All Analysis articles
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Analysis
Strategy spotlight: Five ways Sainsbury’s will stand out in a fiercely competitive market
Sainsbury’s holds a challenging middle-market position between Aldi and Lidl at the value-end of the grocery spectrum, and Waitrose and Marks & Spencer at the premium end. Retail Week’s Prospect analysts explore five ways Sainsbury’s will differentiate itself in a fiercely competitive market.
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Analysis
Glad rags, stores surge and flight to value – how fashion retailers fared this Christmas
As the Christmas reporting season comes to a close, a return to in-store shopping in the post-pandemic world, freezing temperatures and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis delivered a range of results for fashion retailers over the period.
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Analysis
The Disruptors: Six brands giving health retail a shot in the arm
From vitamin drips to interactive fitness mirrors, Retail Week highlights the brands turning health into wealth
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Analysis
Innovation of the Week: Currys trials new AI robots at its Birmingham store
Innovation of the Week is a subscriber-only series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our analysts
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Analysis
Coupang: What can UK retailers learn from the Amazon of South Korea?
Coupang has turned industry heads around the world, with many claiming the Korean platform has even managed to ‘out-Amazon’ Amazon. So what sets it apart? And what might UK retailers be able to learn from its example?
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Analysis
Analysis: How consumers shopped the electricals sector this Christmas
Once a stalwart of Christmas and Boxing Day Sales shopping, the pressure from the cost-of-living crisis meant electricals presented a mixed bag for retailers over this festive season.
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Analysis
Analysis: After festive footfall miracle, is bricks-and-mortar having a renaissance?
As a fuller picture of Christmas trading begins to take shape, it is emerging that retailers with stores fared better. Is bricks-and-mortar back for good, or will a new year bring new headaches?
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Analysis
Deep dive: Are we witnessing the death of the retailer HQ?
As hybrid working, advances in technology and cost pressures make the traditional head office less viable, Retail Week asks whether its days are numbered
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Analysis
Ranking: Amazon, Tesco and Asda offer best customer experience, say shoppers
Amazon, Tesco and Asda have come out on top of an exclusive consumer poll asking which retailers offer the best customer experience, but Aldi isn’t far behind.
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Analysis
Innovation of the Week: Walmart soars ahead with drone deliveries
Innovation of the Week is a subscriber-only series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our analysts
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Analysis
Strategy spotlight: Five ways Shein is disrupting the fashion industry
In December 2022, Shein knocked Zara off the top spot to become the most-searched-for fashion brand in the world, according to money.co.uk. Here are the key things you need to know about this ecommerce powerhouse and how it is making waves in the fashion industry
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Analysis
Analysis: How retail confounded the doom and gloom to achieve a very merry Christmas
As soon as retailers’ Christmas updates started coming in, it was clear that something unexpected had happened – the festive season had been better than anticipated for many
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Analysis
Analysis: After a bumper Christmas, is Argos finally back to its best?
Argos was the surprise star performer for Sainsbury’s over Christmas, driving strong general merchandise sales growth. After years of underperformance, is Argos back at its best?
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Analysis
Five tech trends that will define retail in 2023
Which burgeoning technology will take centre stage in 2023 and what opportunities will it present for retailers? We put the question to a panel of tech experts
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Analysis
Innovation of the Week: H&M launches experimental metaverse experience
Innovation of the Week is a subscriber-only series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our analysts
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Analysis
Analysis: Next’s Lord Wolfson – caution in 2023 but ‘light at end of tunnel’ for retailers
A profit upgrade but reduced expectations for the year ahead – what to make of Next’s Christmas update? Chief executive Lord Wolfson unpicks the trading messages
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Analysis
What’s in store for 2023? Very, Primark and Kingfisher bosses predict the year ahead
In the last year, the UK has leapt from a pandemic to a political circus straight into an economic whirlwind, begging the question: what’s next? So we’ve asked the bosses of retail to predict the unpredictable and tell us the trends they think will dominate and direct the sector in 2023
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Analysis
Buys, boardroom exits and botched IPOs: retail’s biggest stories of 2022
From accounting scandals to crushing collapses, the thrills and spills of retail have provided plenty to talk about this year. As 2023 dawns, here’s our pick of the biggest eyebrow-raising stories from the industry in 2022
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Analysis
Analysis: The most unexpected retail TikTok stars of 2022
From trendy sportswear brands like Gymshark to cutting-edge tech giants like Apple, some retailers are social media naturals that grow from the moment they arrive on TikTok, whereas others have to work a little harder to win their audience.
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Analysis
The Retail Week quiz of the year 2022
It was another year of turbulence and triumph for retail in 2022 – but how much of it do you remember?