Ian Middleton
Ian Middleton is a retail entrepreneur and Green Party county councillor
OpinionāHow green can retailers become and still turn a profit?ā
Over the past few years there has been a noticeable shift in consumer behaviour with people becoming more conscious about what they buy and how they shop.
OpinionāDriverless delivery might be the answer ā but at what cost?ā
As anyone who follows me on Twitter will know, Iāve long questioned the point of autonomous vehicles. If anyone knows the answer, feel free to tweet me. But it seems the concept of driverless vehicles is something weāve all recently had to come to terms with, in a different way.
OpinionāAfter unprecedented times, we need some fresh ideas about retail propertyā
Iām not often given to quote from the Bible, but the phrase āthereās nothing new under the sunā is hard to avoid when considering some of the approaches to post-lockdown retail right now.
OpinionIan Middleton: āCouncils shouldnāt play around with shopping centre investmentsā
In recent years, local authorities have created something of a commercial property gold rush.
OpinionāCovid may bring chance to rebuild high street experience for a new ageā
Weāre now in the middle of what would traditionally be the busiest period in the retail calendar and for the probably for the first time ever in the peak season, most shops were shuttered for four weeks.
OpinionIan Middleton: āCovid is a wake-up call for retailers and politicians alikeā
The pandemic has had a massive impact on our industry, perhaps greater than many others. But it canāt be blamed entirely for the way things are unwinding on our high streets and in our shopping centres.
OpinionOpinion: Time for a reset of retail rent and rates
In 2015 I closed the last of my stores due to spiralling property costs. Thereās not a day since that I havenāt missed them.
OpinionOpinion: Coronavirus ā government must give retailers respect they deserve
Iāve been a huge fan of apocalyptic films and TV shows since I was a teenager. With Covid-19 we seem to have come the closest to life imitating fiction with just as many twists in the tale.
OpinionOpinion: Iām running for Parliament to fight for retailers
They say itās third time lucky and Iāll be testing that theory to breaking point on December 12 as I stand for Parliament for the third consecutive time.
OpinionOpinion: How retail has changed over the past 10 years
As I sat down to write this column it dawned on me that next month is my 10th anniversary as a Retail Week columnist.
OpinionOpinion: Token gestures cost less than rent and rates reform
Last yearās announcement of yet another high street taskforce had me channelling the cultural icon that is Brenda from Bristol as I shouted across the office āWhat, another one??!!ā.
OpinionOpinion: Consumers want the human touch, not touchscreens
If youāve been watching TV of late, youāll likely have seen the Microsoft AI advert where an actor makes ambitious claims about āay-aahā.
OpinionOpinion: Ethical consumerism has gone from fad to mainstream
Another Veganuary is upon us, where those who know the difference between a vegan and a Venusian try to add more of the green side to their diet for at least a month.
OpinionOpinion: Retailers should be political ā if they mean it
Itās been an interesting few weeks in the world of conscious consumerism.
OpinionOpinion: How to survive the crisis on the high street
Three years ago, I gave a talk called āIs There Life After The High Street?ā about what I thought the future of retail would look like and why I withdrew my company Argenteus from physical retail in favour of online.
OpinionBankruptcy bug is starting to look like an epidemic
The phrase ādropping like fliesā has been often on my lips as we witness one retail collapse after another and watch others staggering into intensive care.
OpinionOpinion: Retailers are waking up to veganism
Another January has rolled around, along with all those resolutions that are usually forgotten by Valentineās Day.
- Opinion
Opinion: Government's rates gravy train will rumble on
This is traditionally the time of year to look back at issues that have featured in the world of retail over the past 12 months. This year I thought Iād also highlight a few that we may need to look out for in 2018.
OpinionOpinion: Oxfordās Westgate will be a disappointment
Appropriately in the city of dreaming spires, the Ā£440m Westgate centre extension in Oxford has been a vision of retailers, developers and city councillors for over 20 years.
