All Waterstones articles
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AnalysisRetail 2022: 59 CEOs reveal strategy for the year ahead
Leaders from Gymshark, Currys, Pets at Home, Levi’s and Beauty Pie are among 59 chief executives that have spoken to Retail Week in-depth about their 2022 strategy as part of a major new report
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Data
Ranking: From M&S to Iceland – UK consumers’ favourite brands
Marks & Spencer has been crowned the best retail brand according to shoppers in YouGov’s UK Retail Rankings 2021.
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Gallery
Store gallery: TikTok moves offline with experiential shopping centre pop-up
Video sharing platform TikTok has made a huge splash online. Now, with the opening of the UK’s first-ever TikTok pop-up, it could also make a big impact IRL.
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Analysis
How John Lewis, Waterstones and Lush are making store staff their greatest assets
A new report by Retail Week showcases the businesses empowering their store staff to deliver best-in-class customer service and an experience that can’t be beaten online. Find out how you can do the same
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Analysis
Three ways retailers are rethinking stores for future success
Retail Week’s inaugural Stores Week, celebrating bricks and mortar, kicks off today. From The Entertainer and Dixons Carphone to Theo Paphitis Retail Group and AS Watson, retailers and brands from across the sector will reveal how they’re shaping their store strategies. Here’s a taster of what to expect.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (SWOT)
Strengths Last remaining specialist – Waterstones is now the UK’s only remaining major book specialist on the high street, with 270 stores throughout the country. As such, it can sustain a respectable 21% of the UK physical book market which continues to grow as consumers trade in screens for paper. ...
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Strategy)
The retailer has rolled out a new buying strategy that provides greater stock control and visibility to its central head office staff, meaning minimum stock levels will now be set in a bid to push mid-ranking titles. Central buying managers will be able to increase stock levels available to individual stores.
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Prospect Analysis
Technology strategy at Waterstones
Prior investments to its website supported impressive 30% growth, but MD James Daunt said “to really improve it we’d have to spend a lot more money on it, and I’m a pragmatist, Amazon is where customers hold their accounts.”
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Prospect Analysis
Stores at Waterstones
Waterstones is the UK’s last surviving nationwide chain of booksellers with a total of 270 stores throughout the country.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (People)
Waterstones strengthened its senior team at the beginning of 2020 with the appointment of Luke Taylor as retail director and Beccy Preece as logistics director. Managing director James Daunt is currently leading sister business Barnes & Noble, with the bookseller’s chief operating officer Kate Skipper managing UK operations.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Overview)
Waterstones is the UK’s last remaining national high street bookseller, with more than 270 stores throughout the country and a strong online presence. There are two long-established stores in mainland Europe (Brussels and Amsterdam) and three in the Republic of Ireland.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Financials)
Group revenue has been on a downward trajectory over the past few years, but was boosted in FY2019 by the full year impact of the Foyles acquisition in late 2018. However, sales at Waterstones dropped 4.3% during the period.
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Prospect Analysis
Ecommerce at Waterstones
Under its new owners Elliott Advisors, Waterstones has renewed its focus on aspects of the ecommerce journey. Personalisation efforts have been fortified through a new unified loyalty offering and the specialist provides same day click-and-collect across its estate through both its mobile app and website.
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Prospect Analysis
Customer and marketing at Waterstones
Under managing director James Daunt, the Waterstones business has been refocused as a serious, specialist bookseller. The aim is to offer an experience that customers would not get from a non-specialist or online retailer.
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Prospect Analysis
Supply chain at Waterstones
Waterstones is continuing to focus on local markets and is now looking to invest in its supply chain and stock-holding capabilities.
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Analysis
Five ways to turn your staff into customer champions
Retail Week’s Customer Champions report, produced in association with Critizr, outlines the crucial role of frontline staff in welcoming customers back to stores.
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Prospect Analysis
Waterstones (Outlook)
The retailer is aiming to strengthen its stock-holding capabilities and is rolling out a centralised buying function that aims to reduce costs, improve stock visibility and limit the autonomy that its store managers once had which is affecting sales of less-popular products.
