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Displaying 1-30 of 53 results
Exclusive
Shoppers are still buying - Just not what you’re selling
- 16 Jul 2024
- Andrea Felsted
Discusses whether consumption is collapsing following the warning of Helen of Troy Inc., maker of the viral Revlon styler brush, that US consumers are financially stretched and prioritising essentials over discretionary items. Although the preliminary reading from the University of Michigan suggests consumer sentiment unexpectedly declined to the lowest level in eight months in July, there is evidence that many US consumers are still spending. According to the author, consumers are being more choosy about where they shop, with appealing products and value for money being key.
Exclusive
AI in retail: Cutting-edge solutions for modern challenges
- 16 Jul 2024
- Shelby Hiter
In today's hyper-competitive retail landscape, retailers are increasingly using AI to gain advantage. AI can enhance retail operations in a growing number of ways including boosting customer engagement, improving sales and marketing strategies, optimising inventory management, streamlining supply chains and providing advanced data analytics and insights. A range of AI tools and technologies for retailers are explored with examples of how leading brands are using AI.
Exclusive
Stress among Europe's retailers rises to highest since Covid
- 15 Jul 2024
- Irene García Pérez
Stress levels among Europe's retail and consumer goods companies have reached their highest point since April 2020, according to research by law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. The sector has been impacted by weaker spending power and ongoing supply chain disruptions.
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Intersport, Decathlon largest clothing retailers in France
- 04 Jul 2024
Intersport and Decathlon have become the leading clothing retailers in France according to a study by Kantar. They have overtaken hypermarkets, which previously controlled a combined 20 percent of the clothing market in 2000. The growing presence of international retailers in France is discussed, a trend that's expected to continue over the coming years.
Exclusive
Real growth for UK retailers
- 01 Jul 2024
The grocery market in the UK returned to real growth in 2024 according to research from IGD, although the main driver of growth was reported to still be inflation.
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Nearly 40% of UK retailers fail to meet delivery times
- 01 Jun 2024
A new report by parcelLab and Salesupply highlights a number of areas that UK retailers need to improve upon in relation to customer communications and delivery processes. It identifies issues with delivery reliability, with a significant number of retailers not meeting advertised delivery times. Tracking transparency, disappointing shipping fees and customer service response times are also highlighted as areas for retailers to focus upon.
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Investors bet on London's Oxford Street bouncing back
- 16 Feb 2024
- Elina Ganatra, Katie Linsell
Oxford Street's shops have seen a steady recovery, with visitors bouncing back strongly in 2023. The recovery is attributed to improved retail and leisure offerings, as well as the opening of new stores and the introduction of the Elizabeth Line. While footfall remains below pre-Covid levels, investors are showing interest in the area, and retailers including HMV, Ikea and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have opened or are due to open new stores.
Exclusive
Brits can't stop buying cakes and cheap clothes
- 23 Jan 2024
- Leonard Kehnscherper
December 2023's drop in retail sales and the unexpected rise in inflation caused some industry experts to fear that consumers' resilience is wilting. But it seems that doesn't apply to cheap fashion and sweet treats. Primark reached its highest ever market share in the final months of 2023, while a jump in Cadbury cake sales helped Premier Foods deliver a 21% jump in its sweet treats division.
Exclusive
UK Christmas retail sales disappoint as shoppers pull back
- 09 Jan 2024
- Elina Ganatra, Katie Linsell
UK Christmas retail sales were disappointing, growing only 1.7% in December compared to almost 7% growth the previous year. Weak consumer confidence and higher inflation were cited as reasons for the sluggish sales. However, food sales increased by 6.8% in the three months leading up to December, and discount retailers like Aldi and Lidl performed well. The difficult retail environment is expected to continue due to higher living costs and other factors.
Exclusive
Europe's mobile payments muddle
- 01 Jan 2024
- Dominic O'Neill
Article on the development of mobile payment schemes in Europe and the efforts to establish a cross-European payments company to compete with big US players like Visa and Apple Pay. The European Payments Initiative (EPI) was created by large European banks to strengthen Europe's control over its financial systems. However, differing domestic interests have limited its reach, and a rival Spanish/Italian/Portuguese joint scheme is also moving forward.
