Retail Week
Joanne Ellul
Joanne Ellul is editorial assistant at Retail Week and Drapers.
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Why flexibility brings rewards
26-Apr-2011
Making it easier to request flexible working can work in retailers’ favour, says Joanne Ellul. -
Richard Chapple
April 15 2011
Group Commercial Director -
What it’s like to work at… Boden
April 15 2011
The inside view from head of HR Phil Tiffin -
Halfords promotes services through ad campaign
13-Apr-2011
Halfords has launched an ad campaign that promotes its service proposition to target families wanting to get away this Easter and make the most of the extra Bank Holidays and milder weather. -
Working their way up
12-Apr-2011
Government plans for more work placements will help retailers to recruit, finds Joanne Ellul -
Money matters
April 1 2011
Employees who feel financially secure make for an excellent workforce, finds Joanne Ellul -
Rob Feldman
April 1 2011
Chief executive, Brand Alley -
What it’s like to work at Red5
April 1 2011
The inside view from operations manager Chris Martinez -
Phones 4U to double store openings in 2011
31-Mar-2011
Phones 4U is ramping up its store expansion programme under its new owners to take advantage of customers who prefer to buy phones in shops rather than online. -
Carphone Warehouse shifts focus from laptops to tablets
28-Mar-2011
Carphone Warehouse is to focus on tablet computers in its stores in preference to netbooks and laptops in a bid to capitalise on the growing popularity of the devices. -
What it’s like to work at Dwell Furniture
March 25 2011
The inside view from marketing director Sean Galligan -
M&S use of Interflora as a keyword on Google may be stopped
24-Mar-2011
Trademark laws that apply to internet advertising may be due to change as it emerges that Marks & Spencer’s use of Interflora as a Google keyword may be stopped. -
Apple sues Amazon over ‘app store’ name
23-Mar-2011
Apple is suing Amazon over its use of the name ‘App store’ to attempt to stop the online retailer from using the term. -
Mohammed Hussain
23-Mar-2011
Managing director, Mobile Fun -
Regional electricals chain bought out of administration
22-Mar-2011
Norfolk-based electrical retail chain Bennetts has been bought by Lowestoft-based Hughes Electrical after it collapsed into administration earlier this month. -
Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy launch royal wedding phone
21-Mar-2011
Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy are the latest retailers to jump on the bandwagon of royal wedding memorabilia with the launch of a special-edition royal wedding phone. -
Dual-branded Oasis and Warehouse store opens in the UK
March 18 2011
Aurora Fashions has opened its first dual-branded Oasis and Warehouse store in the UK in Cheltenham this week. -
James Hart
March 18 2011
Ecommerce director, Asos -
Former Best Buy director says don’t hold back on international expansion
16-Mar-2011
Former Best Buy international director Bob Willett has encouraged retailers to keep international on their agenda. -
Tesco UK boss Brasher: 'averages don't work'
16-Mar-2011
Tesco UK chief executive Richard Brasher has warned against grouping consumers together and assuming they will react in the same way in response to the tough economic times. -
Carphone Warehouse to push android sales through TV campaign
11-Mar-2011
Carphone Warehouse is launching a TV campaign tomorrow that will promote android sales through a 3D animated green character. -
French Connection launches transactional iPhone app
11-Mar-2011
French Connection has launched an iPhone app that provides a rich social media experience for its users. -
Ray Evans
March 11 2011
Managing director, Kitbag -
Image gallery: Kiddicare
9-Mar-2011
Retail Week takes a tour around Kiddicare’s giant Peterborough showroom and demonstrates its kiosk technology. -
Retail companies rank highly in The Sunday Times Best Companies survey
7-Mar-2011
Retailers Bravissimo, Beaverbrooks, Net-a-Porter, White Stuff, DRL, Pets at Home and Lush have been named in The Sunday Times list of the 100 Best Companies To Work For. -
TK Maxx plans to open in Haymarket
7-Mar-2011
TK Maxx is planning to open a store near Piccadilly Circus after being told it “wasn’t posh enough” two years ago. -
Image Gallery: Everything Everywhere new store format
4-Mar-2011
Everything Everywhere has opened its second and third own-brand stores in Eltham and Bishops Stortford today. -
The cream of the online crop
March 4 2011
