Category: product suppliers
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Are Trump’s tariffs a test of our true appetite for circularity?
in assortment structure planning, circular retailing, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fashion, fast fashion, internationalisation, meaning in the retail madness, product suppliers, re-sell, recycling, renting, repair, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, sustainabilityThe continuing trade wars led by Trump’s tariffs have the stock markets tumbling, whilst manufacturers, producers and retailers are re-calculating their plans to continue turning a profit, or even to survive. We have governments throwing out ethical & sustainable policies as they scramble to get the best trading deals for each country. And we have…
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Why an unlikely alliance of Donald Trump & Taylor Swift could put an end to Shein!
Please excuse the dramatic title for this post. As it currently stands there is as much chance of Mr Trump & Ms Swift collaborating together, as hell freezing over. (Although that does seem more likely than it did a month ago! ) The point is that if you want to curtail the ultra-fast fashion machine,…
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Is a global fashion business without global creativity the biggest waste of human resources?
I’ve always found it very strange that many of the factories that are required to churn out mindless, repetitive fashions for global brands, are in countries which naturally have the most beautiful fabrics, designs, colours, fashion sense, and artisan skills to create extraordinary and original clothing. It is even stranger when you consider that the…
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“Shein don’t Cheat, they Compete!” – Discuss…
in assortment structure planning, ethical retailing, fabrics, fashion, fast fashion, internationalisation, ladies fashion, meaning in the retail madness, product development, product suppliers, pureplay, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, social savvy, supply-chains, sustainability, value retailingAnd then suddenly from the Shein silence, the non-communication with government committees, potential shareholders and the general public, we have Peter Pernot-Day, Shein’s head of strategic and corporate affairs in North America, the UK and Europe, speaking to delegates at Retail Week’s Live 2025 conference. Firstly, thank you to Retail Week for sharing his speech…
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To achieve the ‘Healthier Planet’ we crave, will we all need to suffer an ‘Unhealthier Economy?’
in disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fast fashion, high street planning, ladies fashion, meaning in the retail madness, new retail, pre-loved, product suppliers, re-sell, recycling, retail, retail businesses, retail organisations, retail strategy, secondhand, supply-chains, sustainability, town centre planningSustainability must mean less consumption. But should we be very careful about what we wish for? The results from Primark for the recent period, including the ‘golden quarter of Christmas, show a 6% slump in like-for-like sales in the UK. Primark has explained that this has been caused by fragile customer confidence and the wider…
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Brompton bikes back-peddling through the turmoil of Supply & Demand!
Brompton bikes were first invented in 1975. Their story is one of supply & demand. From high demand and little competition to market saturation. It is a lesson in retail economics for all of us. Brompton is known as an innovator in the world of cycling. The brand that developed an urban bike that commuters…
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Will it be complex evidence or trusted witnesses that change the verdict of fast-fashion consumers?
So, it’s been a week when Shein has never been far from the news. Firstly with a pitiful account of itself in front of the government committee, and then the fallout and discussions on why customers shop with them, will they continue to shop with them, and what will it take for them ever to…
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Body Shop: Seeking a change in fortune for this rough-cut diamond
in branding & visual communication, brave-words, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, health & beauty, impulse retailing, in-store services, packaging, product suppliers, recycling, retail, retail brand heritage, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, store theatre, sustainability, telling product storiesWhere do you begin with the story of Body Shop. So many twists and turns, and so many lessons. Anyone who remembers the 1980s and 1990s experienced a totally new retail concept. Body Shop was way ahead of its time in the world of conscientious cosmetics and toiletries. It was primarily a producer, ensuring that…
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Is Responsibility more Natural to Customers than Sustainability?
Getting the message across to customers about sustainability is a challenge. Not only is it one of those words that can mean many things to many people, but it often involves technical data and scientific concepts, and is a nightmare to assess with its veils of spurious marketing claims and dubious transparency. So whilst many…
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How and where to invest in the circular supply chain
in assortment structure planning, branding & visual communication, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fast fashion, meaning in the retail madness, new retail, pre-loved, preorder, product suppliers, pureplay, re-sell, recycling, renting, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, secondhand, sustainabilityGreater than the disruptive markets we operate in, is the disrupted world that we live in. Time has long passed, from when a sustainable initiative was not much more than a smart marketing strategy. Sustainability has now irreversibly developed into something essential to establish commercial traction with many customers. Responsibility for sustainability has also shifted,…
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