Opinion – Page 5
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Opinion
‘Accepting rocketing returns as “cost of doing business” is limp admission of defeat’
It’s too big and it doesn’t fit. A dress? A T-shirt? A pair of shoes? How about your returns percentage each year? Brian Kalms looks at how retailers can address the problem
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Opinion
‘If a buyer wants to pounce on Asos, they might prefer to move sooner rather than later’
Asos was back in fashion with the City today as its shares climbed on the back of a trading update, providing welcome encouragement that chief executive José Antonio Ramos Calamonte’s turnaround efforts are working.
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Opinion
‘Morrisons often delights in swimming against the tide’
Morrisons chief customer and marketing officer Rachel Eyre on the return of the More Reasons campaign, almost two decades since it was last used
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Opinion
‘Facial recognition is everywhere in China and people seem OK with it’
Returning to China, Retail Week analyst Hanna Hua shares her experience of how technology such as facial recognition, payments and robots is transforming shopping. Can such dramatic change be expected in the UK?
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Opinion
‘Government should forget food price caps and let shopkeepers shopkeep’
The latest government idea to combat the cost-of-living crisis is so outlandish that it might have been formulated on Neptune, the furthest planet from Earth, rather than in Downing Street
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Opinion
‘As a virgin to supermarket supply, I was shocked at the casual, abusive arrogance’
The best supply chains temper aggressive, short-term competition on price with efficient communication and trustworthy behaviour, argues organic veg specialist Riverford’s founder Guy Singh-Watson
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Opinion
‘Larger retailers can learn plenty from innovative independents’
The creativity and innovation that independents bring to the high street and the industry offer valuable lessons to all retailers, believes PwC’s Lisa Hooker
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Opinion
‘As the storm abates, mothballed growth strategies are being rekindled’
Retail is not rapidly transitioning from bust to boom, but the headwinds that have blasted the industry are abating, believes True’s Matt Truman
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Opinion
‘Claims of grocers profiteering grab headlines but avoid confronting real issues’
Has anyone told Sir Ed Davey, or other proponents of the “profiteering supermarkets” point of view, that Tesco’s profits plummeted last year by half?
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Opinion
‘Battle for data will be the battle for the bottom line in grocery’
The companies that emerge the strongest from the current downturn will shape a new data and insight paradigm, argue McKinsey’s Anita Balchandani and Samantha Phillips
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Opinion
‘AI scare stories abound but retailers need to get in on the act now’
The rise of AI has been one of the biggest stories of the year so far, prompting excitement about its potential and fears about possible malign effects in equal measure.
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Opinion
‘Packaging rules are changing and the bill is likely to be substantial’
Retailers must prepare for new rules requiring them to cover the full costs of packaging management and recycling, says British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson
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Opinion
‘Shoppers are unlikely to feel giddy with delight when inflation falls to “only” 9%’
A fall in the rate of inflation this week proved more insipid than had been hoped for, but had it been bigger there would hardly have been cause for breaking out the champagne.
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Opinion
‘Retail operations has become the training ground for successful CEOs’
A retail operations background is increasingly the training ground for successful chief executives, says Fran Minogue
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Opinion
‘CEOs face the challenge of staying true to a long-term vision amid uncertainty’
Ahead of the World Retail Congress, Spencer Stuart’s Sally Elliott assesses the changing demands on retail chief executives and how effective succession planning can best position companies for success
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Opinion
‘As Walmart automates, people still come first in retail’
Retail giant Walmart has unveiled what it described as building blocks that will “help define the next chapter of retail”.
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Opinion
‘Retailers using personalisation for a quick buck will end up on wrong side of customers’
Retailers need to think about how personalisation strategies fit with building and retaining customer trust, historically the most important determinant of lifetime value, maintains OC&C’s Matt Coode
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Opinion
‘It's not a matter of when a cyberattack happens, but how much damage it causes’
Cybersecurity breaches can result in huge, sometimes irrecoverable, reputational damage. Without proper response and recovery plans, a company’s chance of survival is lower, warns AlixPartners’ Brian Kalms
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Opinion
‘As Shein ponders IPO, is the “next Shein” already coming up the inside track?’
A Shein IPO would be testament to a retailer built at warp speed to gargantuan scale, but in current conditions investors may question how strong its prospects are as established digital giants retrench and new competitors emerge.
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Opinion
‘A stake sale would risk turning John Lewis into AN Other retailer’
Annual losses of £234m, no staff bonus, the spectre of more job losses looming – no wonder the John Lewis Partnership is considering whether its traditional way of doing things needs to change.