Online recruitment processes streamline dealing with applications, Joanne Ellul discovers -
Everything Everywhere to stock iPad 2
3-Mar-2011
Everything Everywhere, the company formed from the merger between T-mobile and Orange, is the only mobile phone retailer, other than Apple itself, to have confirmed that it will stock the iPad 2. -
Carphone Warehouse hires Sainsbury's man as retail director
3-Mar-2011
Carphone Warehouse has appointed former Sainsbury’s zone managing director Anthony Hemmerdinger as its retail director. -
Links of London to push mobile presence
3-Mar-2011
Links of London is to ramp up its mobile presence with the launch of an iPhone app and mobile site this year. -
Everything Everywhere to trial dual-branded stores
28-Feb-2011
Everything Everywhere, the joint-venture partnership between T-Mobile and Orange, is to trial dual-branded stores in April. -
BRC urges Chancellor to protect retailers from cost increases to aid recovery
February 25 2011
The BRC has urged Chancellor George Osbourne to shield retailers from further cost increases in the Budget in order to protect new jobs. -
High and Mighty revamps website in chase for sales
24-Feb-2011
Specialist plus-size fashion retailer High and Mighty relaunched its website last week in a bid to double its online sales over the next year. -
Phones 4u sale process resurrected
21-Feb-2011
Mobile phones retailer Phones 4u could be sold within weeks to private equity firm BC Partners after talks have been resurrected to buy the retailer, according to reports. -
See you in court
21-Feb-2011
Employment tribunals are on the rise but this might not be the case for long. Joanne Ellul reports -
Up against the clock
February 18th 2011
The immediacy of online buying has never quite extended to fulfilment, but that is starting to change. Joanne Ellul finds out about fashion group Aurora’s new 90-minute delivery promise -
Retail’s age concerns
14-Feb-2011
Should retailers be worried now the retirement age has been officially scrapped, asks Joanne Ellul -
Security staff: The necessary force
February 11 2011
The issue of appropriate force against violent customers is a thorny retail issue. Joanne Ellul looks at where store staff should draw the line -
Fonehouse hunts new stores as old ones are refitted
10-Feb-2011
Mobile phone retailer Fonehouse is ramping up the roll-out of its new store format as it plans to triple its store count by early next year. -
Everything Everywhere to test stores under own name
10-Feb-2011
Everything Everywhere, the business formed by the merger of T-mobile and Orange, is to pilot stores under its own name in five locations. -
Two more senior departures from Best Buy Europe
7-Feb-2011
The management shake-up at Best Buy Europe has continued with the departures of two more directors from the electricals retailer, Retail Week has learned. -
John Lewis steps up security
1-Feb-2011
John Lewis is to implement high-end security tags beyond its branded fashion products and will extend its use of security tagging earlier in the supply chain. -
Talent from the street
1-Feb-2011
Retailers are benefiting by giving the formerly homeless a leg up into work, finds Joanne Ellul -
O2 store managers most at risk due to retail restructure
31-Jan-2011
O2 store managers are most at risk by store closures and the management restructure, according to the Communication Workers Union. -
Dune creates IT platform to back expansion plans
January 28 2011
Dune aims to have 250 overseas stores within the next three to four years, up from the 150 shops it had previously planned. 50 will be wholly owned stores and the other 200 will be franchises. -
Everything Everywhere to launch contactless payment on mobiles
27-Jan-2011
Retailer and operator Everything Everywhere, the company created from the merger between T-mobile and Orange, will launch a contactless payment service that allows customers to pay on the mobiles by early summer. -
O2 launches own free in-store Wi-fi
26-Jan-2011
O2 is to replace its paid for Wi-fi service in 450 stores by April this year with its own free Wi-fi service. -
DRL increases SEO on customer reviews
25-Jan-2011
Appliance etailer DRL has increased conversions on its site after revealing the content of its customer reviews to search engines. -
Mobile Fun to up its reach with more websites
January 21 2011
Mobile phone accessories etailer Mobile Fun is to expand further into Europe with the launch of websites in the Netherlands and Spain after notching up a record Christmas. -
Asda to open 22 new phone concessions this year
