the Primark store on London’s Oxford Street now contains a SausageRoll swing located within a ‘Tasty by Greggs’ café. Amid the fast fashion goods the in-store dinerserves up the food company’s iconic rolls alongside pizza and a…

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Customisation and automation

When standing in-line at the service counter of my local Pret A Manger waiting for my typical morning order of a cappuccino recently, it struck me how often I seem to be the only person requesting a bog-standard coffee. There are a cornucopia of options now being requested with various milk types, syrup flavours, decaf…

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Sustainable Fashion: Greenwashing

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights the very real dangers of greenwashing for both the companies involved and consumers. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Earlier this year the…

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Back to the future with London’s Lost Department Stores

Our high streets are still littered with the remains of former department stores including the shells of once dazzling outlets of Debenhams, House of Fraser and BHS that have been recently joined by various John Lewis & Partners properties. Amid the carnage today it is incredible to believe that London (and its suburbs) alone supported…

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Retail Insider ‘Digital Retail Innovations Report 2022’ launches

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Retail Insider ‘Digital Retail Innovations report 2022’ (sponsored by Trust Systems). This year a small company in the vanguard of apps tackling food waste has ranked highest of all – a reflection of the importance and intrinsic value that innovations in sustainability now enjoy. So congratulations…

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Innovative Retailer: Biscuiteers

The Name: Biscuiteers The Place: Well, the Biscuit Boutique and Icing Cafés are in Notting Hill and Belgravia and the main icing factory is Wimbledon so I think we will say its heart is in London although online is the main and original sales channel so technically everywhere. The Story: If you had to pick…

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See you in the future at Wired Smarter 2022

On the near term horizon is the Wired Smarter conference that takes a look beyond the short term and brings together a mix of speakers that will provide some answers as to where we might be heading in the future. This year’s event, on October 11, in London, begins with the inventor of the internet,…

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Sustainable Fashion: Keep calm and get it repaired

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses onwhat fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights how the old-fashioned concept of ‘make do and mend’ isfinding new relevance on the High Street. Brought to you by Retail Insiderwith Clipper and Give Back Box. We reckon high…

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Staying ahead of the game

Inamo restaurant in Covent Garden is about to launch its new touchscreen tables that will not only enable customers to order from a vibrant interactive menu, but also offer up an array of games including space invaders, air hockey and pool that can be played individually, or among the various members around the table. This…

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Using loyalty programmes can help avoid ‘sneakflation’

When checking in online for a flight this summer, I realised the carry-on baggage allowance I’d been expecting with the ticket I’d bought had been changed from the pre-covid-19 levels of a small suitcase to more like handbag-sized proportions. We could call this ‘shrinkflation’, as it reduces the size of what you used to receive…

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Steen & Strom helping Oslo become global destination

It’s tough to find a positive economic story anywhere in the world right now but one does seem toexist – in the form of Norway and its capital city Oslo. The Scandinavian location is enjoyingsomething of a boom time as a destination for a growing number of overseas and domestictourists attracted by its healthy environment…

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The evolution of the kiosk

Last month was the twentieth anniversary of Argos trialing interactive self-service kiosks in 15 ofits stores to enable shoppers to avoid the queues. They were pretty clunky, with interfaces thatwere far from intuitive, and they did not prove to be a breakout success for the retailer. Theycertainly did not suggest that hospitality operators should jump…

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Sustainable Fashion: Rental comes of age

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights the maturing rental market in the UK. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Many of the sustainable innovations we cover in this column…

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Window to the future

Cycling into the City from my home in north London recently, it suddenly struck me how many foodservice businesses seem to have installed hatches and counters for takeaway orders and for serving customers seated outdoors. From French Crepes and Forks & Green on West Green Road to Mira Food Store and De Beauvoir Deli Co…

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Q & A with Andrew Thornton, former owner of Thornton’s Budgens

Following the recent publication of his book ‘Putting the Heart Back into Business: How to placepeople, planet and purpose at the core of what you do’, Retail Insider put some questions to AndrewThornton, co- founder of Heart in Business and former MD of Thornton’s Budgens. In a nutshell, can you describe what putting the heart…

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Innovative Retailer: House of Hackney

The Name: House of Hackney. The Place: The bit of the concept we have visited is slap bang in London, EC4 but the company’s wares are on full display in a castle in Cornwall owned by the founders (and available to hire) and as of this week House of Hackney has also launched over the…

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Retail Insider event with Simon Forster, former MD at Selfridge’s

Retail Insider held its latest event with guest speaker Simon Forster, former MD of Selfridge’s, at Hedonism Wines in London’s Mayfair followed by a tutored tasting of wines. The event sponsored by Stylumia involved senior executives from Heal’s, White Stuff, Moss Bros, LVMH and Holland & Barratt hearing about Simon’s time at Selfridge’s including how…

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Sustainable Fashion: Strange bedfellows

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights the changing value of ‘defective’ clothes and Love Island’s shift to loving eBay. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. The new series of…

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Digital is not going away…

When the internet emerged in the late 1990s, it had an almost immediate impact on the retail sector as it became an obvious alternative channel for sales. The problem was it sat uncomfortably with the existing store-based model, and there were worries that it was cannibalising revenues from this traditional channel. Needless to say, senior…

