All articles by Michael Jary
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OpinionIn pictures: ‘A tribute to a remarkable man and a social history of local retailing’
On Christmas Eve 2019, Maurice Dorfman flipped the sign on his haberdashery shop door to ‘closed’, just as he, and before him, his parents, had on 60 previous Christmas Eves. This time he would never flip it back. He died two months later, at the age of 87.
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Opinion‘What if everyone is wrong about the metaverse?’
Some unconvinced commentators see the metaverse as the tech industry’s attempt to conjure up the next big thing, says OC&C Strategy Consultants’ Michael Jary.
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Opinion‘Regulation of online giants is one of the most important policy challenges of our time’
Regulation is not about constraining tech innovation, but sharing it more widely and increasing competition, says Michael Jary, senior adviser at OC&C Strategy Consultants.
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OpinionMichael Jary: ‘Never again should we accept the notion of non-essential workers’
It took a global pandemic to prompt society to reflect on the importance of work performed not only by healthcare and home care providers, but by delivery drivers, grocery store employees and other critical but modestly paid workers.
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OpinionMichael Jary: ‘New normal? Retail needs to get used to the new weird’
Back in March I wrote on Retail Week that coronavirus would bring a tipping point: a permanent change in industry structure. At the time some readers wondered whether I might be hyperbolising. It turns out I hardly knew the half of it.
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Opinion‘The new channel split is one of mission: buying vs shopping’
Why has online retailing not grown more during the Covid crisis? And what does that tell us about its limitations?
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OpinionMichael Jary: Post-coronavirus, sustainability will matter more than ever
Back in a previous era, otherwise known as two months ago, public and business momentum finally seemed to be gathering for a serious response to climate change.
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OpinionMichael Jary: Coronavirus brings a retail tipping point
In a crisis as big as this one, acting on the immediate challenges is critical. Thinking about the longer-term may seem impossible, or at least deferrable. But in many ways, it is even more important.
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OpinionMichael Jary: Driverless cars will change everything about retail hot spots
In his autobiography, Sam Walton described why he preferred a small propeller plane to a jet. The Walmart founder could fly closer to the ground and see how America’s towns and cities were growing.
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OpinionOpinion: Stores can beat online by avoiding the tyranny of choice
The gloomy Danish philosopher Kierkegaard found much of life to be painful, but it can be assumed he would have harboured a particular ennui for online shopping.
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OpinionOpinion: Nine reasons why you are not really a digital retailer
In all the retail digital transformations I’ve been involved in over the past two decades, a simple truth has emerged.
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OpinionOpinion: Are retailers ready for the new consumer ecosystem?
Many commentators, myself included, have shared their thoughts on retail-week.com on “the future of retail”. We all conclude that retail is undergoing rapid transformation. And yet, we have all missed the point.
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OpinionFairtrade ensures supply security, as well as morality
The aroma of a coffee plantation in full bloom is sweetly intoxicating. Jinaldo encouraged me to sniff the white flowers on the tall, delicate trees and compare their complex bouquets.
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OpinionRetailers can't treat customers like one-night stands
We often hear that we are in a general crisis of trust. Not only among brands, but also bankers, politicians, the media and nearly all institutions.
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OpinionOpinion: Improving is not winning in retail
The roll call of failed or struggling retailers is growing: Toys R Us, Maplin, Poundworld, Carpetright, Mothercare, House of Fraser.
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OpinionFollow Nike’s lead and remodel the brand/retail deal
It’s time to rethink economic partnerships and reward stores for their role in sales, no matter in which channel transactions are made.
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OpinionThe future of retail? You ain’t seen nothing yet
It’s difficult to predict what the retail landscape will look like in the next decade. One thing’s for sure – it will be altered beyond recognition.
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OpinionOpinion: The grocery market is not Amazon's true target
Most commentators have portrayed Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods as a drawing of the battle lines in the grocery market.
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OpinionOpinion: Quest for frictionless shopping misses a trick
Current wisdom has it that retailers must smooth away ‘friction’ from the shopping journey.
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OpinionOpinion: Time to rethink strategic planning
In retail, strategic planning used to be simple, but today there are a multitude of options to assess in order to become, and remain, successful.