The Uptick: DNA, Disney and DIY turnarounds

We launched this newsletter as an inbox antidote to the doom and gloom that too often dominates retail headlines and instead home in on the ingenuity of a sector that is rapidly transforming. The Uptick will highlight real solutions to some of retail’s biggest challenges and shine a light on the industry’s success stories.

This month we’re bringing you inspiration from retailers big and small, from reaching new echelons of growth to squaring up for a turnaround. We take a look around Primark’s game-changing new Birmingham flagship, as well as exploring what the firmly bricks-and-mortar fashion behemoth has in common with etail wunderkind Boohoo.com; how boss Damian McLoughlin has coaxed green shoots of growth at one-time DIY disaster Homebase; how the Co-op has managed to make discounters Aldi and Lidl an asset rather than a thorn in its side; and how your chromosomes could be used to fill your shopping basket in the future.

All retailers great and small

In a month when Asos reported plummeting profits and the Sasda merger bit the dust, it would be easy to overlook all the positives results the sector had to offer – so if you’d like reassurance that retail is steaming ahead, not stuttering, you’re in the right place.

First to athleisure goliath JD Sports, which posted a stellar set of half-year results. While many retailers have tried and failed to crack America in years gone by, the sportswear titan seems quietly confident its strategy Stateside will bear fruit. We take a look at the retailer’s US ambition and commitment to creating exceptional bricks-and-mortar shopping experiences.

Another retailer that could never be accused of overlooking the power of a good store is Primark, which unveiled its mammoth Birmingham flagship last month. With a Disney café, Harry Potter store, beauty shop and in-store barber, the store is bursting at the seams with novel experiences that shoppers can’t find anywhere else, and certainly not on their smartphones. We take a closer look at Primark’s most ambitious store to date.

So, what does this established fashion retailer have in common with online-only upstart Boohoo? More than you might think. These two retailers, which have decidedly different operating models, are both pulling in impressive results using surprisingly similar tactics – we take a look at how the two businesses use trends and test and learn to deliver results.

There’s also plenty of success to be found at smaller retailers. This opinion piece looks at three retailers you may not of heard of, but which are using innovative content and staff training to stand out and gain impressive sales momentum as a result.

Defying expectations

Next, we look at two retailers defying the status quo. First, the Co-op. It’s been a bruising time for grocery, with half of the big four’s ambitions to merge in a bid to, in part, fight off the relentless rise of discounters, knocked firmly on the head by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Against this backdrop, Co-op boss Steve Murrells tipping his hat to Aldi and Lidl, who he says the c-store chain piggybacked to deliver full-year sales and profit growth, is all the more interesting. We examine how the grocery chain is using wholesale and students to drive results.

To say Homebase boss Damian McGloughlin inherited a fixer-upper when he took the helm of the retailer following a disastrous ownership stint by Wesfarmers would be an understatement. But nearly a year after the business was sold to turnaround firm Hilco, Homebase is defying the odds with dramatically narrowed losses and sales growth. We find out more about McGloughlin’s plan and why he’s confident the one-time DIY disaster will break even this year.

If you’re in the market for a dose of fresh ideas about the retail sector look no further – we look at the key takeaways from Retail Week Live straight from the mouths and minds of some of the sector’s greatest pioneers, from moving away from stores and selling stuff to clubhouses and product curation.

And we explore the potential in the ultimate personalisation – using your DNA to determine your shopping needs from groceries to skincare.

One last thing

If you want to forward book some retail inspiration, keep an eye out for Retail Week’s Be Inspired conference on June 19, when speakers including Jacqueline Gold and Theo Paphitis will be sharing their thoughts on how to succeed and stay relevant in a rapidly evolving sector.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the second instalment of The Uptick newsletter. If there are stories, innovations, people or inspiration you want to us to report on, please get in touch.

Grace Bowden, head of content