value retailing Archives

“Meet your wardrobe of 2028!” – It has more Second-hand than Fast-fashion

“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 the prediction timeframe, particularly because what it envisaged for clothing is largely unfolding before our-

In 2023, Keep your ‘Retail Feet’ firmly on the Ground. Physical is back with a vengeance!

It’s the time of year when the Christmas period sales results come in, and the assessment of winners and loses takes place. It is an interesting challenge this year as we are comparing 2022 to 2001, and also to pre-lockdown 2019. There is rich and unique analysis that can be drawn from this double comparison. My own Top 5 conclusions… The ‘Pureplay bubble’ has dramatically burst. Physical retail, in one-

Can we find hope for ethical retailing in the fallout from Black Friday?

Black Friday is generally recognised as the epitome of mass-market retailing, a customer celebration of huge price reductions, and the shifting of eye-watering volumes of merchandise. For retailers a big blow to margins, but the salvation before Christmas in terms of units sold, and this year an opportunity to offload unprecedented unsold, unwanted overstock to clear the shelves for the next year’s refill. Dreaded by advocates of sustainable & circular-

“2p or not 2p:” What is the point of Ultra-Fast Fashion?

This story begins with a Channel 4 documentary behind the scenes of the world’s largest ultra-fast fashion retailer. Against a backdrop of endless working hours and horrendous working conditions, apparently each worker earns as little as 2p for every garment they stitch and sew! The next chapter takes us to the inventory bloodbath of what has become Black Friday. For ultra-fast fashion, this is not about exclusive product drops and-

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-

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-

TK Maxx, making every customer’s visit into their luckiest day!

TK Maxx, making every customer’s visit into their luckiest day! The best brands make extraordinary things very simple. And the clever use of visual merchandising does not need to be complex or sophisticated to define a brand and create unique experiences. I’ve been involved recently in the research for the Channel 5 documentary about TK Maxx. The interview with one of the producers made me distill why the shopping experience-

So, ‘clothing rental’ is only commercially viable for expensive outfits worn on posh occasions? Think again!

So, ‘clothing rental’ is only commercially viable for expensive outfits worn at posh occasions? Think again! To make clothing rental work it must be a commercial success for both the retailer and the customer. If either party loses out, then the business model will simply not work. With that in mind, perhaps you’ve been under the same delusion as I have, in thinking that the only way that clothing rental-

Is Primark following up its sustainability claims with decisive actions?

Is Primark following up its sustainability claims with decisive actions? We have had a week where momentum against fashion retailers who are ‘greenwashing’ has been gathering pace with investigations by the CMA, and threatened legal action. So against this it is good to see a concrete commitment by one of biggest volume clothing retailers in the world. The fashion giant has announced it is to become the first retailer to feature-

Are we finally going to see sustainability transparency in fashion retailing?

Are we finally going to see sustainability transparency in fashion retailing? Retail Week has just reported that ASOS, Boohoo and Asda george are to be investigated by the CMA, into their misleading sustainability claims. Will we get to the truth behind Greenwashing? Firstly, i have no pre-defined view or vested interest in any of these retailers being cleared or found guilty of greenwashing. I have just been an advocate of honesty and transparency-