Exclusive
UK retailers report weak Christmas trading, CBI survey finds
- 21 Dec 2023
- Tom Rees
UK retailers have reported a decline in sales during the Christmas 2023 trading period, indicating a potential weakening of the UK economy. Retailers anticipate a contraction in sales during January 2024 and are expected to reduce their orders in January.
Exclusive
Weaker UK retail data puts risk of recession back on table
- 18 Dec 2023
- Tom Rees
The threat of a recession looms over the UK economy as weaker retail sales data may lead to a downgrade of previous GDP estimates. The UK's near-term outlook ranges from tepid growth to a minor recession. However, there are signs of potential recovery, such as easing inflation, real wage growth, and improved consumer and business confidence.
Exclusive
Mixed picture
- 01 Dec 2023
- Johanna Thomson
A look at some trends in UK retail during 2023. These include price-marked packs (PMP) ranges to build consumer confidence, healthier versions of favourite ranges, plant-based offerings and meal deal items to make 'fake-aways' with.
Exclusive
Unattended retail options pegged as a secure saviour for small businesses, survey reveals
- 01 Nov 2023
Vending machines and unmanned retail services are growing in popularity with UK consumers, giving small businesses a lifeline to much needed ancillary revenue, according to the results of a newly released survey. For the consumer, it’s clear that convenience and availability are the primary drivers of unattended retail usage, with consumers increasingly relying on these services to meet out-of-hour or unplanned needs - and also to avoid social interactions.
Exclusive
Rental and second-hand markets contribute nearly £7bn to UK economy
- 19 Oct 2023
A study by Barclaycard Payments has found that UK retailers are benefiting from the growing recommerce economy, with 76% of retailers now offering more sustainable shopping formats that include rental, reuse and resale offerings. The rise of the resale market shows no signs of slowing, with four in ten UK consumers more likely to buy used or rented items than new compared to a year ago.
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Making tech the basis of a better experience
- 01 Oct 2023
- Angela Hanson
Convenience store retailers are investing in various technologies to enhance their customers' experience, despite facing resource shortages and deployment challenges. The article takes a look at the most popular additions, from consumer-facing technology like social media, digital loyalty programs, and petrol pump digital monitors to backend improvements such as enhanced inventory management and better use of loyalty data. Graphs are included showing the percentage uptake of key technology investments and those which stores plan to add.
Exclusive
There's a new way to prove a $1,500 designer bag is real
- 30 Aug 2023
- Anna Irrera
Several major luxury fashion houses are investing in high-tech ways to track their most coveted and most expensive products. The article takes a look at why brands including Prada Group and Louis Vuitton have launched services built on the Aura consortium's blockchain technology, to allow customers to verify that their item is authentic. However, some experts are sceptical about the robustness of such blockchain solutions in real-life scenarios.
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Retailers ask for review on UK bottle recycling scheme
- 22 Aug 2023
- Henry Mathieu
British retailers have spoken out against the UK government's upcoming bottle deposit return scheme (DRS), claiming it could cost the industry at least £1.8bn ($2.29bn) per year from 2025.
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The battle of Britain's luxury department stores
- 17 Aug 2023
- Hikmat Mohammed
London's luxury department stores are having a 'seesaw summer', says Mohammed Hikmat. Harrods' stellar 2022/23 financial results reflects its appeal to wealthy crowds shopping for mega brands in one place, whereas in Oxford Street Selfridges faces more than £1.7bn debt as a result of rising interest rates.
