Guest slot from Ajaz Ahmed – we need more real retailers

Ajaz Ahmed founded the industry-changing Freeserve and is currently running Legal365. He also likes to tell it like it is as you will see over a short series of columns:   Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked is a quote from Warren Buffet, and it is very relevant…

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What the founders of Dunnhumby did next…

Having created Clubcard for Tesco and revolutionised the way data is used within the retail sector the co-founders of customer insight firm Dunnhumby are embarking on a new mission. Edwina Dunn Following the sale of their last interests in Dunnhumby to Tesco, Edwina Dunn and Clive Humby have recently formed H&D Ventures that – among…

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Wondering why Asos has invested in Covetique

Asos this week reported that it had invested a significant minority investment in Covetique. For those people who are wondering what exactly this business is all about, here is an interview with its co-founder and CEO that ran on Retailinsider.com back in March. Nicola McClafferty of Covetique The Person: Nicola McClaffertyThe Company: CovetiqueThe Job Title: Co-founder and CEO…

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Is the internet really that convenient?

Buying goods on the internet was once purely about paying a lesser price than when purchasing the same items from a shop on the high street. Buying online = time for other things Plenty of research has since shown that this is no longer the case and the primary reason that consumers buy online is…

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Insiders’ View of the world of headhunting

Third part of the regular column – ‘Excerpts from a day/week in the life of a head-hunter’ working in the leisure/hospitality/retail sectors: [Unfortunately such is the sensitivity of the head-hunting profession that it is rarely possible that the names of the Insiders’ clients can be divulged.] Just checking we are paying our senior people enough…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Jon Rudoe

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and K3 Retail Jon Rudoe, director of online at Sainsbury’s 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?  For any business, the greatest opportunity is always to understand the customer and their needs and then to be able to act to deliver that for the customer in as economically…

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Innovative Retailer – Hobbycraft

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and PCMS The Name: Hobbycraft The Place: Around 70 stores but expanding fast, and online too The Story: In 2010 Bridgepoint bought Hobbycraft for around £100 million. In 2011 Catriona Marshall was brought in as CEO with the mission (which she has chosen to accept) of overhauling everything. She was…

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Retail Species – the specialist headhunter

The Person: Orlando Martins The Company: Oresa The Job Title:  Founder and MD The Story: If you want to find someone for retail, then this is your man. Executive search maestro and board builder extraordinaire. He has turned finding staff into a virtual art form and stands almost alone as a male in the very…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Murray Hennessy

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and K3 Retail Murray Hennessy, chief executive of Trainline 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? The greatest opportunity for Trainline is to continue to play our part in growing sales in rail, which as a transport mode is really “coming of age.”  As we help make buying…

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Aldi holds no.1 spot in Top 25 Drinks Retail Websites for October

Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and Cookie Reports With the top four retailers holding their positions in the table of the Top 25 UK’s leading drinks retailing websites for October, it highlights that merchants are readying themselves for the vital festive period by initiating little (potentially risky) changes to their online stores. Aldi, Spar(UK), The…

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