20-Jan-2011
Asda will open another 22 phone shop concessions this year after a successful trial of two of them in its Manchester Eastlands and Sutton Coldfield superstores. -
Phones 4U outsources IT hardware support for stores
19-Jan-2011
Phones 4U has signed a three-year deal with IT service management company Servo to manage its IT hardware support for all of its UK stores. -
Apple hits $26.7bn revenue after record iPad sales
19-Jan-2011
Apple has posted a record revenue of $26.74bn (£16.69bn) for the quarter ending December 25, up from $15.7bn (£9.79bn) a year ago. -
O2 to close 40 stores and invest in remainder
14-Jan-2011
Phone retailer and telecomms firm O2 is to close 40 of its 493 stores this year and instead invest in its best performing shops. -
O2 ramps up specialist advisors as part of restructure
16-Dec-2010
Mobile phones retailer O2 is ramping up the number of technology customer service advisors in stores as part of a restructure that will see the merging of its consumer sales and customer service teams. -
Halfords mobile site goes transactional
7-Dec-2010
Halfords has enhanced its mobile site by making it transactional to give customers a better multichannel experience. -
Phones 4U to double shop-in-shops in Dixons next year
7-Dec-2010
Phones 4U will double its shop-in-shops in Dixons next year. -
Everything Everywhere trials format
December 3 2010
Everything Everywhere, the mobile phone company formed by the merger of T-Mobile and Orange, has launched a new trial format in six existing stores. -
It’s only temporary
December 3 2010
Getting the best out of Christmas temps is a bigger job than ever before, finds Joanne Ellul -
Elvery Sports installs system and gets direct support from IT provider to manage business
24-Nov-2010
Irish sports retailer Elverys Sports has implemented an ERP system and gets direct helpdesk support and database management from an IT provider to manage its supply chain and business operations. -
Carphone Warehouse promotes smartphones through Christmas ad campaign
12-Nov-2010
Carphone Warehouse is focusing on promoting smartphones in the launch of its Christmas ad campaign. -
Debenhams launches interactive TV channel
25-Oct-2010
Debenhams has launched an interactive TV channel today (Monday) to attract new customers by offering fashion and beauty advice, alongside the opportunity to buy. -
Phones 4U rolls-out store systems to Dixons shop-in-shops
20-Oct-2010
Phones 4U is to implement its store systems in its Dixons shop-in-shops to consolidate its multichannel business onto one IT platform to drive store revenue. -
Apple rakes in $20bn in revenue in record quarterly results
19-Oct-2010
Apple has posted a record quarterly revenue of $20.34bn (£12.85bn), compared to $12.21bn (£7.71bn) a year ago, after selling more iPads, iPhones, and Macs than ever. -
Three to use in-store augmented reality app to improve brand image
14-Oct-2010
Store staff for mobile phone retailer Three are to use an augmented reality app in stores to improve customers’ perception of its network coverage. -
Dual-branded phone stores may lead to closures
October 1, 2010
Everything Everywhere, the mobile phone retailer created by the merger of T-Mobile and Orange, will trial dual-branded stores next month in a move that could result in store closures. -
Best Buy Europe implements customer feedback system in Phone House stores
30-Sep-2010
Best Buy Europe has extended its use of a customer feedback system to its 1,600 Phone House stores, after seeing the benefits in its Carphone Warehouse business in the UK. -
M&S reaches 1.2m unique visitors with mobile-optimised site
28-Sep-2010
Marks & Spencer has begun to realise the success of its mobile-optimised website, having received 1.2m unique visitors since its launch less than five months ago. -
Karen Millen follows Oasis in mobile gift voucher roll-out
28-Sep-2010
Aurora-owned fashion retailer Karen Millen has followed its sister fascia Oasis in launching a SMS gift voucher service to capitalise on growing consumer appetite for mobile vouchers. -
New Look uses internal social network to support international plans
28-Sep-2010
New Look is using an enterprise social network - called iLook - to support international expansion and communicate with its 27,000 employees and business partners worldwide. -
Magna Park: Built-in efficiency and sustainability
September 24, 2010
Supply chain automation and a commitment to the environment are designed into the fabric of John Lewis’s multichannel distribution centre in Milton Keynes, writes Joanne Ellul -
