Archive for October 2024
Right-sizing high street outlets
During a recent meeting at the original Grind coffee shop in London’s Old Street, I was discussing with data specialists CACI how the branded coffee players will have to better manage their historical physical spaces in this digital, work-from-home era when, after exactly one hour, a server with an iPad asked if we would like…
Read MoreBook Review – Croydonopolis
Developer and operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has been granted planning permission by Croydon Council to revitalise the frontage of Croydon’s historic department store Allders with several new food offers, shops and other services. So reads the latest press release highlighting yet another initiative involving Croydon and its cityscape that has long been entwined with retail. The…
Read MoreTime to prune complexity in garden centres
Garden centres and DIY stores used to be relatively straightforward affairs with demarcation between the rough-edged trade-only propositions and the softer consumer-focused retailers. They also operated predominantly from physical stores and maybe had a paper-based catalogue on the side but it was the same product assortment. Over the years things have become increasingly blurred between…
Read MorePied à Terre – home of permanently great service
Retailers can learn lots about delivering great personal service from the hospitality industry – here’s a personal tale… When walking down Charlotte Street with my daughter heading for a dinner booking a bright shirt came into view and then a smiling face that I immediately recognised as David Moore sat outside his restaurant Pied à…
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