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Sustainable Fashion: The cost of being good

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights the cost of being an eco-saint and how retailers might encourage others into the fold. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. It’s a…

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Innovative Retailer: The Skateroom

The Name: The Skateroom The Place: Headquartered in Belgium but rocking all over the world… The Story: Get me my deck, it’s time to do some slappy grinds. What? Take me to the half pipe – it’s time to do some primo slides. What?  Now watch this backside grab. That doesn’t sound good: Skateboarding innit.…

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Carnaby Street rolls back the years to iconic status

Ahead of chunks of the Carnaby Street area of central London celebrating their 25th anniversary under the ownership of Shaftesbury PLC, Retail Insider took a tour around this buzzing area with its retail director. There’s no doubt that the iconic road, and surrounding streets, had become pretty jaded when the property company acquired a significant…

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Making delivery profitable

At the height of the lockdowns, the only thing I encountered on the streets in the early evenings in my part of north London were swarms of scooters and cyclists delivering take-away meals for the cooped-up masses. When things opened up, I confidently predicted the boom in deliveries would subside to pre-covid-19 levels, and the…

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Sustainable Fashion: All welcome at the resale party

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column highlights just how much is going on in the resale sector right now. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Barely a week goes by…

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Innovative Retailer: BEEN London

The Name: BEEN London The Place: East London and proud of it. The Story: Sometimes you just need to take your hat off to someone. And today that someone is Genia Mineeva – founder of BEEN London and general all round good egg. Well, this is glowing. Tell me more. She runs a sustainably-designed bag…

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Sustainable Fashion: Oxwash

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column profiles an innovative new disruptor dealing in the unglamorous but potentially very damaging side of fashion – cleaning. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box.…

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Reward schemes can help fight inflation fears

When Dollar Tree in the US has to increase its prices to more than a dollar for the first time in its 34-year history and Ikea announces it is to increase its prices by an average of 9% across all its stores in 2022, then you know inflation is running amok. Just to ram home…

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Innovative Retailer: Anya Hindmarch

The Name: Anya Hindmarch’s The Village The Place: Pont Street, Kensington, London. Alright global stores too but the bit we are interested in here is strictly SW1. The Story: Anya Hindmarch. First a woman. Absolutely: Then a brand. Definitely: Now a village. Umm: Oh yes, she is now also a Village. And she told Retail…

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Innovative Retailer: Gousto

The Name: Gousto The Place: Shepherd’s Bush. Really? Well that’s the HQ. But its services are of course available throughout the British Isles – it’s online. The Story: It seems reading through earlier interviews that at first co-founder Timo Boldt thought about opening a shop a decade or so ago to sell his made-to-measure recipe…

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Saluting those who supported NRF 2022

Retail’s Big Show, organised by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which took place again in New York City this month, was somewhat different to previous years for obvious reasons but thankfully it also had many similarities too. This annual industry jamboree attracts retailers and technology providers from across the globe to showcase the latest technology…

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Sustainable Fashion: The beginning of the end for limitless ordering?

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks if rationing how much your customers can buy could ever be a good idea. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. If you have…

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Consumer goods industry undergoing sustainability revolution

Ground-breaking technology has changed the world over recent decades and next it is the turn of consumer goods to undergo a revolution and make a significantly positive impact on people’s lives. This is the view of Ernesto Schmitt, co-founder of The Craftory, whose venture capital firm is investing in companies that make these consumer goods,…

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Consumer goods industry undergoing sustainability revolution

Ground-breaking technology has changed the world over recent decades and next it is the turn of consumer goods to undergo a revolution and make a significantly positive impact on people’s lives. This is the view of Ernesto Schmitt, co-founder of The Craftory, whose venture capital firm is investing in companies that make these consumer goods,…

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Sustainable fashion: Recycling is not a magic bullet

Welcome to the latest column within our broader sustainability section, which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks if recycling textiles will ever be the magic bullet people think it is. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Whenever there is a…

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Grow Your Own is a growth industry

A recent visit to The Greyhound Pub & Dining Room in Beaconsfield was notable not only for the great quality and value of the set lunch I enjoyed, but also the enthusiasm of the pub’s owner for his burgeoning kitchen garden.  Daniel Crump led me out the back of the grade-II listed 17th century former…

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Innovative Retailer: Lick

The Name: Lick The Place: Currently an online business that is riding the wave of Covid DIY-ers butmight yet dip its toe into buying bricks and mortar. The Story: Cast your mind back to the carefree days before Covid. Can’t remember them: Try – there was a time before masks. If you say so: Back…

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The curse of reservations…

Some years ago the organisation of a birthday drink at The Lamb pub on Lamb’s Conduit Street in London for a group of around 10 friends was a carefree process simply involving me telling them to turn up at the allotted time. I’ve a feeling that replicating the event today would be less easygoing and…

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Making an Inkpact

Who doesn’t like to feel special and significant and remembered? No-one, that’s who. And this is very much the premise of the innovative marketing company Inkpact, which was set up in 2015 by Charlotte Pearce who had a moment of epiphany at a conference when she discovered someone bemoaning the lack of progress they were…