Employee crime: To catch a thief
September 17, 2010
Theft and fraud committed by retailers’ own employees is second only to shoplifting in the damage it inflicts. Joanne Ellul reports -
How the plus-size market is becoming a big deal
September 3, 2010
With mainstream retailers targeting plus-size and specialists ramping up their offers, how is this expanding market best exploited, asks Joanne Ellul -
Dwell secures £5m funding to aid expansion plans
31-Aug-2010
Furniture retailer Dwell has secured £5m in private equity investment from Key Capital Partners to aid expansion plans. -
Get the parties started
August 20, 2010
It may not be a new business model, but allowing customers to sell your products through home shopping parties still has many benefits for retailers -
In-store branded areas: In the zone
August 6, 2010
Branded areas have many benefits, introducing real theatre and increasing sales, but how can retailers make the most of them, asks Joanne Ellul -
Rohan revamps format as it eyes store growth
July 30, 2010
Outdoor clothing retailer Rohan is ramping up its growth plans and launching a revamped format as it aims to expand its customer base. -
Email marketing: Hot mail
July 30, 2010
Personalising and targeting email marketing campaigns delivers the best results, finds Joanne Ellul -
Hub puts EPoS system in place to aid expansion
July 30, 2010
Variety store Hub, set up by Poundland co-founder Dave Dodd, has implemented an EPoS system that will support its expansion. -
Monsoon expands e-commerce platform to Accessorize site
26-Jul-2010
Monsoon has chosen the same ecommerce platform that supports its site for its standalone Accessorize site. -
Consumer confidence falls for first time in a year
26-Jul-2010
Consumer confidence has fallen for the first time in a year, according to figures from Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium. -
Net-a-Porter releases iPad magazine app
23-Jul-2010
Net-a-Porter have announced the release of an app for its magazine for the iPad. -
MandMDirect.com mobile promotions drive sales
23-Jul-2010
Online fashion and sports retailer MandMDirect.com has seen a 6% sales conversion rate from mobile promotional campaigns over the last four months. -
Charge for premium credit cards rises
July 23, 2010
Retailers face higher interchange fees as HSBC Merchant Services has added a charge for premium credit cards. -
Apple records 73% increase in retail sales
21-Jul-2010
Apple has recorded a 73% increase in retail salesin its third quarter ending June 26. -
Reiss upgrades performance management tools
21-Jul-2010
Reiss will implement a new performance management system that will provide a single reporting system across its business to aid expansion. -
Amazon selling more e-books than hardcovers
20-Jul-2010
Amazon.com has sold more e-books than hardcovers – nearly half again as many – over the last three months, the company has revealed. -
Global Supply Chains: From sea to store
July 9, 2010
The complexity of supply chains has increased significantly as they have become global. Joanne Ellul investigates how technology is being used to manage this and the difference it can make -
Apple sold 1.7m iPhone 4s in first three days after launch
29-Jun-2010
Apple sold 1.7m iPhone 4s in its first three days, making it the most successful product to be launched in Apple’s history. -
iPhone 4 launch attracts long queues
24-Jun-2010
Long queues formed outside stores such as Apple and O2 ahead of the launch of the iPhone 4. -
Phones 4u opens ‘Blackberry Zone’
23-Jun-2010
Phones 4U has opened a Blackberry Zone at its flagship Tottenham Court Road store. -
Succession planning
June 18, 2010
Tesco’s succession planning was praised following the announcement of Sir Terry Leahy’s retirement plans, but why is it so important retailers get this right? -
What Apple means to retailers
June 11, 2010
Apple has again captivated consumers with its latest gadget, the iPad. Joanne Ellul pins down the brand’s enduring appeal and examines why the company is so important to other retailers -
B&Q to open new distribution centre
8-Jun-2010
B&Q will open a new regional distribution centre in Swindon next year, as part of changes to its distribution strategy. -
O2 to stock new iPhone
8-Jun-2010
O2 will launch iPhone 4, a thinner and higher resolution version of the smartphone, on June 24. -
Carphone Warehouse reshuffles UK management team
7-Jun-2010
Carphone Warehouse has reshuffled its management team following its merger with Best Buy. -