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Even tiny website slowdowns can cost you sales
- 01 Jul 2023
The article describes how website performance can impact retailers' brand reputation and profitability. It summarizes research presented in the article “Need for Speed: The Impact of In-Process Delays on Customer Behavior in Online Retail,” published in the journal 'Operations Research', 2023. Suggestions for reducing check-out time for online shoppers are given, including offering faster payment options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
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Elliott-backed lender Bantry Bay dares to take on distressed UK retailers
- 09 Jun 2023
- Katie Linsell, Giulia Morpurgo
Many firms are afraid to invest in struggling UK retailers for fear insolvency strikes, but there's one notable exception that keeps coming back for more: asset-backed lending specialist Bantry Bay Capital. The London-based firm has become a lender of last resort for British retailers struggling to stay afloat - but the costs are high.
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UK's Montezuma's Chocolate scooped up by Paramount Retail Group
- 05 Jun 2023
- Henry Mathieu
The deal - an undisclosed fee - sees the chocolate company's husband-and-wife founders Simon and Helen Pattinson return to the helm. The Pattinsons have now said they want to 'quickly restore the company to its former glory'.
Exclusive
Cautious consumers still willing to pay for Big Macs and Huggies as prices rise
- 25 Apr 2023
- Leslie Patton, Daniela Sirtori-Cortina
Consumers are still spending on certain retail brands, such as McDonalds hamburgers, Nestlé SA coffee creamer and Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Huggies nappies, even as prices for those products rise. This brand loyalty is helping boost sales for some of the biggest companies in the US and Europe, though there are questions about how resilient consumers will remain in the coming months.
Exclusive
Muted rebound
- 10 Apr 2023
- Cathy Roberson, Mark Szakonyi
An update on the state of US retail imports and inventory, including the factors hindering a significant recovery in retail imports, plus overly high inventory levels for furniture, appliances, building materials and garden retailers, and retailers' efforts to optimize their inventory management.
Exclusive
John Lewis cancels employee bonus as losses mount
- 16 Mar 2023
- Katie Linsell
John Lewis Partnership Plc has cancelled staff bonuses for the second time in three years. The retail group warned of potential job cuts after reporting a large loss amid intense competition in the British retail market. John Lewis has appointed a CEO for the first time to boost its overhaul effort - new CEO Nish Kankiwala has led previous turnarounds at Hovis and Burger King.
Exclusive
Top trends in tech, and retail's early adopters
- 07 Mar 2023
- Ben Sillitoe
Computer Weekly magazine identifies the retail industry’s early adopters of 14 top tech trends announced by McKinsey & Co in 2022. Examples include Currys trialling the use of solar to help power its delivery vehicles and Boots' trialling of airborne drones for deliveries. Cosmetics company Avon is taking advantage of immersive reality technologies to launch a virtual try-on online shopping experience.
Exclusive
Confectionery market: high turnovers and highly competitive
- 01 Feb 2023
An overview of the European confectionery industry market, which is one of Europe's most dynamic and largest sectors in terms of production and exporting. The feature also takes a look at the challenges of packaging chocolate at high speeds and creating sustainable confectionery packaging.
Exclusive
Credit binge sees UK shoppers use debt to buy TVs and milk
- 20 Jan 2023
- Tom Rees, Lucy White
The highest increase in consumer credit card activity in over 18 years appears to have helped the UK's retail sector, as Britons borrow to buy products ranging from high-ticket electronic items to basics such as milk. A quarter of UK adults now use credit cards to pay for everyday essentials such as groceries, according to research from Forbes Advisor.
Exclusive
Luxury's play in a challenging world economy
- 19 Jan 2023
- David Moin, Jean E.Palmieri
At the National Retail Federation's January 2023 Big Show in Manhattan, leaders from LVMH, Neiman Marcus Group and Harrods discussed what's ahead for their brands. Women's Wear Daily magazine reports on the themes of the conference, including an increase in Americans shopping in Europe.
Exclusive
Retailing on the front line
- 01 Jan 2023
- Malachy O'Connor
Retail executives from Ukraine's Silpo Supermarkets chain discuss how they are coping with the logistics of keeping their stores running since the initial shock of the Russian invasion. Difficulties they have faced include missile bombing, looting and destroyed energy infrastructure. The supermarket chain is focusing on three P's: Provenance, Price and Positivity.
Displaying 1-30 of 53 results
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