Innovative Retailers – IKEA

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and PCMS The Name: IKEAThe Place: Too many countries to mention – but about 325 stores in around 35 countries.The Story: It starts with another youngster in a shed – Ingvar Kamprad, stuck in the depths of southern Sweden with a helpful aunt. In 1930-something she helps him buy 100…

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Retail Species – The newcomer – Nicola McClafferty of Covetique

The Person: Nicola McClaffertyThe Company: CovetiqueThe Job Title: Co-founder and CEO Investment banker to online fashionista – now that’s a career journey: It certainly is. But McClafferty has always specialised in the internet/digital sector even when first working in investment banking after university. However, like many others before, working with entrepreneurs made her want to…

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Launch of search for Top 100 E-commerce/Multi-channel Movers & Shakers 2012

The search for the Top 100 Movers & Shakers in E-commerce and Multi-channel Retail has been set in motion following the official launch of the process at the recent Retail Business Technology Expo 2012 in London. This will be the third Retailinsider.com Top 100 report that is again sponsored by multi-channel specialists K3 Retail, and which continues to…

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Guest Slot – Analysis Insider – Sarah Wilson

Question: Does anybody know why the UK operates an odd system of collecting rentals on stores on a quarterly up-front basis? Big clue. Answer: It dates from a time when property owners were typically many miles away from their assets and relied on horse drawn wagons to collect the rents. The answer surprised us too.…

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Multi-channel heralds big winners and even bigger losers

For some years having a multi-channel presence has been recognised as the way to drive extra sales from your customers. Multi-channel: All good, but what’s WAP TV? It has been proven many times over that if they shop across multiple channels then they will be massively more valuable shoppers. The big guns like Marks &…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Gideon Lask of BuyaPowa.com

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and K3 Retail Gideon Lask, founder and CEO of BuyaPowa.com 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Brands recognising the power of social commerce as an amazing marketing tool; and a great way to develop direct, transactional relationships with their end-customer. 2. What is the biggest challenge to…

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Innovative Retailers – Hotel Chocolat

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and PCMS The Name: Hotel Chocolat The Place: 62 stores in the UK and two in the US plus three franchises in UAE The Story: Founders Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris began selling confectionery together in 1988 and via Geneva Chocolates and ChocExpress they arrived at Hotel Chocolat in 2003/4.…

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No wonder high streets are lost cause

Many high streets are doomed because  the economics make it staggeringly difficult for independent, non-chain operators to get a foothold and to then make the numbers stack up. Doomed. Over the past few weeks there have been a number of stark examples in London of the system failing these businesses. The first involves Jewish cafe Gaby’s Deli on…

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Guest Slot – Recruitment Insider-Nigel Sapsed

There is a trend gathering pace. It might be down to the state of the economy or the fact that people are sick of all things corporate and are therefore thumbing their noses up at the big brands. Big has had its day…for now. Whatever it is it’s leading to the emergence of new small, family-owned…

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