Covid was the final lever for the creative destruction of the high street: it’s not gone, just changing March 8, 2021 If you believe some of the gloomier predictions, the high street is on life support and will breathe its last when the government eventually pulls the plug on the comprehensive Covid relief package that has kept it alive. Last week’s budget offers another lifeline but is, in effect, a stay of execution in a process [...]
Scrapping the VAT refund for tourists would be catastrophic for the UK economy October 30, 2020 Retail, hospitality and tourism are three of the sectors that have been hardest hit by Covid-19 and the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Employing close to six million people, job losses in these sectors are expected to be devastating. The government should be doing all it can to support these businesses at this critical time. Instead, it [...]
Covid-19 ‘doughnut effect’ creates retail opportunities in outer London, experts say October 28, 2020 Outer London boroughs have recovered faster from the coronavirus restrictions than the city centre, creating a “doughnut effect”, which could provide new opportunities for retailers and landlords, experts have said. Research by estate agent Savills showed that in the six weeks to 23 October footfall in the City and Westminster was down 72 per cent [...]
Woolworths may not be making a return, but our love of retail is October 28, 2020 Admit it, you did it, I did it, we all did it at least once — pinching from the pick n mix at your local Woolworths. And sadly, all that came to an end in December 2008, when all remaining Woolworths stores were shuttered for good. As a nation we mourned. We mourned the loss [...]
Has an unverified Woolworths twitter account pranked Britain? Probably. October 27, 2020 An unverified Twitter account claiming to belong to Woolworths emerged this morning, sparking a media frenzy and a social media storm
Why M&S’ relegation from the FTSE 100 doesn’t mean the death of the High Street September 20, 2019 Marks and Spencer (M&S) is set to be relegated from the FTSE 100 after the close of business today. This will be the first time that the company has lost its blue chip status. The UK retailer was a founder member of the FTSE 100 and a stalwart of the UK High Street. But its [...]
Kodak shows how to compete with startups if you’re a heritage brand March 25, 2019 The digitalisation of our world has given with one hand and taken away with the other. It has created opportunities for new companies, and made household names such as Amstrad computers and Woolworths entirely redundant. Technological advancements have facilitated the emergence of startups that thrive on disrupting traditional business models. However, the decline of established [...]
It’s time for brands to let their old products pass away February 11, 2019 Corporate giants in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector have been sitting on their hands for the past decade, waiting for the startup bubble to burst so that they can rule the supermarket shelves once again. They’ve been dozing, and are only now realising that these plucky challengers aren’t going away. The number of brands [...]
Debenhams supplier issue could be ‘nail in the coffin’ for department store November 15, 2018 Supplier problems that have reportedly hit Debenhams could be the “nail in the coffin” for the embattled department store, according to industry experts. A number of high street suppliers stopped working with the 240-year-old store after credit insurers reduced their protection, trade magazine Drapers reported. “They really need to implement strategic change in the business, [...]
Out with the old, in with the new UK high street September 26, 2018 A tale of two retailers dominated the high street yesterday – Next’s shares jumped nearly eight per cent after the fashion giant lifted its full-year profit guidance while Card Factory’s shares lost a tenth of their value after profits were off-message. Read more: Next nudges up profit guidance after blistering summer The diverging fortunes [...]