Author: Tim
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Many retail businesses are built on the assumption that, in the big picture, nothing really changes that much. Is yours?
In my experience, the main reason why retail organisations and processes become unwieldy and inefficient is because the businesses themselves are not built for change. Retail businesses do not have a great history of being built for change. It may seem strange to say that of an industry that is seen as being so dynamic,…
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The Perpetually Active Retailer
In my experience, the main reason why retail organisations and processes become unwieldy, inefficient, and inappropriate is because the businesses themselves are not built for change. Creating fluid structures and the potential for added-value processes means nothing if there is not the culture to always drive improvements. At the very least to keep up with…
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Why Sook still inspires a new generation of omnichannel retailers?
in branding & visual communication, brave-words, customer experience, disruptive retail, high street planning, location strategy, meaning in the retail madness, new retail, omni-channel retailing, pop-up stores, pureplay, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, retail-regeneration, shop of the future, store experience, town centre planningIt is now a month or so since the sad news that Sook, the one-stop pop-up shop provider, announced it was closing. And whilst there have been many new players and initiatives in the pop-up market over recent times, from traditional property agents looking at flexible and short-term leases through to markets and trader communities…
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How quickly is your business able to act and to change?
As we all know retailing is a very dynamic beast. And the rate of change just keeps accelerating with new operating models, technologies, assortment supply chains, and voracious customer appetites showing no sign of slowing down. Be honest. How well are you able to react and change to customer demands and the retail markets around…
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Can you generate more profit by making your supply chain more diverse?
It is always easy in retailing to fall into the trap of ‘we’ve always done it this way.’ Your choice of suppliers and the management of them will be no exception to this. The classic way to select suppliers is by product categories, however a much more imaginative and often more profitable way is to…
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Delivering packaging solutions is about brain power and not brute force.
My recent post on digital retailers becoming obsessed with the ‘art of selling’ and losing sight of the ‘joy of giving’ certainly brought out some horror stories about the state of deliveries that land on people’s doorsteps. The initial reaction was a focus on the packaging and the inadequacies of everything from plastic bags offering…
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Strategise your Springtime to grow perennial brand loyalty and commercial success.
in assortment structure planning, branding & visual communication, customer experience, customer-engagement, impulse retailing, personalisation, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, sales promotions & events, social savvy, store experience, store theatre, visual merchandisingSpring is such a fantastic time with its warmer weather and lighter evenings. It is also a great opportunity for retail businesses, full of seasonal events and celebrations. We have Valentine’s Day as the early flyer, followed by Easter, May Day, and the wider heralding in of Spring itself. And you don’t have to look…
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Has e-commerce become obsessed with ‘the art of selling’ whilst forgetting ‘the joy of giving’
in branding & visual communication, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, meaning in the retail madness, omni-channel retailing, packaging, personalisation, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, social savvy, supply-chains, telling product storiesI am not the only customer to be continually disappointed and disgusted at the condition of some of the products that arrive on my doorstep. My latest experience involved the delivery of some not-inexpensive ladies coats, bought as a gift, from one of the largest online fashion specialists. A business whose strategy, up until now,…
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In a cynical 2024, follow your own advice and be your own best influencer!
The world of influencers and brand advocates is often viewed just as something born out of the mysterious new world of social media and pureplay retailing. And in the relatively short history of digital marketing, influencers have been shown to work dramatically well to increase customer visibility and commercial performance. Take the mercurial rise of…
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Why we should all be talking ‘Best-seller materials’ and not ‘Best-seller products?’
in assortment structure planning, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fashion accessories, fast fashion, footwear, ladies fashion, luxury, meaning in the retail madness, menswear, new retail, pre-loved, preorder, product suppliers, re-sell, recycling, retail, retail businesses, retail strategy, secondhand, supply-chains, sustainabilityI was asked yesterday what circular fashion production and RFID tagging had to do with better ‘best-seller’ product selection, less worst sellers, and therefore less waste and all the sustainable benefits of that. The answer is nothing. RFID is an identification and data tool. The skill of designers & buyers, supported by predictive analytics, is…
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