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Agility and flexibility are now key for hospitality sector businesses

After more than a year of using the Pret coffee subscription I recently paused it for a month. This was not because I questioned its worth at £20 per month for pretty much unlimited barista-made drinks, but quite the opposite. It had become so integral to my coffee-drinking that I’d been making lifestyle decisions around…

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Sustainable fashion: When fashion loses its sparkle

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From fur farms to fast fashion, excess…

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Hiring ex-offenders could help to ease staffing crisis

Back in 2002 when shoe-repairing and key-cutting retailer Timpson employed its first ex-offender, it was deemed a somewhat risky move and certainly deeply unfashionable, which is precisely why the rest of the industry was reluctant to follow suit. It transpired that such hires were incredibly grateful for being given a second chance and therefore proved…

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Retail Insider event with Sean Ghouse, retail director, Fortnum & Mason

Retail Insider held its latest event with guest speaker Sean Ghouse, retail director of Fortnum & Mason, at Hedonism Wines in London’s Mayfair followed by a tutored tasting of wines. The event sponsored by Talkdesk involved senior executives from Tesco, John Lewis & Partners, Rank Group, Carnival Group and Amazon hearing how F&M had focused…

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Operators risk losing customer relationship

Technology has been something of a lifesaver for many companies over the past 18 months or so, but there is an underlying problem that lurks behind the scenes which could prove to be detrimental to the future success of hospitality companies. During the pandemic there has been a surge in the adoption of digital-based solutions…

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Retail Insider Movers & Shakers 2021 report launch event

Retail Insider held its latest event with guest speakers Charlotte Morley, founder of The Little Loop, and Freddie Blackett, founder of Patch Plants, who helped celebrate the launch of the ‘Movers & Shakers in Retail Top 80 Report 2021’, sponsored by WonderLane. Attendees of the event at Mercato Metropolitano in central London included senior executives…

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Movers & Shakers in Retail 2021 report launched

Retail Insider is delighted to launch the 2021 edition of the Movers & Shakers in retail Top 80 report, sponsored by WonderLane, which champions the most digitally progressive people in the retail industry who are bringing real change to the landscape of retail. This year’s report continues with the objective of all our other editions in the preceding…

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Time to talk about dynamic pricing

When hints by government departments of potential fuel shortages hit the news, the natural result was drivers descending on garages to fill their tanks. The inevitable outcome was many forecourts having to quickly put up the shutters when they ran out of supplies. What did not happen was any increase in prices in accordance with…

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Taking stock of market opportunities

After its most-recent fundraising, digital payments company Stripe achieved a value of an incredible $95bn, as it follows in the wake of the likes of Uber, Deliveroo, Darktrace, Square, Airbnb and Palantir in hitting eye-watering valuations before even considering resorting to the public markets to access late-stage funding. The ability to secure financing from private…

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Sustainable Fashion: The Mystery Box

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks if the magic box phenomena could be harnessed to unsold stock. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Everyone loves a gift box don’t they?…

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Innovative Retailer: Mercato Metropolitano

The Name: Mercato Metropolitano The Place: Despite sounding Italian and being founded by an Italian in Italy and generally smelling Italian all over there is surprisingly not an outlet of the sustainable artisan market concept anywhere in Italy at all. The Story: Less surprising maybe is the success which the urban markets have had in…

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Digital Retail Innovations 2021 Report Launch

Retail Insider is proud to have launched its Digital Innovations Report 2021 (sponsored by Webloyalty) with an event involving a group discussion on innovation led by Steve Robinson, founder of Omnicommerce. Guests from high street retailers, online operators as well as members of the report’s Advisory Panel heard Steve kick-off a conversation about how retailers…

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Gold burgers or £3 broilers?

For many people, the belief has been that a free-range chicken costing at least £10 is priced too highly, whereas in reality, the argument should probably be that it’s the £3 broiler that is underpriced. Our thinking has arguably been polluted by the availability of ever cheaper food prices – irrespective of animal welfare and…

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Transforming Retail Award Winners: Ribble – Best Connected category

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us how they felt about winning their category. So here is our Q & A with Ribble on their plans for the future featuring David Stacey, Commercial Director and Matthew Lawson Chief Digital Operator.  How do you feel about winning this Award? Matt: Over…

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Digital Retail Innovations report 2021 launched

It is with great pleasure that we can announce the launch of the latest ‘Retail Insider Digital Retail Innovations’ report for 2021 (sponsored by Webloyalty). If Covid-19 was the major driver of innovation in 2020 then 2021 was the year when retailers welcomed people back into shops and hospitality but tried to make everything as easy…

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Rise of the robots

You won’t have to grease their palms, shorter hours longer arms, rise just watch them rise, the rise of the robots,” sang The Stranglers back in 1978, when robots looked like metallic-covered humans in films, and the prospect of them impacting our everyday lives was very much the world of sci-fi fantasy. Fast forward to…

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Times are changing for traditional trading patterns

When growing up in a village just outside Doncaster in Yorkshire it was always very exciting to hear of any new high-quality restaurants opening up in the surrounding area, and my family and I would always make a beeline for them. It felt like we were getting a little slice of London’s dynamic food scene…

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Disruption drives differentiation in fashion sector

Fashion businesses are successfully adapting their models in myriad ways as Covid-19 has accelerated the industry’s key underlying trends including the increased embrace of digital channels, the rise of sustainability, and a greater focus on the supply chain. These were some of the major themes discussed at a ‘Fuelling Innovation in Fashion’ roundtable hosted at…

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2021 Transforming Retail Awards – winners announced!

