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Retail Update - November 2018 |
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Posted At: 15 November 2018 16:54 PM
Related Categories: Future of Retailing, General, Retailers, Store Closures |
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Continuing the pattern of the year, and starting to sound like a broken record, the retail world is still rather gloomy.
The high street continues to suffer retail losses; bakery chain Peyton & Byrne, Evans Cycles and listed butcher Crawshaws Group all fell into administration but have subsequently been rescued. This week alone has seen the demise of 50-year old bridal chain Berketex Brides, which fell into administration with the immediate closure of its stores. Almost 1,000 retail businesses fell into administration in the year to September 2018, the highest number in five years.
As many as 85,000 jobs have disappeared from the UK high street so far in 2018, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. The first six months of the year saw 80,000 jobs lost, with a further 5,000 thought to have been lost between July and October.
However, as autumn gives way to winter and retailers turn their attention to the all-important Christmas trading season, there is some better news to be had;
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Spending by retailers on Christmas advertising is set to hit a new high of £6.4bn this year [Advertising Association], having risen nearly 50% in eight years
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London’s New Bond Street has been named as the most expensive retail street by rental value in Europe, new data from Cushman & Wakefield shows
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UK apparel and footwear spend via online-only retailers is set to soar by 67.4% over the next five years, reaching £7.5bn in 2023 and accounting for over one-third of online clothing and footwear sales by 2023, a new report by GlobalData claims
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The number of independent retailers in the UK is forecast to creep up 0.3% by 2023, surviving because they can be more nimble than big businesses in the face of change, according to the research by American Express and GlobalData
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Westfield London has been named as the leading UK shopping centre by the Trevor Wood Associates’ shopping centre guide, overtaking Westfield Stratford which has been number one for the last six years
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Black Friday sales in the UK are expected to reach £1.54bn, with shoppers set to spend 13% more than 2017. Online spend is estimated to total £8.1bn during peak activity between 19-26 November [IMRG]
And finally, October’s Budget revealed a £675m pledge to create a “Future High Streets Fund” to support councils in drawing up plans for the transformation of their High Streets, allowing them to invest in the improvements they need and to facilitate redevelopment of under-used retail and commercial areas into residential.
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Retail Update - September 2018 |
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Posted At: 24 September 2018 00:16 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics, Retailers |
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Continuing the pattern of the year, the retail world is still a bit gloomy.
The high street continues to suffer retail losses, as Faucet Inns’ Nordic-inspired restaurant group KuPP entered in to administration with the closure of two sites, and Saltrock Surfwear was acquired by Crew Clothing in a pre-pack deal saving 25 stores. Many other retailers teeter on the edge, not helped by the anticipated rise in business rates that is to come.
However, as the summer sun gives into autumn, there is some better news to be had;
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Instagram has unveiled two updates to its retail offer: expanding the Shopping function into Stories and introducing Shopping to the Explore tab, helping to fuel online shopping
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According to Visa UK’s Consumer Spending Index, household spending rose 0.4% in August up from a 0.9% drop a in July, buoyed by back to school spending and continued good weather
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The restaurant industry is starting to pick up once again after a troublesome two months of extreme hot weather led to dwindling sales, according to Coffer Peach Business Tracker analysis. Collective like-for-likes at managed pubs, the main benefactors of the warm climate, rose by 0.2% against August last year. Meanwhile restaurants experienced a year-on-year uptick of 1.4%
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The UK womenswear market grew by 3.2% to £28.4bn in 2017 according to a research by Mintel, which surveyed over 1000 female shoppers from the UK aged 16 or more. Mintel also forecasts British women to spend £29.4b in clothing this year, and the sales of womenswear to grow by 14% between 2018 and 2022
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The government has decided to adopt ‘Agent of Change’ principles into planning legislation in a move that will support longstanding bars, pubs and clubs facing noise complaint issues from new developments in their area
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New findings from Ipsos show that more overseas shoppers buy from the UK than any other European country. “Cross-border merchant research” on behalf of payment provider PayPal found that 14% of global online shoppers had bought from the UK in the last 12 months, making the UK the largest online exporter in Europe
And finally, three out of four retail transactions are now made by card according to new data from the British Retail Consortium. Its latest annual Payments Survey reveals that more than three quarters of transactions now are made digitally. Cash payments dropped by 1% year-on-year, now accounting for just 22% of the UK’s total retail sales, which rose 4.3% to £366bn in 2017.
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Retailer Spotlight - everyone needs a place to Lounge |
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Posted At: 17 September 2018 18:25 PM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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In the current retail climate where food & beverage retailers seem to be suffering, café, bar, and restaurant group Loungers is bucking the trend, having embarked on an ambitious and rapid growth strategy.
