Warehouses becoming more attractive

Supply chains are the hidden part of retail that shoppers have historically had no interest in whatsoever but this has changed during the Corona virus as shortages of items on supermarket shelves have put the supply chain on the front page. Large numbers of people buying an increased number of specific items has had a…

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Sustainable focus: The rise of the curated edit…

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 we discuss the different sustainable edits available in the market place and their chances of success brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box The number of fashion…

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Online differentiates winners and losers

When one of the UK’s most proficient and respected retailers decided to shut down its online operation it was a bit of a shock because the channel was expected to offset some of the sales it was losing through the enforced closure of its stores as a result of the Coronavirus. Fashion bellwether Next came…

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Adapting to present circumstances will secure the future

During this lockdown period I was very pleased to order my first home delivery from my favourite fish and chip shop, which had suddenly partnered with Just Eat, thereby providing further evidence of how even the humblest of businesses are adapting amid the Coronavirus pandemic. A similar adaptive mindset has been taken up by B&Q…

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Movers & Shakers Q&A: Tony Buffin, CEO, Holland & Barrett

Retail Insider is pleased to bring you a Q&A with Tony Buffin, CEO, Holland & Barrett, that was conducted before Coronavirus. 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Digital growth and digital interaction with our customers is really important and this extends through product differentiation, range extension, and product customisation. We also want…

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What we can takeaway from the Coronavirus on food delivery

As a household we’ve hardly ever used take-away food delivery services but it probably comes as no surprise that things have changed of late. A recent celebratory meal that would have typically been enjoyed in a restaurant was replaced with a meal from a super little local Polish restaurant Autograf. I’d have normally collected it…

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Teen Panel Part Two: Technology

At Retail Insider’s recently convened Teen Panel a handful of tech-savvy 13-year olds told us about their consumption habits, their views on sustainability and how they live with the technology that they have all grown up with. In the second part of our series on the results we look at the devices and platforms they…

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We’re in a world of U-turns

A reversal of tactics is typically known as a U-turn and in politics it is regarded as a very bad move as it signifies flawed initial thinking. It is not generally regarded as quite as bad in the world of business because a change of direction can obviously be a sensible thing financially if it…

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Keeping the wolf from the door

Despite online being initially viewed as something of a saviour for ‘non-essential’ retailers forced to close their stores the reality has been more painful as many have been unable to operate online. A combination of issues over social distancing in warehouses and subdued demand for products within various categories has made it tough for many…

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View from the City – Ocado

If there is one thing we can be certain of over the past few weeks it is that food delivery has moved onto a new level of demand as the lockdown has driven significant adoption of the services of the main supermarkets. Customers have flocked to the major grocers and created seriously long virtual queues…

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You’ll miss it if it’s gone…

Taking the requisite daily exercise last Sunday involved passing my local coffee bar, Islands in Hornsey, where the owner was crouched over a crate outside his shuttered premises handing out free food to random locals out for an exercise-like stroll. With no customers and perishable food on the premises it was clearly better to give…

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