VM Unleashed

Supply & Demand: Always driving the fortunes and misfortunes of retailers

Supply & Demand: Always driving the fortunes and misfortunes of retailers The latest retail sales figures do not make good reading. Everything from footfall to sales volumes, margins and profits are down. Behind the data the customer is quaking under the pressure of rising costs and inflation. This is the news. The reality of the ‘new normal’ after COVID is more about the balance between digital and physical sales. In-

Introducing the London College of Fashion ‘Stars of the Future’ – Bad N Bare

My current collaboration with the London College of Fashion (LCF) has introduced me to the alumni of recently graduated students, now embarking on their own creative business journeys. The product of a variety of courses at LCF, their vision, knowledge and enthusiasm has been a true discovery for me. They are also an inspiration to the current master’s students, who are now moving forwards with our Collaborative Challenge project to-

Actually, what is a good retail experience?

Actually, what is a good retail experience?Listen to Tim Radley discussing ‘Customer Experiences’ on the Louise Lally podcast Please click the link below to follow the discussion… Retailing with Meaning Ep1 Store Concepts (podbean.com) ‘Experiential retailing’ is a term most often used to express extreme physical shop theatre, music, lights, bells & whistles. It has been hijacked by the ‘modernistas’ of shop design and marketing as a quick win for-

Exclusive Interview with Tim Radley: Experiential Retailing & Store Concepts

Join Tim Radley, international retail specialist, and founder of VM-Unleashed, as he chats with Louise Lally about the future of physical shop concepts and omni-channel ‘Experiential Retailing!’ Please click on the image link below… In this interview Tim explains important areas that all retailers should consider when developing their own retail experiences, both physical and digital. Topics in the interview include: ‘What does Experiential Retailing’ mean, and how do you-

‘Authenticity, not Experience,’ will be the Saviour of the High Street

Authenticity, not Experience, will be the Saviour of the High StreetListen to Tim Radley discussing ‘Experiential Retailing’ on the Louise Lally podcast Please click the link below to follow the discussion… LinkedIn In the constant, and often misguided, battle between online and bricks ‘n’ mortar retailing, the customer experience is often heralded as the physical shop’s weapon. ‘Experiential Retailing’ will save the high street and traditional town centres. Good experiences-

‘Pulling the purse strings not the heart strings!’ M&S shop strategy is on the money

‘Pulling the purse strings not the heart strings!’ M&S shop strategy is on the money It is always sad to hear about store closures, but the plans for the M&S estate restructuring are based on ensuring its future as a vibrant retail leader, not as a desperate attempt to regain profitability. You would have to say that M&S’s latest strategy announcement is absolutely on the money. The store churn programme-

Beware the ‘retail wolves in sheep’s clothing!’ Or is Deliveroo nothing more than a ‘sheep in a retail wolf costume?’

Beware the ‘retail wolves in sheep’s clothing!’ Or is Deliveroo nothing more than a ‘sheep in a retail wolf costume?’ As the delivery business opens its first, and perhaps last, physical food convenience store. The extraordinary COVID lockdown period created a melting pot of retail disruption. The definition itself of what is a retailer, was blown apart and stretched to extremes. The isolated customers in their homes shifted their major-

‘The Good Store’ – A product of the sustainable community

‘The Good Store’ – A product of the sustainable community For those wishing to buy sustainably the problem of finding genuine brands takes time and commitment. The Good Store is a department store in central London that has curated 600sqm of space dedicated entirely to products made from recycled materials and upcycled into attractive things to buy. The store carries a selection of sustainable products and brands across clothing, accessories,-

On-Demand & Second-Hand: The Yin & Yang solutions to over-production

Supply and Demand has always been the driver for commercial brands and retailers. In new and growing markets, the demand temporarily outstrips supply. For those retailers who simply have the means to manufacture and get their product to the marketplace and to the customer, there is a lot of easy money to be made. A lot of easy money has been made. That was the scenario over recent decades. One-

Is it right to celebrate beautiful retailing, from less than beautiful retailers?

