Fortnight can be a long time in retail

It’s difficult to imagine that there has ever been a time when the retail industry has faced as many twists and turns as it has over the last two weeks. A mere fortnight ago things were relatively normal in retail-land as its inhabitants cast glances at a virus propagating overseas. But since then the world…

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Contact-less

Drive-thrus haven’t played a particularly big part in my life – perhaps because I’ve never owned a car even though I passed my driving test decades ago – but it’s clear they have become increasingly popular in the UK since they crossed the pond. Drive-thrus are a mainstay of automobile-loving, fast food-guzzling American society. Their…

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Innovative Retailer: Nike

Name: Nike aka The Swoosh The Place: Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, but surely one of the most globally recognisable brands anywhere on the face of the earth. The Story: This is the story of obsessive design. Focused on one product. And how constant and unrelenting iteration of that same product can eventually lead to a…

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Eyes on the bigger prize

When Amazon launched its Prime subscription service in 2005, many thought founder Jeff Bezos had lost the plot because of a potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars through offering unlimited shipping for a modest $79 (£63) a year. The move delivered a welcome recurring revenue stream but the big question among many –…

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Sustainable focus: First Mile Part Two

Welcome to this monthly column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry.   Today part two of the interview with First Mile founder Bruce Bratley – brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box Right now First Mile founder Bruce Bratley…

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The rise and rise of the meal kit

A trip into almost any UK supermarket these days will alert the observant shopper to the proliferation in meal kits and two- and three-step cooking packets. It seems as if just about everyone is getting in on the kit act which handily combines the illusion of cooking from scratch with the personalisation element that so…

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Teen Panel part one: Shops

A great deal has been written about Millennials and latterly Gen Z with regard to the way they interact with their social media and devices and how they shop. But due to their age little regard is paid to the consumers of tomorrow until they reach 18 and suddenly have the capacity to pay with…

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Sustainable focus: First Mile

Welcome to this monthly column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. This month a two-part interview with the founder of First Mile Bruce Bratley – brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box Recycling is an unglamorous but necessary element…

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