General

Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting another small, perfectly formed, programme of Zoom Cocktail Hour events (supported by Novomind) with an interesting mix of special guests from very different parts of the retail universe. Speaker: Chris Griffin, CEO & co-founder of LRG Online (Secret Sales) Date: Tuesday 23rd February Time: 5pm to…

By Michael van den Berg Whilst we navigate a third UK lockdown due to the pandemic, businesses of all sizes in a variety of industries have had to review and rethink their strategies to adjust to changing health and safety compliance. In particular, the retail sector has been heavily impacted by the current restrictions. According…

The odds on retailers utilising automated micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs) for groceries and also general merchandise (GM) categories have certainly shortened now that growing numbers of consumers have become accustomed to shopping online.   Although Covid-19 boosted the levels of online sales to arguably justify an investigation into such solutions Steve Hornyak, chief commercial officer at…

Nick Devlin, CEO, Naked Wines 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? Naked Wines was founded with the belief the wine industry could be better and our mission is to disrupt it for the benefit of our customers, winemakers and our people. Put simply, too many consumers are paying too much for mediocre…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From fur farms to fast fashion –…

To describe 2020 as a challenging year would be a massive understatement. Pre-March things were going largely as predicted but then everything quickly changed. Nothing is ever black and white of course and although Covid-19 has brought about seismic changes some of these have been positive whereas others have undoubtedly been devastatingly damaging. Regardless of…

Name: Games Workshop The Place: Ships to countries all over the world with a network of around 400 Games Workshop stores and several thousand further retail franchises but headquartered in Nottingham. The Story: You’ve got to love a company that describes its intellectual property rights as a ‘fortress wall’ and its network of shops as…

Chris Griffin, co-founder, Lifestyle Retail Group 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?   To be the largest marketplace in the world for discount fashion apparel sportswear and beauty.  2. What is the biggest challenge to your business? We designed Secret Sales to be a marketplace that consistently protects our brand partners’ brand…

For £175, Angela Hartnett’s Cafe Murano will deliver a white truffle menu box to your home while Davies and Brook at Claridge’s is up for delivering a meal kit of roast chicken for four people at a cost of £145. Other high-end places such as Le Gavroche, Hide and Smith & Wollensky are offering similar…

Freddie Blackett, founder & CEO, Patch 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business?  At Patch, we believe that plants bring homes to life. However, in recent years, we’ve observed a widening gulf in the gardening industry – between its retailers and customers. Populations are increasingly urban – 85% of Western Europe will be…

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest ‘Zoom Cocktail Hour’ with Catriona Marshall, owner of Running Bear Sports, who talked about the differences between holding senior positions within large global organisations and running your own small operation. Having spent time at Mars and Kraft in FMCG followed by senior roles at Pets At Home…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast…

One particular evening a couple of years ago remains very clear in my memory. I was sat in a bar with my then nine-year son who told me he didn’t like pubs. When his mother joined us a short time later she consoled me with the opinion that I’d dragged him out, away from his…

Name: LuxDeco The Place: Online/global with UK distribution warehouses but no showrooms. The Story: Did you ever get bored of your house and eating at home all the time during the pandemic? Oh yes: Ever wondered if a thousand pound chandelier would improve things? Umm: Ever wondered if having the correct serving tray could make…

Paolo Woods-Wyatt, CCO, Tails.com 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? At tails.com, the team have spent the last few years investing heavily in our infrastructure – people, technology, supply chain. We’re now in a place to leverage that to continue to scale the business rapidly. We have plans to continue to launch…

It is with great pleasure that we launch the annual ‘Retail Insider Digital Retail Innovations’ report for 2020 (sponsored by Webloyalty), which is arguably the most dynamic edition to date as highlighted by DNANudge heading up this year’s list of the Top 60 innovations. Covid-19 has been a major driver of new consumer behaviours and…

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest Zoom Cocktail Hour with Ken Daly, CEO of JML Group, who talked about rocketing online sales and the importance of hit products to fuelling the company’s £100 million annual sales. The business was already enjoying growing online sales through its own direct channel when Covid-19 drove a…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us how they felt about winning their category. And here is more detail from Jeremy Byfleet, UK operations manager, Infarm on how it feels to be awarded Best Newcomer. How do you feel about winning this Award? It’s great to be recognised…

