Tim, Author at VM Unleashed

“Saving Planet Retail” From ‘Economies of Scale’ to ‘Scale of Economies!’

From ‘Economies of Scale’ to ‘Scale of Economies!’ The principle behind making money from ‘economies of scale’ is to produce high volumes of products, which reduces the individual unit cost. The more you make and the more you sell the greater the margin and the greater the profit. ‘Economies of scale’ profit is made in the buying process. The principle behind making money from ‘scale of economies’ is to generate-

Zara: moving stylishly from linear to lateral processes

Zara: moving stylishly from linear to lateral processes Linear processes push product through the system and into shops. They make money from buying & supply efficiency. Lateral processes consider at every stage the qualitative attributes of the product. They enhance and add-value to the assortment. They make money from selling. From selling more, and selling better. Zara at its inception, disrupted the balance of linear and lateral processes in its-

Apple: a business designed on simplicity

Apple: a business designed on simplicity The best advice I ever received in Design College? Keep things as simple as possible. The temptation always when seeking beauty through design is to add more ‘beautiful’ elements to it. In fact, the way to design beauty is to be brave enough to remove as much as you dare to reveal the absolute beauty of simplicity. I’m sure that Apple needs no more-

Online retailing is becoming ‘expert in ‘selling’ but forgetting ‘how to give’

Online retailing is becoming ‘expert in ‘selling’ but forgetting ‘how to give’ I am sure I am not the only one to have been disappointed and disgusted at the condition of some products that arrive on my doorstep, from online retailers. My latest experience was the receipt of some ladies coats from one of the largest online fashion specialists. A business whose strategy I have up until now admired. The-

The Evolution of Inventory

The Evolution of Inventory Agile retail businesses are shifting the supply chain to support a major strategic and operational focus on new inventories. The traditional approach of producing an inventory which is then sold, as much as is possible, is being transformed into an approach where a partly, or fully, virtual inventory is showcased as much as possible, and then produced to order. The enablers of the new processes are-

Introducing the new book ‘Meaning in the Retail Madness’

How to be an essential retailer Every retailer must now be essential, supporting the emotional lifestyle and well-being of the customer, as well as simply supplying products.‘Meaning in the Retail Madness’ explains how touchpoints have replaced channels, how linear supply chains will become circular, why assortments are increasingly virtual, how physical is turning to local, and why products and shops are not necessarily made for each other anymore.It supplies a-

What makes a retailer essential?

What makes a retailer essential? Our viewpoint of what an essential retailer is has been re-focused by the covid19 era. Consumer goods were put into perspective within the wider social context. The people in our lives, and those who effect our lives, were recognised with a new clarity as being essential. The existential threats and the exciting opportunities now emerging for many retailers have been growing for some time. What-

The Land of Creativity: The Future for Visual Merchandising

The Promised Land of Creativity: The Future for Visual Merchandising There’s always much talk about the future of visual merchandising but surprisingly little about the evolution of the role of the visual merchandiser. It’s almost as though beautiful stores happen by magic. And that misconception is certainly one that still holds back the VM profession, its recognition and rewards. However, all markets and individual retailers are on a retail journey.-

Community Location Planning: A Circular Approach

Community Location Planning: A New Angle on a Circular Approach Retailers are having to drastically re-think many of their commercial practices. Location planning departments will be at the head of the queue when it comes to looking for new answers. Scratching their heads for an alternative strategic approach to where and why they open and close stores. Traditional traffic analysis and demographic profiling should still be the bedrock of decision making.-

Amazon Wardrobe: Facilitating returns to drive sales

Amazon Wardrobe: Facilitating returns to drive sales Taking the customer’s money is only half the story of retail. In fact, giving the money back is threatening to become the primary activity in an online world where the customer is now calling the shots. A landscape has formed where the customer returns at will, and the retailer picks up the bill. Buying many sizes and styles with the intention of returning-