Founded in Bristol in 2002, by a trio of longstanding friends, Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, Loungers has undergone rapid expansion since its early days.
Their idea was to provide customers with a ‘third space’ between work and home to meet, chat, eat and drink – a more attractive and appealing alternative to the surrounding local pubs and coffee bars. And it seems to be proving to the case.
Loungers’ first sites were launched in city suburbs and towns with high residential densities, with the aim of providing places closer to home that people can enjoy.
In its most recent results published with Companies House for the 12 months to 23 April 2017, the business saw revenues climb from £68.5m to £91.8m in the year to 23 April 2017, representing a 34% rise in net sales. Loungers opened a further 20 sites in this financial year alone, giving it the confidence to continue expanding throughout the country.
Loungers was named as the fastest growing UK pub group in terms of turnover in 2017 according to data from The Morning Advertiser’s sister title MCA.
Four new locations opened last month alone. Orsino Lounge in Newton Abbot, Devon launched on 1 August following a £665,000 refurbishment, followed by an opening in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. The third, Chesterfield, began operations on 8 August, with the fourth site opening in Didcot, Oxfordshire, on 22 August.
Lounger’s 100th site, the Sorrento lounge in Moseley, Birmingham, opened in March this year, and the group is on track to reach 140 sites by the end of 2018.
Loungers also operates the Cosy Club bar and restaurant brand, which currently has 22 sites and has plans to open up to five each year.
Having outperformed much of the hospitality sector over recent years, it is clear that Loungers’ core philosophy encompassing more than just the delivery of food and drinks through the offer of all-day value for money in a ‘home-from-home’ environment and atmosphere is working.
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Retail Update - August 2018 |
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Posted At: 17 August 2018 00:44 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail, Retailers |
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Continuing the pattern of the year, the retail world is still a bit gloomy.
The high street continues to suffer retail losses, as Poundworld closed the last of its stores following administration, and both Henri Lloyd and House of Fraser were rescued in pre-pack administration deals. The eating-out sector hasn’t escaped the dismal picture, as Gaucho Group appointed administrators to its loss-making CAU steakhouse chain, Villandry closed both outlets on the back of soaring rents and Aulds bakery shut up shop in its retail operations to focus on wholesale-only.
However, the prolonged heatwave the UK has been experiencing has had a positive effect in some areas of retail, and there is some better news out there;
• UK consumer spending rose 5% year-on-year in July, boosted by the largest increase in women’s clothing sales since January 2016 amid unusually warm temperatures, according to Barclaycard. The July rise marks the third consecutive month of growth above 5% and the strongest three-month period since it began measuring this data in 2014
• A survey of 1,249 British adults by Kantar TNS has found 16-24 year olds visit department stores more often than older people, despite an overall preference for shopping online - 41% prefer shopping for high street items online, compared to 36% in department stores, and 23% in standalone outlets. Despite this, the majority (82%) of 16-24 year olds have visited a department store in the past six months, the highest of any age category. And 62% believe department stores have a future on the high street
• Over half (55%) of UK consumers now shop more online than in-store compared to last year. Customers now shop online on average six times per month, with Generation Y saying that they buy on a retailers’ websites eight times per month and 27% of men and 25% of women report making an online shopping trip once a week, says eCommerce search and navigation specialists EmpathyBroker that examined current consumers shopping behaviour
• Royal Mail has announced plans to enhance its online shopping delivery experience to include email and SMS notifications after research found that almost two-thirds of customers said it was important to receive updates on the progress of items throughout the delivery journey
• The future of the high street will see retailers become “brand ambassadors” that use emotional intelligence and experiences to connect with consumers, a new study backed by the owners of Centre:MK has found. Hermes Investment Management and AustralianSuper said that by the middle of the next decade shopping centres will be redesigned as providers of “novel and inspiring experiences” rather than simply places to purchase items
• Plastic bag sales in England's supermarkets have dropped by 86% since the government introduced a 5p plastic bag charge in 2015. New figures show that shoppers in England's seven biggest supermarkets bought nearly a quarter fewer plastic bags last year compared to 2016/17 - a decrease of nearly 300 million bags
• New research from Visa has found late-night shopping events are the most popular high street initiative amongst shoppers. Family and community-focused events and seasonal parties such as switching on Christmas lights came in second and third place. Free parking days, farmers markets and food festivals also made it into the top ten, suggesting there is still consumer enthusiasm to interact with their bricks and mortar high street retailers
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Retail Update - June 2018 |
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Posted At: 19 June 2018 16:16 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics |
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Much like last month, and certainly since the beginning of the year, the retail world is still rather gloomy.
Retail space equivalent to 180 football pitches has been handed back to landlords as the high street continues to struggle. An analysis by property consultancy Colliers International shows 11.6m sq ft of retail space has been “lost” through administrations, company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and planned store closures this year.