Apple grows UK retail sales by nearly a third
7-Jun-2010
Apple UK saw retail sales grow by 31% to £272m for the year to September 26 2009 from £207m in 2008, according to documents filed at Companies House. -
Phones 4U rewards customer service
May 28, 2010
Phones 4U has changed its bonus scheme for store managers in a bid to shift focus onto customer service. -
Royal warrants
May 28, 2010
Royal warrants confer status on a retailer. But how do you get one? And how do you lose one? -
Clinton Cards reaps benefits of audio conferencing
25-May-2010
Clinton Cards wants to expand staff access to audio conferencing after finding it has improved internal communications. -
DSGi stores to stock iPad from Friday
25-May-2010
Apple has signed a deal with DSGi to stock the iPad tablet computer at 139 PC World and Currys stores from its UK launch on Friday. -
Orange and T-Mobile explore dual branded stores
May 21, 2010
Orange and T-Mobile’s newly created parent company is considering opening dual-branded stores. -
O2 brings in new staff bonus scheme
May 21, 2010
Mobile phone retailer O2 is to introduce a revamped bonus scheme for store staff after carrying out performance-related research. -
A smart solution to rising energy bills
May 21, 2010
Utility companies are taking a proactive role in assisting retailers as they try to cut their energy and water bills -
Argos to launch iPhone app
19-May-2010
Argos will release an iPhone Application to take advantage of more consumers using Apple mobile devices to access its website. -
John Lewis unveils new locations for home stores
18-May-2010
John Lewis announced it will open a further two ‘At Home’ stores in an effort to continue widening its customer base. -
Faster intranet helps Carphone Warehouse sell
May 14, 2010
Carphone Warehouse has moved onto a new hosting platform to help speed up its in-store internet connectivity, allowing better product demonstrations to customers and improved staff training. -
Apple iPad sells faster than iPhone
4-May-2010
Apple has sold one million iPads since its launch on April 3, selling faster than the iPhone. -
The Original Factory Shop outlines expansion after reporting 35% sales increase
4-May-2010
The Original Factory Shop is to step up expansion after recording a 35% increase in sales to £132m for the year to March 28. -
Argos to launch interactive TV buyers guide
28-Apr-2010
Argos is to launch an interactive TV buyers’ guide on the web to take advantage of the expected increase in TV sales in the build-up to the World Cup. -
Retailers urged to shape Scottish cigarette display regulations
27-Apr-2010
Retailers have the opportunity to shape Scotland’s cigarette display ban regulations following the publication of draft rules. -
A cycle of recycling
April 23, 2010
Retailers are taking a two-pronged strategy of reducing their own waste while encouraging their customers to recycle more too -
Dobbies reports record sales at £104m
21-Apr-2010
Tesco-owned garden centre retailer Dobbies recorded a 6.2% increase in like-for-like sales in the year to February. -
TalkTalk opens first retail outlet
19-Apr-2010
TalkTalk has opened its first retail outlet, a customer experience centre, in Broadwick Street in Soho, London today. -
Customer Service: Right first time
April 1, 2010
Giving your store and call centre staff the responsibility and means to solve customer problems can not only turn a negative into a positive but also pay off for the wider business -
Minimum wage
April 1, 2010
Why did the rise in minimum wage last week anger the BRC and so many retailers, and is there anything that could soften the blow of future increases? -
Molton Brown replaces ecommerce platform
24-Mar-2010
Molton Brown is to replace its website platform with a system from ATG as a step towards its international e-commerce expansion. -
Cash Generator draws up plan for expansion
March 19, 2010
Second-hand retailer and pawnbroker Cash Generator is gearing up for expansion beyond the UK mainland after like-for-like sales soared 16.4% in the year to January 31. -
Grow-your-own trend lifts gardening sector
March 19, 2010
The rising trend in growing your own produce, which heightened during the recession, has allowed gardening retailers to outperform the rest of the retail market. -
QD brings in SAP business system to up efficiency
March 19, 2010
QD Stores Group is implementing a new IT system that will help it stay ahead of rising competition in the value sector as it grows its portfolio. -
Work Experience
