Retailers look to Silicon Valley for inspiration

To juice their businesses retailers had traditionally looked for new strategic ideas from their favoured big-time consultants such as McKinsey, Bain and Boston Consulting Group. Looking at the future  To some extent they still do, but the more savvy merchants have realised they also need to look to where the real action is – with…

Read More

From the Archive – Early days of Tesco.com in 2001

For historians of the internet, here is a short series of pieces written by Glynn Davis for The Guardian back in the days of the dotcom boom.This one dates back to May 2001 and features John Browett, former head of Tesco.com, talking about online grocery selling.   Tesco.com: strategy not that clear in early days…

Read More

Tesco failed to use its secret weapon – customer insight

We all know about the issues Tesco is facing because much has been written about its predicament and many solutions have been put forward by all and sundry. Tesco: searching for the solution it had all along. Blame for its current weak position has been apportioned to numerous sources – some of them more plausible…

Read More

Tesco fighting for price consistency

The recent revelation that Tesco has been selling goods on Amazon’s site under the name Oakwood Distribution at prices that undercut its Tesco.com website is hardly surprising [This is Money article] AKA Tesco. The brouhaha seems to surround it doing so in a name other than Tesco. Anti-Tesco campaigners cite this as an example of…

Read More

Leahy departed Tesco prematurely

Despite the well-earned plaudits following his departure last year there is an argument that Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, was put under pressure to leave earlier than expected. Sir Terry Leahy: Unfinished business. The exit came at least two years earlier than originally planned as a result of the failure of a…

Read More

Next big food frontier – garden centres

Ever since Tesco surprisingly bought garden centre chain Dobbies way back in 2007 for £155.6 million it has kept rather quiet about the activities at its unlikely off-shoot. Tesco: keeps quiet about this one. One thing Retailinsider.com did predict (rather predictably) before the deal was completed was that an increase would be seen in the level of food…

Read More

Ocado frenzy overshadows under-valued Tesco

Much has been made of the Ocado valuation in recent weeks but in stark contrast little has been made of the valuation of the sector’s 60lb gorilla that could no doubt squash Ocado if it liked. Actually, Waitrose could probably squash Ocado if it liked. Outlandish Ocado valuation has not helped Tesco yet. What’s happened to…

Read More

Tesco fills Dobbies shelves with food

Having largely appeared to sit on its hands since strangely buying the Dobbies Garden centre chain in 2007, Tesco has finally started to put some food into the business. Unlike the usual garden centre fare of the odd jars of jam and chutney and a so-so cafe, the new Dobbies outlet in Aberdeen has a much more chunky upmarket food offer.…

Read More