Archive for February 2013
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 MoreAldi still top sausage among UK drinks retail websites
Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and Cookie Reports Aldi cemented its position as the best performing UK drinks website as it retained the top spot ahead of Spar (UK) in the table of the UK’s Top 25 leading drinks retailing websites for February. This strong performance mirrors the German-based retailer’s strong retail sales, with its…
Read MoreRetail Species – the newcomer
The Person: Helen Keenan The Company: Little Punk London The Job Title: Founder The Story:Keenan is not a career retailer. Until last year she worked for BoJo [that’s Boris Johnson – for non-Londoners] at the Greater London Authority with a budget of £35 million and a team of 60. Before that she was a Director…
Read MoreRetailers sue MasterCard for tens of millions
It is hardly news that retailers have been at loggerheads with the banks and card schemes over the fees that they charge for customers’ card transactions. It continues to be a more than fractious relationship. Banks and retailers: hardly the best of mates After the EU judged in 2007 that MasterCard had violated antitrust rules…
Read MoreSerious cracks appear in home delivery model
Something is going to give in home delivery at some point soon. As online sales continue to grow, the home delivery aspect is proving an increasingly important issue. But there are great failings in the current scenario that are becoming increasingly exposed. Problems afoot with the present model On the one hand the value retailers…
Read MoreMovers & Shakers Q&A with Nish Kukadia
Brought to you by Retail Insider and K3 Retail Nish Kukadia, chief executive of Secret Sales 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Everyday we’re bringing ABC1 customers and brands together in a way that’s still an emerging concept in the UK. We know people will always love sales – that’s more an…
Read MoreStill in love with the free market
The bankers have rather sullied the notion of the free market but there are still many examples where a light touch or zero intervention has its merits. This week I came across an example on Amazon where you have to love the market giant’s liberal stance. But also the ballsy approach taken by the publishers…
Read MoreInnovative Retailer – Lush
Brought to you by Retailinsider.com and PCMS The Name: Lush The Place: Headquartered in Poole, Dorset, but with 860 shops around the world. The Story: In 1995 a couple, Mark and Mo Constantine, who had spent years making beauty products for The Body Shop set up their own company and they called it Lush. And…
Read MoreGuest slot from Ajaz Ahmed – major challenges ahead for WH Smith
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: The City reaction to the announcement that the CEO of WH Smith, Kate Swann, decided to step down was negative. The share price went…
Read MoreInsiders’ view of the world of headhunting
‘Excerpts from 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] The watchword of private equity 6pm Friday – Urgent call from HR director Late in the day a call…
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