Alan Giles – thoughts on Brown Sauce…

While channel hopping between Glastonbury, Brazil v Chile, and Wimbledon – a true ‘quality of life’ evening – I enjoyed a bottle of Brown Sauce (here’s the background on the brew). Here’s my thoughts: I have avoided drinking beer with ‘brown’ in the name since a degree-threatening night consuming numerous pints of Newcastle Brown at…

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Retail Insider brews Brown Sauce beer

Regular Insider readers will know that beer regularly finds its way into the posts on this website and no apology is to be made for its frequent incursions because the editor Glynn Davis has a strong affinity with the product. This interest has manifested itself in Wales-based Brains Brewery recently inviting him to brew a…

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Dobbies failing to cash in on grey pound

You don’t need Retail Insider to tell you that older shoppers are the grouping with the most disposable income in their pockets. While young people and those in the middle – with families and mortgages stretching their finances – are strapped for cash, it is their parents and grand-parents that are living it up, with…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A with Orlando Martins, founder, Oresa

Orlando Martins, founder, Oresa 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?  To further our reputation as a leading builder of top performing retail boardrooms. We love seeing what’s possible and being a critical part of our clients’ strategic success. For us, there is no better feeling than having put in a team that…

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Insiders’ 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] 7:30am Monday Mar 1 – All systems go we’re told After at least two weeks of making contact with…

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Retail Insider Breakfast – Edwina Dunn, co-founder, Dunnhumby

Retail Insider held its latest Breakfast Event this week with Edwina Dunn, co-founder of Dunnhumby  and now a director of Starcount, talking data, customer insight and loyalty programmes. Senior executives from retailers of varying sizes including Marks & Spencer, New Look,  Farfetch, John Lewis and Muddy Boots were among those who heard the pioneer of…

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Innovative Retailer – Muddy Boots

The Name: Muddy Boots The Place: That throbbing metropolitan centre – Crouch End, N8 And? That’s it. Just N8. Don’t worry, it’s going to get bigger. We’re just telling you about it early so you can look smug later when there are lots of them. I didn’t know there was so much demand for wellies…

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Beer Tasting Notes from the Retail Insider Cellar

Retail Insider scours the globe to find the perfect beers for retail’s top executives. Brewer: Beavertown Brewery, London Beer: Bloody ‘Ell Blood Orange IPA Strength: 7.2%, pretty chunky. Label: Pretty scary on first sight. First impressions: Full-on, packs a punch. Not easily forgotten. Conditioning: Smart head that holds its own against any of the competition.…

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Will connected devices be a dream or nightmare for retailers?

Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail are selling their recently announced merger plans to City investors as a way to tap into the connected devices story. They reckon the link-up will ensure the combined entity is in prime position to benefit from the expected enormous growth of the ‘internet-of-things’ whereby household items and wearable technologies are…

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