The winners of the Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail Awards 2021 have been announced during an online ceremony on Zoom – with Patrick Berghaeger from award sponsors Talkdesk unveiling the winning entries. The Awards always aims at highlighting some of the most exciting innovations to happen in the retail sector over the past year and there…

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Transforming Retail Awards: Q&A with Patrick Berghaeger, industry account director at Awards sponsor Talkdesk

1.     What attracted you and Talkdesk to being involved with these Awards? Having worked with Glynn to sponsor these events in the past, I knew our paths would cross again. Sponsoring these events always brought fruitful conversations with fellow technologists, allowing sponsors to network and connect without imposing attendees with a strong sales pitch, which puts…

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Supply chain problems could have positive impact on F&B industry

The chickens appear to be coming home to roost. Sadly, they don’t seem to have been roosting at Nando’s, McDonald’s and other foodservice companies, where shortages of the birds have at times prompted the temporary closure of certain units and resulted in menu changes. It’s not only the chickens that have been problematic though, because…

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Sustainable Fashion: Give Youth A Chance

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column wonders if the youngsters need to be brought in to achieve real change in fashion. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. A large amount of…

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Innovative Retailer: Tillingham Wines

The Name: Tillingham Wines The Place: Nestled in a farmstead on the hills around Rye, Sussex since 2017, and selling domestically both online and through distributors as well as exporting internationally. The Story: Wine. Simple innit? Just buy a few acres, grow the things and then get the expert in to make the stuff. Bottle…

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Delivery Pains

We used to have chief executives but they have been gradually replaced by CEOs and many of the items we bought from retailers previously fell under the umbrella term FMCG but this has almost been superseded by the US equivalent CPG. Whether we like it or not we invariably end up adopting an endless stream…

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Poor stock visibility is unfashionable and increasingly unsustainable

Trends and themes for London Fashion Week are always going to be closely guarded secrets until the models actually walk down the catwalks but this year we can be pretty safe in predicting sustainability will be evident in many collections.  Despite the industry increasingly recognising the need to address this issue the fact is fashion…

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Retail Insider’s Transforming Retail Awards 2021: Shortlist announced

Retail Insider is delighted to reveal the shortlist for its fifth annual ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards of 2021 kindly supported by Talkdesk. The aim of the awards is to showcase the very best examples of innovation across the sector as decided by our independent panel of judges. This year’s panel comprised: Clodagh Moriarty, digital director at Sainsbury’s;…

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Acquirers of top-selling Amazon brands find going tough

One of the pioneering firms who built a business around acquiring top-selling brands on Amazon and rapidly scaling them is now driving growth from other areas having found the market becoming increasingly saturated with competitors. Thrasio has achieved great success with its novel strategy of buying out the independent owners of some of the most…

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Just another day at the office

For hospitality companies in London, and in some of the UK’s other major conurbations, the potential for future prosperity remains very much in the balance because of, arguably, the most seismic long-term impact of covid-19 – the changing role of the workplace and the acceptance of working from home (WFH). The WFH phenomenon and its…

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The need for friction

The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another is one definition of friction as is conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments or opinions. Whichever way you look at it, this is something retailers and hospitality operators are keen to remove from their organisations.  There has been much…

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Making a statement with staples

How many people can name any brands of olive oil? Unlike beer, coffee and chocolate there are many household staples including olive oil that are very much taken for granted by consumers and it is only the mass produced, nameless, generic versions that find themselves in shopping baskets. Citizens of Soil are looking to change…

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Sustainable Fashion: The future of eco-labelling

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks how environmental standards in fashion can best be communicated to consumers. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Last month this column reported on Zalando’s…

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Opportunity for retailers to address personalisation shortcomings

Personalisation has very much been under the spotlight during Covid-19 as shoppers have gravitated to online channels and expected an experience that mimics the one enjoyed in-store but it has all too frequently been found wanting. Phil Bacon, senior ERP consultant at Xpedition, says: “Lots of businesses will now be looking at themselves coming through…

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Entrepreneurial bravery required…

Sitting in the grounds of Grantley Hall near Ripon in North Yorkshire enjoying a coffee there is much to distract the eye including the pristine acres of grass adorned with flowers and manicured shrubbery, the bubbling River Skell, and the imposing Grade II-listed Hall itself. But what was most noticeable was the array of employees…

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The importance of product selection…

When Tesco introduced its first small format convenience stores some years back, it pinpointed the 100 key items it needed to always have in stock at each of these outlets. The list was an odd mix including the likes of Steradent denture tablets and Carlsberg Special Brew. The criteria was based on them being premium-priced…

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Innovative Retailer: Cuyana

The Name: Cuyana The Place: Well, lots of shops obviously. But this particular one iscurrently on an automobile trip round America. The Story: Have you ever wanted to be a rock star and shout “Hello Florida!!” from the front of a huge stage? No: I see. How about “If it’s Tuesday it must be Culver…

