VM Unleashed

Exclusive Interview with Tim Radley: “Sustainability & Ethical Retailing”

Join Tim Radley, international retail specialist, and founder of VM-Unleashed, as he chats with Louise Lally about the world of retail sustainability, diverse shopping channels, rental & second-hand resell, on-demand manufacturing & the virtual inventory, and how sustainability, ethical governance and diversity are intrinsically linked. Please click on the image link below… In this interview Tim explains and illustrates with best practice examples, the important areas that all retailers should-

Discover a ‘Five-Star Christmas: “Meaning in the Retail Madness”

“An excellent read *****” “Valuable reference for anyone in retail *****” “This book is more relevant now than ever! *****” ‘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 blueprint for retail’s new ‘agile-

Is pureplay just a replay of retail’s oldest mistake? ‘Dumbing down retail to distribution domination!’

So here we are, less than a couple of years after the peak of lockdown. Less than a couple of years after the stella rise of ecommerce market share, and the adoption of every app and touchpoint available to engage with digital retail and diverse home delivery services. So, here we now are, with some of the biggest names in pureplay retail suffering, losing sales and profits eroding, scrambling to-

Fast-fashion: Selling its soul for a slice of the second-hand market?

Fast-fashion: Selling its soul for a slice of the second-hand market? As the resale market grows and evolves at a pace, it is more important than ever to dig deeper behind the businesses involved, particularly if your motives for buying second-hand are to reduce the volume of new product sales, and to divert used products away from landfill. There is no shortage of choice when it comes to buying second-

A rejuvenated Marks & Spencer proving that ‘Less is commercially More!’

It has always been one of the most difficult messages to get across to buyers & merchandisers. That by reducing your number of options, you can drive more sales & profit. M&S has kindly released figures that prove exactly this. A recent reduction in womenswear options has certainly not held back sales growth. Although its womenswear range was streamlined by 5%, sales jumped 15%. Of course, it is more complicated-

Gymshark: Coming down to physical earth with a bump

I am a huge fan and advocate of Gymshark. The story behind the sportswear brand’s origins and its founder, Ben Francis, is inspiring. Everything I have ever read about his values and philosophy on leadership makes me believe that he is a compassionate, and motivational boss to work for. Above all Gymshark make excellent gym & sportswear and is a refreshing change from other available brands. So, I am a-

“Circular Storytelling & the Narrative Supply Chain”

“Circular Storytelling & the Narrative Supply Chain”Compelling reading away from the monologues of manufacturers The most cost-effective way to add genuine value to any product is through delivering an original product personality and compelling storyline! The product supply chain offers the most incredible opportunities to create rich, unique, and attractive stories around products. Yet in the clamour to manufacture huge volumes at any cost, those stories have become banal and-

Were the seeds of second-hand, vintage, and fashion rental sewn in ’70s football sub-culture?

Were the seeds of second-hand, vintage, and fashion rental sewn in ’70s football sub-culture?Check out a fascinating BBC article and exhibition in Liverpool The popularity of fashion rental and vintage re-sale is gathering pace, driven by both aesthetic and sustainable motives. A key attraction is to break away from the mainstream commercial, both in terms of destructive fast-fashionsupply chains, and the desire for individual expression in the way that we-

Exclusive Interview with Tim Radley: Retail People & today’s shopkeeper!

Join Tim Radley, international retail specialist, and founder of VM-Unleashed, as he chats with Louise Lally about the dynamic and evolving world of retail people, from boardrooms to stockrooms. Please click on the image link below… In this interview Tim explains important areas that all retailers should consider today as they re-organise their businesses, define new roles and responsibilities, remove functional silos and introduce project-based team processes; and how to-

Exclusive Interview with Tim Radley: Visual merchandising & shop design

Join Tim Radley, international retail specialist, and founder of VM-Unleashed, as he chats with Louise Lally about the future of visual merchandising, and the changing world of physical shop spaces for both large brands and small independent retailing. Please click on the image link below… In this interview Tim explains important areas that all retailers should consider when planning their shops, from the floor layout and space allocation, to grouping-

The importance of teaching my LCF students about ‘Looking-In & Looking-Out’ when researching and defining brand propositions.

My exciting project with the London College of Fashion (LCF) this Autumn is progressing well. The student groups have been matched with young designers, part of the alumni at LCF. The Collaborative Challenge for the students is to work with their designers and evolve these fledgling businesses into complete market propositions with commercial channel strategies, target customer profiling, and with brand identities brought to glorious life with physical shop visualisations,-

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-