Category: retail organisations
-
The Slow rise of Circular Fashion: ‘A Story of our Age?’
The number of sustainable & circular economy events, workshops and communities that are appearing is startling. The passion of the speakers, the retailers, growers, producers is incredible, and matched by the enthusiastic reaction from the audiences. I witnessed this first-hand at the excellent WIP Sustainable Business Summit, held last Friday as part of the Fashion…
-
We should all be talking ‘Best-seller materials’ and not ‘Best-seller products?’
in assortment structure planning, ethical retailing, fashion accessories, fast fashion, ladies fashion, meaning in the retail madness, pre-loved, product suppliers, re-sell, recycling, renting, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, 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…
-
Arming yourself with ‘Added-value’ propositions in the war on low price
in assortment structure planning, branding & visual communication, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, health & beauty, meaning in the retail madness, product suppliers, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, sales promotions & events, store experience, supply-chains, value retailingIn these ‘cost-of-living’ times I am reminded of one of my first lessons in retail. The difference between price & value. They sound similar and considering how often the word ‘value’ is misused, as in ‘value retailers’ who are in fact ‘low price retailers,’ anyone would be excused for thinking they are the same. I’ve…
-
In today’s ‘Shop of the Future’ do you spread visual merchandising more thinly or indulge in its richness?
in branding & visual communication, brave-words, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, fashion accessories, fast fashion, ladies fashion, meaning in the retail madness, menswear, new retail, omni-channel retailing, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, shop of the future, space management, space planning, store experience, store layout, technology & electrical, visual merchandising, visual merchandising operations, vm operations, windowsVisual Merchandising, like any other function within a retail business is having to adapt in response to the paradigm shifts that are occurring in the industry. Those changes are becoming a revolution, not an evolution. What began with globalised supply chains, fast fashion, the advent of ecommerce, pureplay retail, has accelerated into social and rich…
-
Celebrating the healthcare sector. From ‘Good People’ into ‘Great Retailers’
in brave-words, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, food & drink, health & beauty, meaning in the retail madness, retail, retail brand heritage, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, store experience, sustainabilityThe healthcare sector is indeed perfectly, and tantalisingly, positioned to satisfy the growing customer desire for products that improve physical and mental wellbeing, as well as bringing ‘meaning and integrity’ into the retail experience itself. So, it is my pleasure to be collaborating with Target Publishing Ltd on a regular new column for Health Food Business that…
-
Good customer experiences come in all shapes and sizes: Make sure they’re always in-stock!
in customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, impulse retailing, meaning in the retail madness, personalisation, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, sales promotions & events, store experience, store operations, store theatre, visual merchandisingGood customer experiences come in all shapes and sizes: Make sure they’re always in-stock! Ask the customer, ask your colleagues, and ask yourself what is a ‘good customer experience?’ and you will automatically receive a myriad of answers…even from yourself. One of the popular answers will be a physical shop which has atmosphere, beautiful displays,…
-
Swoperz: An idea born from community taking pre-loved children’s fashion to another world.
in customer-engagement, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fashion accessories, fast fashion, kids fashion, meaning in the retail madness, new retail, pop-up stores, pureplay, renting, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, social savvy, sustainabilityLet me introduce you to Swoperz, if you aren’t already familiar with this innovative app that allows children to swap their clothes. As with all the best brands it has a very simple proposition that is born from observing a need. But as with exceptional brands it also ticks many wider boxes, that make Swoperz…
-
The Age of the Retail Creatives is upon us. “12 questions that will shape your visual merchandising career!”
in branding & visual communication, customer experience, customer service, customer-engagement, disruptive retail, fast fashion, ladies fashion, luxury, meaning in the retail madness, menswear, new retail, omni-channel retailing, personalisation, retail, retail brand heritage, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, sales promotions & events, space management, space planning, store experience, store layout, store operations, store theatre, telling product stories, visual merchandising, visual merchandising operations, vm compliance, vm operations, VM Selling Toolkit, windowsIt will be my great pleasure to speak at the International Display Conference this week. The 2-day event in Dublin, promises to bring together some of the brightest lights in the visual merchandising industry from all corners of the world. My subject?“12 questions that will shape your visual merchandising career!” I have been presenting on…
-
We can not rely on lower inflation to bring our customers back.
Let us hope that the predictions of lower inflation and reduced interest rates have become a reality by the time you read this post. The omens are good. In the traditional cycle of things our customers regularly go through times of financial hardship and relative freedom to spend. It is just a matter of managing…
-
“Meet your wardrobe of 2028!” – It has more Second-hand than Fast-fashion
in accessories, analytics, assortment structure planning, brave-words, disruptive retail, ethical retailing, fashion accessories, fast fashion, footwear, internationalisation, ladies fashion, leisure & sport, meaning in the retail madness, menswear, multi-category, new retail, omni-channel retailing, product suppliers, pureplay, recycling, renting, retail, retail businesses, retail management, retail organisations, retail strategy, supply-chains, sustainability, value retailing“Meet your wardrobe of 2028!” – It has more Second-hand than Fast-fashion I love this chart! It was produced using Globaldata research and is now 5 years old. It predicts what types of retailer our fashion wardrobe will be bought from in 5 years-time, in 2028. What an appropriate time to revisit it, mid-way through…
Stay in touch with our…
’52 Steps to the Perfect Shop!’
weekly newsletter
For everyone looking to improve their physical shops,
or even thinking of opening their first pop-up or permanent shop,
we have written the ’52 Steps to the Perfect Shop!’ weekly newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox.
You too can have ‘The Perfect Shop’ by this time next year!