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Indie retailers continue to appraise their business models

Small independent brands like Copperhouse Chocolate are attaching less value to their physical units having focused on other areas of revenue generation during Covid-19 and the various lockdowns. From a unit on Islington’s Chapel Market in North London Copperhouse Chocolate operates a cafe in the front end and has production facilities in the back where…

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Much greater focus needed on reusing goods…

Greater focus must be placed on reusing unwanted electrical goods rather than on recycling within the UK, which lags behind the rest of Europe partly as a result of the ongoing stigma attached to buying second-hand goods. Cris Stephenson, CEO of Environcom – the UK’s leading independent recycler of e-waste and provider of reuse, says…

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Creating buzz through limited edition releases

Visiting the Tillingham Winery in the rolling countryside on the edge of the East Sussex town of Rye was not only a relief to be out of stuffy London on what was a gloriously hot day but it also gave some insights into what hospitality businesses might well need to embrace in the post-covid-19 world.…

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The right stance

Visiting St John restaurant in the Clerkenwell area of London for the first time in about 15 years was an enjoyable experience, partly because of the familiarity I felt even though I can hardly call myself a regular. From my recollection, very little seemed to have changed over the intervening years apart from the fact…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Simon Leesley, MD at Stitch Fix UK

Simon Leesley, MD, Stitch Fix UK 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Stitch Fix is able to offer personalisation at scale, which given recent moves in consumer behaviour, habits and expectations due to the pandemic, is more important than ever. The seismic consumer shift from offline to online shopping presents an important…

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Sustainable Fashion: Can eco-edits close the attitude/behaviour gap?

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks whether sustainable edit will help close the ‘attitude-behaviour’ gap for consumers. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box. Earlier this year online fashion platform Zalando…

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Shortages lead to price hikes

Sat near the entrance to the New Forest Inn, near Lyndhurst, enjoying an early evening pint of local beer and an expected quiet read of my newspaper, I was continuously interrupted by visitors popping their heads around the door enquiring about a table for dinner and being told the place was fully booked. This process…

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Retail Insider Movers and Shakers in Retail Top 100

Last year in difficult circumstances Retail Insider celebrated the tenth issue of the successful Movers & Shakers report. This year with a brand new sponsor, WonderLane, onboard and an excellent panel of judges we are raring to begin the second decade of this popular report. The process for choosing the ranked individuals begins, as always,…

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Improving the dine-in offers at supermarkets…

One of the great mysteries in foodservice over the years has been just how uninspiring the cafes have been within the major supermarkets. Despite the fact they are supposedly experts in food they have always delivered a poor dining offer within their own stores. Their long-standing argument seems to have been that everybody hates food…

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Tech needs to be seamless…

Having completed some chores the other day, I’d planned to grab a coffee while walking back home but then it suddenly dawned on me I could actually go into the pub and have a beer instead. A wave of power and opportunity washed over me – what would I drink, who might I meet in…

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Innovative Retailer: Geek Retreat

The Name: Geek Retreat The Place: Dotted around the UK so far with over 20 stores but another 14 listed as coming soon and with big further expansion plans… The Story: There aren’t really many sectors that seem to be doing too well on the high street at the moment. There are those places that…

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Transforming Retail Awards – the Best Connected category

The Retail Insider 2021 Transforming Retail Awards is now open for entries. Each week we will be profiling one of the categories available to see which kind of companies have entered and won over the past four years and to see if we can spot any themes emerging. This week we tackle the Best Connected…

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Maybe you’ll see the Future at FUTR Europe 2021

Retail has changed so dramatically over recent years and Covid-19 has brought forward so many of the trends that were beginning to take root. It’s not just about digital and the move of more sales online. The changes are so much broader that it’s tough to even define what retail is any more. It’s fair…

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Capital Appeal

Wandering around central London over these past few weeks has reminded me a little of the run-up to the Olympics in 2012 when the capital underwent a major spruce up as investments were made in roadways and other core infrastructure in order to impress the world’s TV viewers and the influx of overseas visitors. During…

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Sustainable Fashion: Are eco-bonuses the way forward?

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month’s column asks whether environmental standards in fashion can be used as levers in executive pay packages to effect change from above. Brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Frazer Locke, senior advertising executive, Amazon

Retail Insider, in partnership with novomind, held its latest ‘Zoom Cocktail Hour’ with Frazer Locke, senior Advertising executive at Amazon, who gave an overview of the company’s exciting advertising business that is becoming an increasingly important part of the organisation. He shared insights into how the advertising proposition fits into the wider Amazon business, detailing…

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Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail Awards’ 2021 launched

Retail Insider, the influential retail blog edited by award-winning journalist Glynn Davis, is calling for entries to its 2021 Awards dedicated to digital and technological innovation. Retail Insider is proud to launch its fifth ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards after the successes of recent years. The aim of these awards is to highlight the best examples of innovation…

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Innovative Retailer: Lifvs

The Name: Lifvs The Place: All over rural Sweden The Story: This is a bit niche I can hear you thinking. Innovation in rural Sweden – what’s that go to do with us here in Blighty? I’ll do the questions, thank you: OK. What’s that got to do with us here in Blighty? Well, there…

