Opinion
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Opinion‘Retail’s 12 gifts of Christmas – and beyond’
From keeping the cost of living down for customers to support for all sorts of good causes, retailers’ generosity has once again been unstinting this year. Christmas is the busiest time for retailers, but it’s also an appropriate moment to reflect on the industry’s invaluable role as a force for good.
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OpinionExplainer: What revaluation means for retailers’ business rates bills
The rateable values announced in last month’s Budget represent the biggest shift in support for 30 years. They reveal structural tensions, but big retailers should benefit, observes tax specialist Ryan’s Alex Probyn
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Opinion‘A cold Christmas looms for embattled Asda’
As grocers prepare for the busiest days of the year, the Christmas period for Asda is likely to mirror its poor performance in this week’s Worldpanel data
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Opinion‘For the future of the industry, retail needs to look further ahead on leadership succession’
Chief executives can churn fast and the need to fill a vacancy may come around more quickly than expected. If there’s a dearth of talent, a business can soon unravel, warns Charlotte Hardie
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Opinion‘Your customers are making decisions before they reach the aisle – are you there yet?’
Retailers who adapt to changes, such as how shoppers are discovering products, will be best positioned to win, believes Publicis’ Steve Ricketts
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Opinion‘Retail is witnessing a resurgence in the in-person shopping experience’
Retailers are turning to experiential shopping to lure more customers to their locations, observes Alvarez & Marsal’s Erin Brookes
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Opinion‘Retail’s AI revolution poses an existential question’
The rise of AI is fuelling the strategic reversal of a 25-year-old habit, driving a move away from outsourcing and back towards building powerful, in-house technology functions that can differentiate a business, observes AlixPartners’ Brian Kalms
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Opinion‘If the government treats retail fairly, we can help drive the growth the UK economy so badly needs’
While yesterday’s Budget did something to take the pressure off consumers, UK retail director at Primark Kari Rodgers writes that more needs to be done by the government to help retail drive the growth it so badly craves.
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Opinion‘Down about the Budget? Don’t worry, retail, at least you’re getting an envoy!’
While today’s Budget wasn’t all doom-and-gloom for the retail sector, the almost completely buried announcement that the government is looking to appoint a new retail tsar raises plenty of questions all on its own, writes Charlotte Hardie.
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Opinion‘Retail can lead the revival of our high streets if we choose to act together’
Anthony Houghton, group chief executive of Holland & Barrett writes that if retail truly wants to address the ever-growing issue of crime blighting the sector, businesses must come together to decide what kind of high streets they really want to build.
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Opinion‘Black Friday isn’t just flawed, it’s self-sabotage’
Black Friday doesn’t drive incremental retail sales growth, all it does is disrupt demand patterns and redistribute spend, believes property consultancy Knight Frank’s Stephen Springham
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Opinion‘Walmart’s unfashionable focus on long service creates long-term value’
Walmart’s chief executive succession doesn’t fit the common view that fresh blood and multi-company experience trump a career spent in one place, observes George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Buy something for 50p and sell it for £1? Retail today is much more complicated’
Retailers are good at buying and selling stuff, but not the technology that it now takes to bring a product to market, observes headhunter Clarity’s Fran Minogue
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Opinion‘B&M may not shoot the lights out this Christmas, but next may be more important’
A renewed emphasis on retail detail under new leadership may help B&M in the longer term after a lacklustre start to this year’s golden quarter, says George MacDonald
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Opinion‘You’re their punchbag, for those few minutes’ – the horrific reality of shopworker abuse
As the industry’s busiest period gets into full swing, the Retail Trust’s Let’s Respect Retail campaign couldn’t be more timely, says Charlotte Hardie
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Opinion‘How AI agents could transform grocery shopping and what retailers should do now’
Most retailers are still experimenting with how to use AI to drive internal efficiency rather than consumer-facing discovery. The next phase of AI adoption will demand the opposite, advises Dunnhumby’s Sandra Stanley
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Opinion‘Primark has been good for the Westons – but the Westons have been good for Primark’
The Weston family’s stewardship of Primark has been exemplary. As a spin-off of the retailer from ABF is considered, their values should be maintained, says George MacDonald
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Opinion‘Retail’s future health hinges on finding the right partners to solve industry challenges’
As retailers seek to transform their businesses and take advantage of new technology, more collaborative thinking is essential. That’s why Retail Week has launched Solutions Spotlight, explains Charlotte Hardie
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Opinion‘How is Rachel Reeves going to achieve her promise to M&S workers?’
On a visit to a Marks & Spencer store, the chancellor pledged that more of workers’ pay will go into their pockets, but everything done so far appears to be having the opposite effect, observes Maureen Hinton
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Opinion‘Amazon’s AI-driven job cuts will send a shiver through retail head offices’
The retail giant won’t be the last to axe roles – and white collar positions will be under threat, believes George MacDonald