Retail Insider is pleased to launch the 2020 edition of the Movers & Shakers in retail Top 100 report highlighting the most digitally progressive people in the industry who are making a major contribution to changing the landscape of retail. Produced in conjunction with sponsors K3 BTG, this year’s report continues with the objective of previous editions in…

On leaving the Royal Academy last Sunday after viewing this year’s Summer Exhibition it felt like a much more airy and less frenetic experience than previous year’s, with the art seemingly less crammed together on the walls.  But then I realised it was nothing to do with the art at all. It was instead all…

Name: Bread Ahead The Place: Started in the oldest market in London (or pretty much anywhere) Borough Market   but now has several sites in the West End and has just opened up a big old emporium at Wembley (but more of that later). The Story:  Bread – the staff of life innit. And hasn’t it…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us how they felt about winning their category. And here is more detail on exactly why the judges were taken with John Lewis’ entry in the Best Connected Experience . How do you feel about winning this award? We’re delighted to have…

Taking my regular cycle route to the top of Alexandra Palace in north London recently it was impossible to miss an enormous stage being constructed on one of the car park spaces. It turned out to be set-up for a two-week run of Puccini’s La bohème by the English National Opera dubbed “ENO Drive &…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what clothing retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Lost Stock won out in the sustainability category for their phenomenally successful venture to support garment workers in Asia while also diverting unwanted stock from landfill. 1.      How do you…

Many times over the past couple of weeks at the end of the day I’ve thought about popping out to the pub for a quick pint while I read the paper. But I’ve then changed my mind and instead cracked open a can of beer or poured a glass of wine at home. Once lock-down…

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its latest Zoom Cocktail Hour with Mark Fox, CEO of Roadchef, who talked about his mission to elevate the perception of the motorway service station. With a major £75 million investment made across the estate of Roadchef service stations and the introduction of new brands like Leon Mark detailed…

Freddy Ward, co-founder of Wild Cosmetics 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? We believe there will be an unstoppable wave of change in the way consumers think about sustainability and how their buying behaviours impact the world we live in. Wild is well positioned to help consumers on this journey and to…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Customized blind and curtain company Stitched won out in the Editor’s Special Award category and also caught the editor’s eye with their Covid plan to utilise artisan workers working from home when…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their winning entry.  Here Khoshal Wial, Strategic Account Executive EMEA at Optimizely, tells us about Optimizely’s work on an experimentation platform for Farfetch which won the Most Intelligent Use of Data category. How do…

“The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” You might not have experienced much of this over the past six months because it’s the definition of serendipity and it’s become a bit of a scarce resource. Over the years it’s fair to say that my personal circumstances and work-related…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their winning entry. DPD Group won out in the Delivery Innovation category with its new app. How do you feel about winning this Award? We’re delighted with this award. Our app has been downloaded…

We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Order management system OneStock jointly won the Editor’s Special Award for its agile Web to Store IT system which allowed Whistles to unify their stock (e-commerce, warehouses, points of sale, suppliers)…

Name: Selfridges The Place: One of the grande dames of the department stores of London’s Oxford Street (and now Birmingham and Manchester too) but one which has always been a bit wild and exuberant and just a teeny bit off the wall. Like Princess Margaret to the Queen’s Fortnum & Mason if you will. There…

Apple’s market cap recently hit an incredible £2tn, which represents a doubling in only two years, and this has happened during a period when sales of its core iPhone have been slowing. The reason for this apparent disparity is largely down to a realisation by investors that the value of Apple is not so much…

The winners of the Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail Awards 2020’ have been announced during an online unveiling via Zoom. The Awards always aims at highlighting some of the most exciting innovations to happen in the retail sector over the past year and there were plenty of those in 2020. The categories being judged this year…

Back by popular demand, Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting another small, perfectly formed, programme of Zoom Cocktail Hour events with an interesting mix of special guests from very different parts of the retail universe. Each guest speaker will tell their own interesting story that will undoubtedly throw some fresh insights and…