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The Third Space

One of the few positive elements to come out of Covid-19 for many people has been the removal from their lives of the drudgery that is the daily commute to the office. Meanwhile, one of the downsides for many people during this prolonged period of lockdowns has been the enforced working from home scenario within…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Kresse Wesling, co-founder, Elvis & Kresse

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest ‘Zoom Cocktail Hour’ with Kresse Wesling, co-founder of Elvis & Kresse, who is disrupting the luxury goods industry while saving waste materials from landfill. She relayed the story of her discovery of end-of-life fire hoses heading onto the waste pile and sought to turn them into desirable…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Tom Broughton, founder and CEO, Cubitts

Tom Broughton, founder and CEO, Cubitts 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? The world is now almost eight billion humans, of whom most will need spectacles at some point. We can help. 2. What is the biggest challenge to your business? It’s an obvious answer, but navigating Covid-19 – it’s been pretty brutal for a…

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Sustainable Fashion: Elvis & Kresse

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what fashion retailing is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From fur farms to fast fashion, excess…

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The Power of Neighbourhood Restaurants…

Before I headed off to King’s Cross station to board a train to Timothy Taylor’s Brewery in Yorkshire for my stag do, and before my fiancée went off to do her hen things, we both did the sensible thing and prepared ourselves by popping into a local café for a full fry-up. Fast forward more…

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Innovative Retailer: Thrasio

The Name: Thrasio The Place: Well, it’s headquartered in Massachusetts, USA and has offices also in New York and Houston. But it has country specific websites in Japan, Germany and the UK and there are signs it may turn its Sauron-like gaze on the rest of Europe one day. The Story: You know those little…

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Steering clear of overly-cautious mindsets…

One of the notable features of the hospitality industry this past year has been the snaking queues of cars leading up to the counters of the drive-thru units of McDonald’s, Costa, KFC and a growing number of other foodservice operators. These outlets have been the perfect creation for servicing diners in a covid-19-ridden landscape where…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Chris Griffin, CEO of LRG Online

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest ‘Zoom Cocktail Hour’ with Chris Griffin, CEO of LRG Online, who detailed how he is building out Secret Sales as the largest discount-only, branded product site in the world. Since buying the Secret Sales business he has repositioned it away from a flash sales site to being…

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QR codes helping transform future of touchscreens

By Harry Horn When Scala showcased QR codes back in 2015 as a technology whose likely breakthrough was on the near-term horizon there was plenty of scepticism. People questioned its prospects having seen it fail to make an impact since it was first developed back in the 1990s.  Well, it certainly found its place big-time…

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The tech-led drive for delivery

Incredible as it sounds half the world’s internet users aged 16 to 64 have placed an order for takeaway food for delivery in the past month, according to Hootsuite and We Are Social. I’m certainly one of them and I don’t know anybody who isn’t. Maybe this statistic is not too surprising really because the…

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Sustainable fashion: Eco-collaboration

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From fur farms to fast fashion, excess…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Sarah Miles, CEO of Feelunique

Sarah Miles, CEO of Feelunique 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? We have several exciting growth opportunities, all of which are underpinned by the investments we have made in our technology infrastructure and brand relationships during recent periods. Firstly, we have a great opportunity with our marketplace platform, which has delivered soaring…

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The shift in city dynamics

There was a time when it was possible to secure a table at popular restaurants and bag a seat in the more fashionable bars in London without too much trouble. But, over the years, things became ever more difficult and a night out has required meticulous planning months in advance if you are particularly selective…

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Innovative Retailer: Pets At Home

The Name: Pets At Home The Place: Large stores all across the UK (around 450 of them), a full online presence, and some new small stores too. The Story: If you could describe a retail business that was going to do well in an international pandemic restricting people’s spending and movement – what would it…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with retail entrepreneur Chris Griffin

Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting another small, perfectly formed, programme of Zoom Cocktail Hour events (supported by Novomind) with an interesting mix of special guests from very different parts of the retail universe. Speaker: Chris Griffin, CEO & co-founder of LRG Online (Secret Sales) Date: Tuesday 23rd February Time: 5pm to…

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Three ways technology will save retail in 2021

By Michael van den Berg Whilst we navigate a third UK lockdown due to the pandemic, businesses of all sizes in a variety of industries have had to review and rethink their strategies to adjust to changing health and safety compliance. In particular, the retail sector has been heavily impacted by the current restrictions. According…

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Micro-fulfilment centres coming of age

The odds on retailers utilising automated micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs) for groceries and also general merchandise (GM) categories have certainly shortened now that growing numbers of consumers have become accustomed to shopping online.   Although Covid-19 boosted the levels of online sales to arguably justify an investigation into such solutions Steve Hornyak, chief commercial officer at…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Nick Devlin, CEO of Naked Wines

Nick Devlin, CEO, Naked Wines 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Naked Wines was founded with the belief the wine industry could be better and our mission is to disrupt it for the benefit of our customers, winemakers and our people. Put simply, too many consumers are paying too much for mediocre…

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Sustainable Fashion: The price is right… or is it?

