Retail Week Conference News
HMV shares rise as boss Simon Fox remains upbeat
HMV shares surged yesterday after chief executive Simon Fox remained upbeat on the entertainment retailer’s future.
A mobile-optimised site is a must
Google’s retail, technology and business markets director Peter Fitzgerald told delegates at day two of Retail Week Conference that a mobile-optimised website should be their top priority for investment.
Tesco.com R&D head says contactless payments are not ready for retail
Head of research and development at Tesco.com Nick Lansley says near field communication (NFC), the technology behind contactless payments, needs to mature before it will be useful for retailers.
Asda chief Andy Clarke says the future is local
Asda chief executive Andy Clarke said the future of retail is local and supermarkets need to be clear about the role they play in local communities.
Waitrose boss happy with Ocado deal at present
Upmarket grocer Waitrose managing director Mark Price has said he is “really happy” with the retailer’s relationship with online grocer Ocado but did not rule out operating independently when their current contract runs out.
Sir Philip Green comes out in support of UK manufacturing
Sir Philip Green has come out in support of a return to British manufacturing, stating the time is right to examine opportunities to re-open UK factories and that Arcadia will try to bring more production to British shores.
Green and Cheshire debate CVAs
Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green told a packed audience at the Retail Week conference it is inevitable that landlords will accept CVAs because they are in their interest.
Archie Norman: Healthy businesses should close stores
Retailers should look to close around four stores per year even when sales are healthy, former Asda CEO told Retail Week delegates. “In healthy times retailers don’t close stores they accumulate the walking dead,” he said.
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Former Best Buy director says don’t hold back on international expansion
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Sainsbury's says helping customers gets it through the downturn
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Morrisons’ Pennycook: Retail innovation critical to survival
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Focusing on core proposition critical to survival
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Retailers need to be creative to succeed on Facebook
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Double dip unlikely says retailer panel
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Tesco UK boss Brasher: 'averages don't work'
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Boots boss Hornby: Customer service critical to save high street
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Over 900 delegates confirmed for Retail Week Conference
In Depth
At the margins
At every turn, retailers are staring at rising costs. With deflation a thing of the past, how can they manage their margins and remain profitable? Charlotte Hardie considers the challenges ahead.
Conference Programme
Download the full Retail Week Conference 2011 Programme
Opinion
Brands and mortar
The 20th annual Retail Week Conference last week featured a self-deprecating tour de force by the former owner of the most calamitous brand in Retail Week’s lifetime.
Tesco.com's Nick Lansley on getting to know the board
Selling IT investment to the board is a perennial challenge for technologists, and Tesco.com’s head of R&D Nick Lansley says getting to know the company’s leaders personally helps.
Tweetail Week Conference
Everyone’s gone Twitter-mad at this year’s Retail Week Conference. In fact, the hashtag rwc20 was trending in the UK on Twitter last night, which is phenomenal.
Retail entrepreneurs alive and well in the UK
Entrepreneurs are born or may be raised, but are an essential part of UK retail activity