March 19, 2010
Work experience placements offer retailers a way of drawing in new talent and promote careers in the industry -
Barclaycard Freedom reward scheme launches
17-Mar-2010
Barclaycard’s reward scheme, Barclaycard Freedom, has launched this morning with cardholders able to earn reward money when using their credit card to buy goods and services in participating outlets. -
Central London retail sales up 9.9% in February
15-Mar-2010
Central London retail sales in February were 9.9% higher on a like-for-like basis than a year ago according to British Retail Consortium figures, suggesting that low January sales were a blip caused by the snowy weather. -
SuperGroup to expand and launch marketing campaign after IPO
10-Mar-2010
SuperGroup will use the £125m the expected float will raise to open 20 stores and launch a marketing campaign, founder Julian Dunkerton said. -
Retailer screening leads to decrease in card-not-present fraud
10-Mar-2010
Phone, internet and mail order fraud has fallen by 19% to £266.4m from 2008 to 2009, according to new figures from the UK Cards Association. -
Republic ups online query response rates
5-Mar-2010
Republic’s integration of new online customer service technology has led to 90% of enquiries on Republic.co.uk being dealt with by its automated help section, allowing swifter response rates. -
RWC2010: Halfords restructures staffing teams
4-Mar-2010
Halfords has restructured its staffing teams to improve leadership in stores. -
RWC2010: Retailers call for landlords to contribute to BIDs
3-Mar-2010
Retailers have called for landlords to contribute to Business Improvement Districts, a key plank of Retail Week manifesto for the High Street. -
Barratts to launch iPhone app
3-Mar-2010
Barratts will release an iPhone application to coincide with the opening of a new concept store on London’s Oxford Street this month. -
Links of London lands London Olympics jewellery deal
2-Mar-2010
Links of London will create the official jewellery collection of London 2012, The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has confirmed. -
John Lewis boosts promotional materials with new printers
2-Mar-2010
Department store chain John Lewis has introduced Xerox DocuColor printers to all of its stores allowing it to produce promotional materials more easily on site. -
Social media
February 26, 2010
The increasing use of social media has opened up a world of possibilities for retailers to connect with consumers, but there are rules of engagement -
Traditional toys aid Modelzone growth
February 26, 2010
Model and hobby retailer Modelzone is benefiting from consumers returning to more traditional toys and games, with like-for-like sales up 7% last year. -
Customer satisfaction with top retailers improves
24-Feb-2010
Customers’ satisfaction with retailers improved for the first time after three quarters of small declines, according to the National Customer Satisfaction Index. -
Sales of Fairtrade goods rise 12%
22-Feb-2010
Sales of Fairtrade goods rose 12% in 2009, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation. -
Pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond’s profits surge
22-Feb-2010
Jewellery-based pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond has posted strong interim results, with pre-tax profits surging 75% to £10.8m in the six months to December 31 2009. -
B&Q sets out plan for blog-style tool to forge online community
February 19, 2010
B&Q plans to bolster customer interaction on its website in a bid to drive sales and develop its online community. -
London retail sales growth hits five-year low in January
15-Feb-2010
Retail sales growth in London hit a five-year low in January, hampered by the bad weather and less discounting than the same time last year. -
Chip and PIN flaw can lead to fraud
12-Feb-2010
Cambridge University researchers have found a flaw in the Chip and PIN system that could open the door to fraud. -
Retail landlords urged to contribute to BIDs
11-Feb-2010
Landlords and developers should contribute to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) as well as the retailers that occupy their buildings, leading figures from both the retail and property sector said this week. -
Carpetright upgrades broadband bandwidth
10-Feb-2010
Carpetright has upgraded its broadband network as part of the resigning of a deal with its existing supplier. -
Halfords considers HobbyCraft bid
9-Feb-2010
Halfords is mulling a bid for the arts and crafts retailer HobbyCraft, according to reports.