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From fur farms to fast fashion –…

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2020 – Tale of Two Glasses

To describe 2020 as a challenging year would be a massive understatement. Pre-March things were going largely as predicted but then everything quickly changed. Nothing is ever black and white of course and although Covid-19 has brought about seismic changes some of these have been positive whereas others have undoubtedly been devastatingly damaging. Regardless of…

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Innovative Retailer: Games Workshop

Name: Games Workshop The Place: Ships to countries all over the world with a network of around 400 Games Workshop stores and several thousand further retail franchises but headquartered in Nottingham. The Story: You’ve got to love a company that describes its intellectual property rights as a ‘fortress wall’ and its network of shops as…

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Retailing skills will be vital for hospitality’s future.

For £175, Angela Hartnett’s Cafe Murano will deliver a white truffle menu box to your home while Davies and Brook at Claridge’s is up for delivering a meal kit of roast chicken for four people at a cost of £145. Other high-end places such as Le Gavroche, Hide and Smith & Wollensky are offering similar…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Freddie Blackett, founder & CEO, Patch

Freddie Blackett, founder & CEO, Patch 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?  At Patch, we believe that plants bring homes to life. However, in recent years, we’ve observed a widening gulf in the gardening industry – between its retailers and customers. Populations are increasingly urban – 85% of Western Europe will be…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Catriona Marshall, owner of Running Bear Sports

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest ‘Zoom Cocktail Hour’ with Catriona Marshall, owner of Running Bear Sports, who talked about the differences between holding senior positions within large global organisations and running your own small operation. Having spent time at Mars and Kraft in FMCG followed by senior roles at Pets At Home…

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Sustainable Fashion: eBay – The Covid clearing house

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast…

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Sympathy for students

One particular evening a couple of years ago remains very clear in my memory. I was sat in a bar with my then nine-year son who told me he didn’t like pubs. When his mother joined us a short time later she consoled me with the opinion that I’d dragged him out, away from his…

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Innovative Retailer: LuxDeco

Name: LuxDeco The Place: Online/global with UK distribution warehouses but no showrooms. The Story: Did you ever get bored of your house and eating at home all the time during the pandemic? Oh yes: Ever wondered if a thousand pound chandelier would improve things? Umm: Ever wondered if having the correct serving tray could make…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Paolo Woods-Wyatt, CCO of Tails.com

Paolo Woods-Wyatt, CCO, Tails.com 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? At tails.com, the team have spent the last few years investing heavily in our infrastructure – people, technology, supply chain. We’re now in a place to leverage that to continue to scale the business rapidly. We have plans to continue to launch…

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‘Digital Retail Innovations 2020’ Report Launch

It is with great pleasure that we launch the annual ‘Retail Insider Digital Retail Innovations’ report for 2020 (sponsored by Webloyalty), which is arguably the most dynamic edition to date as highlighted by DNANudge heading up this year’s list of the Top 60 innovations. Covid-19 has been a major driver of new consumer behaviours and…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Ken Daly, CEO of JML Group

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest Zoom Cocktail Hour with Ken Daly, CEO of JML Group, who talked about rocketing online sales and the importance of hit products to fuelling the company’s £100 million annual sales. The business was already enjoying growing online sales through its own direct channel when Covid-19 drove a…

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Transforming Retail Award Winners: Infarm – Best Newcomer

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us how they felt about winning their category. And here is more detail from Jeremy Byfleet, UK operations manager, Infarm on how it feels to be awarded Best Newcomer. How do you feel about winning this Award? It’s great to be recognised…

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Movers & Shakers in Retail 2020 report launched

Retail Insider is pleased to launch the 2020 edition of the Movers & Shakers in retail Top 100 report highlighting the most digitally progressive people in the industry who are making a major contribution to changing the landscape of retail. Produced in conjunction with sponsors K3 BTG, this year’s report continues with the objective of previous editions in…

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Sunnier in the suburbs

On leaving the Royal Academy last Sunday after viewing this year’s Summer Exhibition it felt like a much more airy and less frenetic experience than previous year’s, with the art seemingly less crammed together on the walls.  But then I realised it was nothing to do with the art at all. It was instead all…

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Innovative Retailer: Bread Ahead

Name: Bread Ahead The Place: Started in the oldest market in London (or pretty much anywhere) Borough Market   but now has several sites in the West End and has just opened up a big old emporium at Wembley (but more of that later). The Story:  Bread – the staff of life innit. And hasn’t it…

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A decade of change in six months…

Taking my regular cycle route to the top of Alexandra Palace in north London recently it was impossible to miss an enormous stage being constructed on one of the car park spaces. It turned out to be set-up for a two-week run of Puccini’s La bohème by the English National Opera dubbed “ENO Drive &…

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Sustainable Fashion: Counting those carbon calories…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast…

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Transforming Retail Award winners: Lost Stock – Sustainability Award

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Lost Stock won out in the sustainability category for their phenomenally successful venture to support garment workers in Asia while also diverting unwanted stock from landfill. 1.      How do you…

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Extra restrictions kill the swift pint option…

Many times over the past couple of weeks at the end of the day I’ve thought about popping out to the pub for a quick pint while I read the paper. But I’ve then changed my mind and instead cracked open a can of beer or poured a glass of wine at home. Once lock-down…

