Ian Middleton
Ian Middleton is managing director of VegaModa.
OpinionOpinion: Coronavirus – government must give retailers respect they deserve
I’ve 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.
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Opinion: I’m running for Parliament to fight for retailers
They say it’s third time lucky and I’ll be testing that theory to breaking point on December 12 as I stand for Parliament for the third consecutive time.
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Opinion: 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.
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Opinion: Token gestures cost less than rent and rates reform
Last year’s announcement of yet another high street taskforce had me channelling the cultural icon that is Brenda from Bristol as I shouted across the office “What, another one??!!”.
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Opinion: Consumers want the human touch, not touchscreens
If you’ve been watching TV of late, you’ll likely have seen the Microsoft AI advert where an actor makes ambitious claims about “ay-aah”.
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Opinion: 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.
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Opinion: Retailers should be political – if they mean it
It’s been an interesting few weeks in the world of conscious consumerism.
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Opinion: How to survive the crisis on the high street
Three years ago, I gave a talk called ‘Is There Life After The High Street?’ 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.
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Bankruptcy bug is starting to look like an epidemic
The phrase ‘dropping like flies’ has been often on my lips as we witness one retail collapse after another and watch others staggering into intensive care.
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Opinion: Retailers are waking up to veganism
Another January has rolled around, along with all those resolutions that are usually forgotten by Valentine’s Day.
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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 I’d also highlight a few that we may need to look out for in 2018.
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Opinion: Oxford’s Westgate will be a disappointment
Appropriately in the city of dreaming spires, the £440m Westgate centre extension in Oxford has been a vision of retailers, developers and city councillors for over 20 years.
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Opinion: Retail needs a rethink amid consumer fatigue
I know there have already been many commentators holding forth on the outcome of the general election, but as a candidate for the second time in two years, I felt I couldn’t let the opportunity pass.
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Opinion: Supplier attitudes to etail are out of date
In my early years as a market trader, I always had a question that tentatively preceded any conversations with prospective suppliers.
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Opinion: Rates burden may force retailers online
Another Budget and another raft of bolt-on, quick-fix, placatory afterthoughts to prop up the creaking, outdated system of business rates.
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Opinion: How business rates reform is a blow for retail
I always get a feeling of déjà vu when I start to write something about business rates, and this occasion is no exception.
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Opinion: Company culture, not body searches, can combat staff pilfering
There were evident differences between the recent appearances of Mike Ashley and Sir Philip Green before a parliamentary inquiry.
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Opinion: CVAs are no magic wand for embattled retailers
The collapse of two major retailers within weeks shows that no company, no matter how iconic or well established, can rest on its laurels.
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Opinion: The grocers' 'special' offers seem anything but to me
The grocery sector is overdue for a radical rethink in terms of how it handles product promotions and incentivises customer loyalty.