Is it right to celebrate beautiful retailing, from less than beautiful retailers? This is a conundrum I consider every time I come across an amazing new shop, but from a business I prefer not to buy from. Can creativity be tainted by its retail context? In the same way that we are often told to keep sport separate from politics, I wonder whether it is right that we separate design-

Talking about ‘Experiential Retailing’ for SMEs with Startups.co.uk

Very pleased to have collaborated with Startups.co.uk on an article about Experiential retailing.Thanks to Helena Young, for inviting me to contribute. Of course, creating and delivering a good customer experience is so important for every retailer. But will it be the saviour of the high street, the knight in shining armour for independent retailers?Well, not necessarily! As with many aspects of the shop environment, ‘Experiential Retailing’ has also become something to copy.-

My exciting collaboration with the London College of Fashion

Pleased to announce that I’m working with the London College of Fashion this Autumn, as part of their Collaborative Challenge Industry Partner Programme. The fashion industry is more exciting and dynamic than ever. Students entering this world, across a wide range of disciplines, now need to be fully prepared and be able to collaborate and integrate with a variety of internal teams and external partners. With this in mind, we-

Can the ‘cost of living’ educate us on the ‘price of owning?’

The ‘cost of living’ crisis affecting all of us, is an opportunity to educate everyone on the wider sustainable issues around the things we buy and own. There are of course so many powerful and compelling reasons why we should think more deeply about the repercussions of what we buy. The environment, climate change and the ethics behind how we respect workers’ conditions and rights are fully in the news-

Why disruptive retail models must still implement good old-fashioned inventory management?

Why disruptive retail models must still implement good old-fashioned inventory management? The worlds of sustainability and the circular supply chain are clashing headlong with traditional retail principles and processes. This new wave of businesses specialise in, and operate, a variety of models across renting and re-selling. Some of these models still rely on a controlled supply-chain, and pre-ordering, however for many their product assortments exist and evolve through a combination-

What the guardians of Oxford Street should learn from the citizens of Valencia.

I was sucked into a discussion recently on the woes of Oxford Street, London’s famous shopping destination. The fact is it is no longer the destination that it was. It has suffered more than most from the COVID lockdowns, reduced tourist numbers and home working, but the focus of the grumblings went back further than that, bemoaning the numerous failed attempts to pedestrianise this most famous of streets. Whilst I-

If galvanising your workforce is your main objective as a retail leader, then consider this checklist…

The road to achieving a fully-functional modern retail business with an empowered workforce is not an easy one to take, or a simple one to execute. Success comes through addressing a wide variety of issues and activities. Encouragement and empathy are a good start but they will only ease the journey, not get you to the desired destination. This requires collaboration & integration throughout the business. To make the most-

Delivering successful sustainable retail: Bringing ‘Meaning to the Retail Madness’

Retail is balancing on an unprecedented tightrope of change. Between the precipice of exploitative disaster, and the leap to sustainability and a commercially viable circular future. Where do you begin as a sustainable retailer? Opportunities are emerging for businesses of all sizes, scenarios and origins, to engage with the growing customer sentiment for products made and sold in sustainable ways. The direction is not going to change. The speed of-

Should ‘recyclable trump recycled’ in the product design & buying lottery?

Should ‘recyclable trump recycled’ in the product design & buying lottery? Surely, as customers we must educate ourselves, and teach the businesses that make our ‘stuff’ that truly and literally ‘enough is enough’ It is correct to prioritise ‘keeping product out of landfill’ This is most important. That is why the evolution of resell, remaking, repairing, reinventing and renting is so important. The more existing products that can remain in-

Empowering & Organising Retail People: Bringing ‘Meaning to the Retail Madness’

Retail has a chequered history of human resource management, to say the least. Sadly, some of us will still remember the aggressive cultures that used to pervade the offices of some our biggest retail businesses. Even recently, I have experienced the painful charting of an executive hierarchy, stating with precision who is more important than who. The damage that such behaviour and activities cause to the culture within a business-

Don’t you think that beautiful shop experiences always come from the people who work there?

Don’t you think that genuine, beautiful shop experiences always come from the people who work in the shop? In other words, the most important thing in retail is people. I have always loved shop design. There is something magical in the creative impact from colour, materials, lighting, and textures. I admire it to this day, the way that true experts in shop design bring these elements together. I have also-