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Zoom Cocktail Hour with Mark Fox, CEO of Roadchef

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest Zoom Cocktail Hour with Mark Fox, CEO of Roadchef, who talked about his mission to elevate the perception of the motorway service station. With a major £75 million investment made across the estate of Roadchef service stations and the introduction of new brands like Leon Mark detailed…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Freddy Ward, co-founder, Wild Cosmetics

Freddy Ward, co-founder of Wild Cosmetics 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? We believe there will be an unstoppable wave of change in the way consumers think about sustainability and how their buying behaviours impact the world we live in. Wild is well positioned to help consumers on this journey and to…

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Diminishing probability of serendipity…

“The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” You might not have experienced much of this over the past six months because it’s the definition of serendipity and it’s become a bit of a scarce resource. Over the years it’s fair to say that my personal circumstances and work-related…

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Transforming Retail Winners: OneStock – Editor’s Special Award

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Order management system OneStock jointly won the Editor’s Special Award for its agile Web to Store IT system which allowed Whistles to unify their stock (e-commerce, warehouses, points of sale, suppliers)…

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Innovative Retailer: Selfridges

Name: Selfridges The Place: One of the grande dames of the department stores of London’s Oxford Street (and now Birmingham and Manchester too) but one which has always been a bit wild and exuberant and just a teeny bit off the wall. Like Princess Margaret to the Queen’s Fortnum & Mason if you will. There…

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Being multi-channel must be the Apple of a company’s eye

Apple’s market cap recently hit an incredible £2tn, which represents a doubling in only two years, and this has happened during a period when sales of its core iPhone have been slowing. The reason for this apparent disparity is largely down to a realisation by investors that the value of Apple is not so much…

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‘Transforming Retail Awards 2020’ winners announced

The winners of the Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail Awards 2020’ have been announced during an online unveiling via Zoom. The Awards always aims at highlighting some of the most exciting innovations to happen in the retail sector over the past year and there were plenty of those in 2020. The categories being judged this year…

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Retail Insider’s Autumn/Winter programme of Zoom Cocktail Hours announced

Back by popular demand, Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting another small, perfectly formed, programme of Zoom Cocktail Hour events with an interesting mix of special guests from very different parts of the retail universe. Each guest speaker will tell their own interesting story that will undoubtedly throw some fresh insights and…

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Transforming Retail Awards: Q&A with Gavin Matthews, partner at awards sponsor Womble Bond Dickinson

1. What attracted you and Womble Bond Dickinson to being involved with these Awards? We were attracted to the Retail Insider Awards because we believe that a vibrant retail industry is crucial to the country’s economic success and these awards recognise the best companies, big, medium and small which are revolutionising the way the industry develops. 2.…

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Transforming Retail Awards: Q&A with Andy Harding, UK MD of awards sponsor Openpay

1. What attracted you and Openpay to be involved with the Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards?The pandemic brought with it store closures on an unimaginable scale and challenges for many retailers which would have seemed insurmountable. Yet, through hard work and dedication, many teams innovated and pivoted to adapt to ever-changing customer demands. As the economy slowlyshows…

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Sustainable focus: Waste specific clothing

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast fashion…

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Landlords must be willing to flex

Chatting to leading property player Roger Madelin recently, it was clear he was proud of the fact that in the early 1990s, when he was running property developer Argent, the company’s Brindleyplace project in Birmingham had been the first mixed-use site to introduce turnover-based rentals for retailers and hospitality companies. He went on to use…

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Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail Awards 2020’ Shortlist Announced

Retail Insider is delighted to reveal the shortlist for its fourth annual ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards of 2020 kindly supported by Openpay and Womble Bond Dickinson. The aim of the awards is to showcase the very best examples of innovation across the sector as decided by our independent panel of judges. This year’s panel comprised: Paul Wilkinson,…

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Teasing the customer back

When growing up in Yorkshire, ordering the ‘scallop’ – a deep-fried, layered fish and potato cake – was the value option at my local fish and chip shop because it was significantly cheaper than going for a cod or haddock with my chips. Only later, when frequenting smarter restaurants, did I come across the alternative…

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Innovative Retailer: Cazoo

Brought to you by Retail Insider and Flooid Name: Cazoo The Place: Billed as the new disruptor on the block of one of the last consumer markets not yet transformed by digital commerce – yes, it’s used cars. The Story: It’s very early days for Cazoo. Seriously, this thing launched just as Covid-19 was getting going…

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Don’t just leave us with memories

Long-standing Covent Garden bar the Roadhouse has become the latest casualty of covid-19 with the announcement it will not be opening again. The toll of dealing with the current uncertainly around late-night London has meant its owners sadly do not regard the operation as viable. The statement on its website reads: “It is the end…

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Don’t just leave us with memories

Long-standing Covent Garden bar the Roadhouse has become the latest casualty of covid-19 with the announcement it will not be opening again. The toll of dealing with the current uncertainly around late-night London has meant its owners sadly do not regard the operation as viable. The statement on its website reads: “It is the end…

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Sustainability Focus: Lost Stock

Welcome to our section of the site which focuses on the sustainable side of retail. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast fashion to one-use plastic, excess packaging to food waste…

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