1. What attracted you and Womble Bond Dickinson to being involved with these Awards? We were attracted to the Retail Insider Awards because we believe that a vibrant retail industry is crucial to the country’s economic success and these awards recognise the best companies, big, medium and small which are revolutionising the way the industry develops. 2.…

1. What attracted you and Openpay to be involved with the Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards?The pandemic brought with it store closures on an unimaginable scale and challenges for many retailers which would have seemed insurmountable. Yet, through hard work and dedication, many teams innovated and pivoted to adapt to ever-changing customer demands. As the economy slowlyshows…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast fashion…

Chatting to leading property player Roger Madelin recently, it was clear he was proud of the fact that in the early 1990s, when he was running property developer Argent, the company’s Brindleyplace project in Birmingham had been the first mixed-use site to introduce turnover-based rentals for retailers and hospitality companies. He went on to use…

Retail Insider is delighted to reveal the shortlist for its fourth annual ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards of 2020 kindly supported by Openpay and Womble Bond Dickinson. The aim of the awards is to showcase the very best examples of innovation across the sector as decided by our independent panel of judges. This year’s panel comprised: Paul Wilkinson,…

Freddy Ward, co-founder of Wild Cosmetics 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? We believe there will be an unstoppable wave of change in the way consumers think about sustainability and how their buying behaviours impact the world we live in. Wild is well positioned to help consumers on this journey and to…

When growing up in Yorkshire, ordering the ‘scallop’ – a deep-fried, layered fish and potato cake – was the value option at my local fish and chip shop because it was significantly cheaper than going for a cod or haddock with my chips. Only later, when frequenting smarter restaurants, did I come across the alternative…

Brought to you by Retail Insider and Flooid Name: Cazoo The Place: Billed as the new disruptor on the block of one of the last consumer markets not yet transformed by digital commerce – yes, it’s used cars. The Story: It’s very early days for Cazoo. Seriously, this thing launched just as Covid-19 was getting going…

Long-standing Covent Garden bar the Roadhouse has become the latest casualty of covid-19 with the announcement it will not be opening again. The toll of dealing with the current uncertainly around late-night London has meant its owners sadly do not regard the operation as viable. The statement on its website reads: “It is the end…

Long-standing Covent Garden bar the Roadhouse has become the latest casualty of covid-19 with the announcement it will not be opening again. The toll of dealing with the current uncertainly around late-night London has meant its owners sadly do not regard the operation as viable. The statement on its website reads: “It is the end…

Welcome to our section of the site which focuses on the sustainable side of retail. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast fashion to one-use plastic, excess packaging to food waste…

Regular users of the bathing ponds on Hampstead Heath have been getting hot under the collar over the recent introduction of an online booking and payment system brought in by the City of London Corporation to safely manage swimmers during covid-19. Previously, the denizens of this smart north London enclave could pitch up whenever they…

Charles Wells’ pubs in France have been a quiet success story as the portfolio of outlets has grown on the back of young French drinkers’ appetite for the unique British bar vibe the UK operator has shipped across the Channel. One of the key components of this has been the hubbub around the bar. Unlike…

Despite the incredible rejuvenation of the King’s Cross area of London it remains largely bereft of traditional pubs serving top-notch craft beers apart from one that has become a firm favourite of mine: The Queens Head on Acton Street. Located only a five-minute walk from the train station it was until Covid-19 in a decent…

Brought to you by Retail Insider and Flooid Name: The Hut Group The Place: Based in Manchester Airport City. And building a really huge HQ there even as we speak plus its ICON building, which is all about content creation. But also fulfilment and warehousing centres across the world. The Story: It’s a funny one. Ask…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry. Today an interview with the co-founder of luxury resale site Rites brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box This month our sustainability column is an interview with the co-founder of…

Calling all innovative companies who want to tell the world about their amazing work… you have until 10th July to enter Retail Insider’s fourth annual Transforming Retail Awards. And the good news in these times of straitened finances for retail is that it is entirely free to enter and also very easy. Far from being…

