Opinion – Page 362
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OpinionDownwardly mobile
Commercial Street, in central Leeds, is typical of roads in many of the UK’s larger towns and cities. Walk its relatively modest length – it will take no more than about two minutes – and you pass no fewer than six mobile phone shops.
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Opinion
The Retail Week – February 8, 2008
Ian McLeod must have had a tough time choosing between working in Redditch and in Melbourne.
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Opinion
If you can’t stand the heat, focus on kitchens
The furniture market is a tough place to be at the moment. Our Sale went well, the store remains busy and people are still buying – but not as much as we thought they would.
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Opinion
Commission to target supermarkets code of practice?
The entire grocery sector will be busy next week tucking into the Competition Commission’s remedies report, following a two-year inquiry.
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Opinion
Kinnaird must put his best foot forward
Retail entrepreneur John Kinnaird, whose shoe chain Dolcis went into administration last month, made a bold comeback this week with the acquisition of struggling clothing chain Style Menswear for a token sum of £1.
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Opinion
It’s time for the last word on rate cuts
I have been taken to task recently by one or two economic journalists for continuing to call for a cut in interest rates.
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Opinion
Who do we think we’re kidding?
Christmas sales might look pleasing, but are retailers really being honest with themselves?
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Opinion
Don’t just blame the market
It gives no one at Retail Week any pleasure that last week’s front page story about The Works being on the brink of administration came true even more quickly than expected.
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Opinion
Payment card industry is finally cracking down
Retailers that have been slow off the mark to become compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard are now feeling the pressure.
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Opinion
The Works’ collapse has a silver lining
Having lunch last Friday in a typical property haunt, I noticed one agent give another a knowing nod. He was referring to the collapse of bargain books retailer The Works, which went into administration that day.
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Opinion
Cheap is no longer enough
News that value book chain The Works has gone under should come as no surprise to anyone who’s shopped at a Tesco Extra lately.
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Opinion
A case for the big two?
Speculation was swirling around the grocery sector this week that Asda is poised to make a bid for local grocery chain Somerfield.
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Opinion
The Retail Week – February 1, 2008
Surveying the wreckage of pub company Mitchells & Butlers, you have to conclude that Sainsbury's had a lucky escape when Qatari bid interest collapsed.
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Opinion
Non-food cannot afford to slip the net
Even against modest forecasts, the January trading statement season was miserable.
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OpinionWe’ve 3.5bn years to crack retail
A business model that will stand the test of time is more important than a dash for the finish line
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Opinion
Don't cut back on ethics
With disappointing Christmas trading statements from the high street, forecasts of a stormy global economic climate ahead and the R word on the lips of many a pundit, I have been asked several times recently whether I think UK retailers will be tempted to slash their ethical trade budgets to ...
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Opinion
Cheshire has a big job ahead
While not wanting to question the thoroughness of the search, Ian Cheshire’s appointment as chief executive of Kingfisher won’t have surprised many.
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Opinion
Shepherdson comeback hails new era in ethics
One of the first things Jane Shepherdson will do at the start of her tenure at Whistles will be to bring her ethical nous to the table.
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Opinion
Future looks bleak for minnow Beales
While most department store groups celebrated a happy Christmas, there had to be one that woke up to an empty stocking.
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Opinion
Move over Christmas, roll on St Valentine’s
Our store in St Matthews Quarter, Walsall, opened in June 2007, so we have just completed our first Christmas trading period. I was really pleased with our performance, especially the great effort put in by our new colleagues, who had never experienced an Asda Christmas.