Opinion – Page 329
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OpinionDo Sainsbury’s expansion plans stack up?
Even though the method chosen by which to do it has prompted some criticism from the City, Sainsbury’s £445m fundraising plans unveiled this week were a big statement of intent by the UK’s third biggest grocer. But do its plans make sense?
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OpinionDSGi begins to show spark
Electricals rivals Kesa and DSGi both post full-year results next week. There hasn’t been much spark in either lately. But as Best Buy limbers up to take on the European incumbents next year, there are signs that the pair are getting into shape.
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OpinionSave our iconic streets from wrack and ruin
Up and down the country, some of our most prestigious retail locations are being allowed to rot. But high-profile shopping districts are vital for the prosperity and image of major UK cities, and can’t be simply abandoned.
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OpinionDon’t neglect your core customer
Upmarket retailers can talk about value but can’t lose sight of core principles, says Simon Burke
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OpinionPrice-conscious retail with a conscience
Conspicuous consumption is giving way to conscientious consumption. This is not just a sign of recessionary times but the dawning of an era, says Michael Poynor
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OpinionRetail surgery: Using post-Christmas data to drive summer Sales
How can I best use data from the post-Christmas Sales to make the most of the summer Sales season?
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OpinionRetail surgery: Where is the line between imitation and infringement?
When does product imitation cease to be commercially advantageous and become an infringement of intellectual property rights?
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OpinionLuxury retailers are in danger of falling out of fashion
Bullish comments made by luxury retailers should be treated with caution.
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OpinionDigital Britain: Government report trails e-commerce
The Digital Britain white paper published yesterday didn’t come up with much new, but it did highlight how far behind the e-commerce industry the Government is in its thinking.
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OpinionThe Piccadilly Circus saga continues…
It’s hard to tell what The Crown Estate has really achieved at Piccadilly Circus.
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OpinionWhy retailers can't sit on their hands with store design
Put off, put off, put off. Store design departments up and down the country must be becoming increasingly familiar with this, or something of the kind, as the mantra that emerges from retail boardrooms when the matter of new stores or refurbishments appears on the agenda.
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OpinionTesco still a dab hand
After Morrisons’ first-quarter update last week, Tesco and Sainsbury’s post their numbers on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively and they should make for compelling reading.
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OpinionAn ode to old-fashioned values
The UK has lost sight of the standards that underpin good service, says Lord Kirkham
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OpinionThe politics of good leadership
Leadership has been much in the news recently. Poor Gordon Brown certainly lacks it, as apparently do all our political figures at the moment.
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OpinionRetail surgery: Using civil recovery to claw back losses
Our shrinkage rates are increasing during the downturn. How can we use civil recovery to try to claw back more of our losses?
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OpinionRetail surgery: The key to blog success
Lots of our competitors have set up blogs on their websites. If we create one, what should we write about and how successful could we expect it to be?
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OpinionRetail's near-wins on policy don't go far enough
The day that VAT will change has been pushed back. But don’t get too excited.
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OpinionNRF lobbying on PCIDSS could be bad news for UK retailers
The US retail trade body the National Retail Federation has added its voice to the growing chorus of calls for the way the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard operates to be reassessed. But its recommendations may not be as helpful for retail in the UK as they first seem.
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OpinionPositive thinking in the property market could be a self-fulfilling prophecy
Anyone who talks about green shoots risks ridicule. But a report published by Cushman & Wakefield and comments from the agency’s head of global retail are among the first encouraging signs that the rate of decline in the retail property market might be gradually easing off.
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OpinionColumbia – building retail brands one country at a time
Outdoorswear retailer Columbia is to open its first UK store on Kensington High Street in September. Is it the right move, or will the London-centric focus hold it back from making its mark?