All articles by John Richards – Page 2

  • John Richards
    Opinion

    Retail must return to first principles

    2012-04-26T07:00:00Z

    Being of a certain age I am increasingly conscious of the way in which time appears to accelerate rather than remain a constant.

  • John Richards
    Opinion

    Forget trivia, focus on what matters

    2012-01-30T07:00:00Z

    John Richards is a retail consultant for corporate finance advisor McQueen. Prior to that, he was a leading leading retail equity analyst, working for Deutsche Bank amongst others.

  • John Richards
    Opinion

    The right kind of incentives

    2011-11-10T07:00:00Z

    In today’s ‘me’ world as exemplified by the celebrity culture and institutionalised corporate greed – which allied to bad management has led in the banking sector to the derailing of the global economy – it is very refreshing that the retail industry can set a good example for business.

  • John Richards, retail consultant
    Opinion

    Time to stop the supermarket space race

    2011-08-11T07:00:00Z

    As the realities of both the severity and the length of the uncomfortable squeeze on real incomes and retail sales become more evident, Mary Portas and David Cameron look increasingly like the leading players in a Murdoch-directed horror movie: we can only hope that it doesn’t become a disaster movie.

  • John Richards, retail consultant
    Opinion

    How to spot a retailer in trouble

    2011-05-13T00:00:00Z

    The news from Focus, the rescue of All Saints and the ongoing battle for survival at HMV highlight the dangers in retail today.

  • John Richards cutout
    Opinion

    Inflation hides a multitude of sins

    2011-02-04T00:00:00Z

    “Lies, damned lies and retailers’ Christmas trading statements.” As a retail analyst I always hated January and its seemingly never ending stream of sales updates.

  • John Richards
    Opinion

    Don’t underestimate the web’s impact

    2010-10-29T00:00:00Z

    Invariably discussions about online retailing now refer to its ‘maturity’. While online sales growth mirrors the volatility of retail sales generally and exceptional growth rates are history, growth remains and will remain significantly above average.

  • John Richards cutout
    Opinion

    Getting management succession right

    2010-07-30T00:00:00Z

    What is unthinkable at John Lewis but almost traditional at Marks & Spencer? The answer is poorly planned management succession, yet succession planning is one of the most important aspects of business management.

  • John Richards
    Opinion

    The reality of our virtual recession

    2010-01-29T00:00:00Z

    Enjoy the brief honeymoon period until the election is out of the way and we will be told how much worse finances are than we all thought

  • John Richards cutout
    Opinion

    Floats need proper preparation

    2009-10-16T00:00:00Z

    A float is not an end in itself but a new beginning, which brings with it a variety of unaccustomed challenges, disciplines and temptations.

  • John Richards cutout
    Opinion

    You don’t have to follow the herd

    2009-07-24T00:00:00Z

    In a world where the media and big brands appear to dictate consumer tastes, it is easy for retailers to forget that they can still determine their own destiny.

  • Opinion

    John Richards: Think it's bad? You've seen nothing yet

    2009-01-23T00:00:00Z

    Plan for lower sales in 2009 and 2010 and you won’t suffer too many unpleasant shocks. The severity of the financial crunch and the excesses that led to it mean that the adjustment process must not only be painful but protracted.