Latest events & articles
Will sustainability take a back seat?
How retailers, manufacturers and brands feel about sustainability following Covid-19 rather depends on where you sit in the fashion supply chain. Mostafiz Uddin, owner of a denim factory in Bangladesh, quoted recently in Vogue Business said he was planning to install solar panels on his factory and make other changes to reduce his footprint. “Now, […]
Will brands dilute themselves through celebrity tie ups?
The Gap in the US has done a deal with music mogul and entrepreneur, Kanye West, and Coty has taken a controlling stake in Kylie Jenner’s beauty business. It is now worth asking whether brands are putting short term gain ahead of brand reputation. Certainly, there are more tie ups than ever, as part of […]
A boom in baby sales for Natural Baby Shower
Specialist retailer of eco-friendly baby products, Natural Baby Shower, has seen a four fold boom in online sales with its latest technology investment to improve on-site identification, segmentation and personalisation as well as growing out its customer database. The sustainable baby retailer has been providing parents with high-quality, natural and organic baby products since it […]
Retailers duck and dive their way to a new high street
Administration followed by a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) has become the go to strategy for retailers frustrated by landlords’ inflexibility to renegotiate rents and lease terms. And don’t get me started on retail rates which are a fat, milky, uncomplaining cash cow for local authorities. The status quo is summed up by a recent statement […]
How will global fashion cope with the Buy now, Wear now generation?
There is a misalignment between supply and demand in global fashion, said Sarah Curran-Usher, co-founder of Fitzrovia Investment Advisors and retail advisor to True Fit at True Fit’s June 11 webinar – Restitching Apparel’s Supply Chain. She talked about how consumer behaviour has changed during lockdown and how the pandemic has accelerated various trends that […]
Planning with worn out tools won’t work in retail anymore
Anyone in tech will tell you that anyone trying to prise planners, merchandisers and buyers away from their spreadsheets is on a hiding to nothing. Beloved of planners for more than 30 years, Excel has been showing its age for at least 10. Now, anyone in the planning software business, and there are some significant […]
Brakes digitally transforms on its mission to feed the nation in lockdown
Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has digitally transformed its operations during the covid-19 lockdown, openning up its B2B food delivery site to the public with the launch of a new Direct To Consumer (D2C) ecommerce offer, giving UK households an alternative to visiting the supermarket or relying on online grocery delivery slots. With the […]
Retailers start to bridge the on/off line gap
Something retailers have been urged to do for some time, is now starting to happen – they are recognising the need for multiple channels to operate more seamlessly around the needs of the customer who wants to travel across them without interference as well as have their data and orders follow them. Clo Moriarty, until […]
Welcome to the appointment economy
Change accelerates. Talking to Mintel analyst and influencer, Alexis deSalva, it is clear that Covid-19 is driving a whole bunch of new behaviours that were emerging before the lockdown, but which are now certain to accelerate from now on. Before the virus hit, we all wanted more immersive and intimate experiences with our favourite […]