All Opinion articles – Page 7
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Opinion‘The vibecession is lingering but things should be more positive heading into summer’
The retail landscape is likely to remain challenging but it’s also ripe with opportunities for those willing to pivot towards growth, believes PwC’s Lisa Hooker
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Opinion‘Rollback’s returned, Whitfield’s on board – and the fightback’s on at Asda’
The reintroduction of Rollback signals that Asda is serious on price once again, while Jo Whitfield’s return brings a valuable combination of experience as the grocer focuses on the best of its heritage while building new businesses such as convenience, believes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Retail media is still evolving, and fragmentation will get worse before it gets better’
As retail media matures, what developments can be expected in 2025? Publicis Media’s Steve Ricketts takes a look
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Opinion‘In a split between its travel and high street businesses, where will WHSmith’s name land?’
As WHSmith’s management looks to jettison its high street stores business to focus on its more lucrative travel arm, the future of the brand’s very name seems as turbulent as everything else
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Opinion‘The natural advantage of established brands has been smashed to smithereens’
‘Change brands’ are some of the fastest growing globally and demonstrate that what’s good for the world can be good for business. Retailers should make the most of the opportunity, argues expert author Chris Baker
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Opinion‘As they walk a tightrope, retailers wonder how Reeves’ vision for growth applies to them’
Amid a round of retail job cuts from big industry names, the chancellor needs to offer the industry a big olive branch. Action on business rates would be a good place to start, says Retail Week editor-in-chief Charlotte Hardie
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Opinion‘Rising costs will tempt retailers to review commercial contracts – they must be careful’
Renegotiating arrangements can be a legitimate tool for managing financial challenges, but it’s rare for contracts to provide scope for termination or meaningful renegotiation based purely on changes in economic conditions, says Addleshaw Goddard’s Natasha Winter
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Opinion‘I can see AI becoming as fundamental to business as electricity’
Rising costs following short-sighted regulation will propel retailers towards an automated future, believes True Global’s Matt Truman
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Opinion‘While it’s easy to blame the Budget, retailers shouldn’t let it become the new “unseasonable weather”’
While last week’s sad job cuts at Sainsbury’s and Morrisons highlight the increasing pressures on business from the Budget, retailers should avoid letting it become a catch-all excuse for underperformance.
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Opinion‘Retail prices will rise as the pressures from the Budget take effect’
Rates reform is some distance away and new employment regulations are still to play out, so retailers will be rolling up their sleeves to tackle the challenges of the coming year says BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson
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Opinion‘ONS figures add unnecessarily to retail doom and gloom’
Yes, the retail industry faces challenges, but the way the official sales data is presented risks distorting the picture, believes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Why we are more downbeat on the UK retail outlook’
It’s hard to believe how the mood music of shoppers and retailers has changed since last year’s general election, observes Shore Capital’s Clive Black
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Opinion‘Are the lights turning back on in the home and furniture market?’
Updates from DFS and Dunelm this week struck a cautious note, but there are signs of life in the home goods category, including a big move by Primark, believes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Consumers are now looking for experiences beyond simple transactions’
‘As consumers increasingly seek experience and entertainment, there’s an opportunity for retailers to consider anew what ‘space’ can entail, believes agency Household’s Kate Walmsley
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Opinion‘There was no Christmas cheer at Asda, but don’t rule out a happier new year’
Asda, grocery’s leftover sprout at Christmas, will be one of the stories of the year as it battles to turn around performance under new chair Allan Leighton, says George MacDonald
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Opinion‘A Christmas profit warning is inauspicious, but retail has reasons to be cheerful about 2025’
Despite a hefty profit warning from Shoe Zone, as long as retailers overall meet muted Christmas expectations then City appetite for their shares could pick up in the new year, writes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Don’t waste a cost crisis – it can catalyse much-needed change’
Economic pressure forces evolution, observes AlixPartners’ Brian Kalms. Now is the time to break free from outmoded business models
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Opinion‘At Christmas most people shop with their hearts and if they can spend, they will’
Dire predictions about retail’s Christmas performance are almost as traditional as holly and mistletoe, but rarely come true, says Charlotte Hardie
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Opinion‘Twenty years on, is a boutique-style M&S store an idea whose time has come?’
Marks & Spencer’s pilot fashion and beauty store in Battersea is a very different proposition from the retailer’s usual approach to fashion. The format may bring challenges but is likely to prove worthwhile, believes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘As retail media grows, the roles of chief marketing officers are evolving rapidly’
Marketing directors must embrace the skills needed to stay competitive in a new era of retail, observes headhunter Clarity’s Fran Minogue and Callum Loader