Welcome to this column within our broader sustainability section which focuses on what retail is doing to address the issues in its industry.  Today an analysis of the role of plastic in the Covid 19 crisis brought to you by Retail Insider with Clipper and Give Back Box In the past few years, really positive moves have…

Home baking continues to enjoy its meteoric rise in popularity as a result of Covid-19 that is making flour one of the few items to still suffer shortage problems in retail outlets. Whereas things like hand sanitiser and toilet rolls have long returned to normal levels of availability in supermarkets this has not been the…

Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting a small, perfectly formed, programme of Zoom Cocktail Hour events with an interesting mix of special guests from within the retail universe. Each guest speaker will tell their own interesting story and naturally bring things up to date as they consider the impact of Covid-19 on…

Retail Insider, in partnership with Novomind, held its first Zoom Cocktail Hour with Retail Futurist Howard Saunders, founder of Twenty Second & Fifth, who considered where the industry is heading and how consumer behaviour is dramatically changing. There was no escaping Covid-19 in Howard’s assessment which determined the world is in the midst of a…

Retail Insider, the influential retail blog edited by award-winning journalist Glynn Davis, is calling for entries to its awards dedicated to digital and technological innovation. The Retail Insider ‘Transforming Retail’ Awards 2020, now in its fourth year, has under the current circumstances been pared down in terms of the number of categories and the kind of…

This is the third and final part of our series talking to a group of young teenagers about their views and habits around shopping, leisure and technology. The theme this week is sustainability and corporate and consumer responsibility as we tried to find out how it affects their brand and company perception, and what practical…

You can call it ‘click & collect by car’ or contactless collection if you wish but it’s pretty much the same thing as what the Americans call curb-side collection and it is gaining some traction in the UK as a measure against Covid-19. Whereas the traditional click & collect, involving pick-up in stores, was developed…

Ivan Mazour, CEO and Founder, Ometria 1. What is the greatest opportunity for your business? In our modern world, we struggle for time, and are overloaded in every direction with information. The opportunity we have is to change the way retail marketers practice, and enable them to give back their customers time, rather than take…

Name: Beaverbrooks The Place: UK-based with a multitude of stores around the country. The Story: It’s been selling bling for 100 years but the story of family-run jewellers Beaverbooks is very much one for the here and now. How so? Beaverbrooks could have written the mantra we all live by now. Stay Home Save Lives?…

Retail Insider is pleased to announce it is hosting its first Zoom-fuelled Cocktail Hour with special guest Retail Futurist Howard Saunders on Thursday May 21 at 5pm. Nobody really wants to be where we are right now so we are very pleased to call on the insights and humour (a fine cocktail) of Mr S…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 –…

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…

This is one in an ongoing series of profiles with individuals that are featured in the annual ‘Retail Insider Movers & Shakers in Retail Top 100‘ – this month Managing Director International of media and fitness company  Peloton – Kevin Cornils. Brought to you by Retail Insider and K3 1.What is the greatest opportunity for…

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…

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…

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…

Retail Insider held its first Breakfast Event of 2020 with Chris Dee, director of food and home at Harrods, who discussed the significant transformation journey that the company has been on over the past couple of years. Chris gave some insights into how the company has completely overhauled its food halls, toys and technology departments,…

Retail Insider held its first Breakfast Event of 2020 with Chris Dee, director of food and home at Harrods, who discussed the significant transformation journey that the company has been on over the past couple of years. Chris gave some insights into how the company has completely overhauled its food halls, toys and technology departments,…

Upmarket leather goods-maker Goyard has a compact store in Mayfair’s Mount Street that always has a queue outside snaking down the road. This isn’t simply down to the store’s popularity with global fashionistas, it’s also due to Goyard’s policy that only allows the same number of people into its store as there are employees on…

Welcome to our section of the site which focuses on the sustainable side of retail. It’s exciting times for anyone involved in this area as technology and retailers try to keep up with customers’ demand for all things ethical. From palm oil to fur farms, fast fashion to one-use plastic, excess packaging to food waste…