However, there is some better or interesting news if you look hard enough for it.
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Hot weather in May helped boost trade in Britain’s pubs but hit restaurant sales. While managed pubs saw collective like-for-likes jump 3.5% in May, with drink-led outlets doing best, casual dining brands saw like-for-like sales drop 2.1%, according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach business tracker
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Debit cards have overtaken cash as the preferred method of payment in the UK for the first time according to new figures from UK Finance. UK consumers made 13.2 billion debit card payments in 2017, compared to 13.1 billion cash. Two-thirds of UK shoppers now use contactless payments to buy goods
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Vacancy rates in the UK’s out of town retail sector remain low with Savills’ research showing just 5.96% of units currently unoccupied. This is significantly lower than the sector’s 10.86% vacancy rate by unit in 2015 and 12.17% in 2012
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Instagram is expanding its shopping function to Instagram Stories following the UK launch of Instagram Shopping in March. On Instagram Stories shoppers will be able to tap on a sticker of a shopping bag icon to see more details about that product and seamlessly shop the item
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The British Property Federation (BPF) is demanding an urgent government review of the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). The industry body said the CVA process is now being 'mis-used', which risks undermining the UK’s global reputation and deterring much-needed investment into town and city centres
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Menswear continues to outperform womenswear, growing by 3.5% in 2017 to reach a value of £15bn, according to Mintel, and now accounts for 26% of the total clothing market. The womenswear market is valued at £28.4bn
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The UK convenience market is forecast to grow by 17.6% in value between now and 2023, while the value of online will surge by more than 50%, according to new IGD research. The overall food and grocery market is predicted to grow by 14.8% to £218.5bn over the five-year period, with growth forecast for all channels
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Retail Update - May 2018 |
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Posted At: 30 May 2018 00:53 AM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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Much like last month, the retail world is still rather gloomy. Insolvencies in the retail industry show no sign of slowing with a 7% year-on-year increase, although the number of CVAs has decreased by more than half over the last five years.
However, there is some better or interesting news if you look hard enough for it.
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New figures suggest British customers are collectively spending upwards of £2bn a year on regular deliveries of goods from snacks and drinks to beauty products highlight the growing importance of subscription services to the UK retail market
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MPs are to investigate how to revive the British high street as part of a cross-party parliamentary inquiry. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee will examine the future role of the high street in contributing to local economies, what the high street will look like in 2030 and if councils have the correct planning and licensing tools to help areas flourish
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CompareTheMarket is moving into the restaurant sector with a reward scheme powered by discount dining platform Tastecard. Meerkat Meals will launch in July, and – like Tastecard – will offer two-for-one meals at major UK chains
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The latest Deltic Night Index shows consumer spending on late-night leisure has risen 6.9% year-on-year to £59.40. The Index revealed that 56.4% of British consumers are going on a night out at least once a week – up from 54.5% this time last year. This figure rises to almost 70% among 18 to 30-year olds (69.3%)
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According to CBRE, London is the most-targeted European city for retailers looking to expand overseas. The research found that 49 new retail entrants debuted in London in 2017, putting it fourth globally behind Hong Kong, Dubai and Taipei
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Research has revealed that British consumers spend more than £10,000 on lunch meal deals in their working lifetime, with a third buying a lunchtime meal deal twice a week, and 14% buying one more than three times a week
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Primark is poised to take the title of the UK’s top clothing retailer from M&S. M&S has held the highest percentage of the country’s clothing market for over two decades but has been steadily losing market share to rivals since 1997. According to Globaldata, M&S’s market share peaked in 1997 at 13.5%, and has since nearly halved to an estimated 7.6%. Primark has seen exponential growth, rising from 4.7% in 2008, to an estimated 7% in 2018, hot on the heels of M&S
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Online sales grew by 11.7% in April, compared to the same time last year, and accounted for 17.3% of all retail sales, according to the ONS. But ecommerce sales were down by 0.4% compared to March in which online sales grew more strongly than the trend, but store visits fell amid snowstorms
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Retail Update - April 2018 |
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Posted At: 24 April 2018 00:20 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics, Retailers |
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With the sun now shining we are expecting a light at the end of this gloomy tunnel, but for now, we’re still seeing what seem to be almost weekly reports of another CVA. Coupled with the Beast from the East hitting footfall and retail sales harder than expected, and retail profit warnings rocketing to a seven-year high in the first three-months of the year, that light still seems some way off.
Amongst the doom and gloom, there is some better or interesting news if you look hard enough for it.
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Consumer confidence grew in March, thanks to overall economic growth and prospects of wage increases “finally” outstripping inflation. Overall shopper sentiment climbed three points to -7 this month, according to GfK data
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Amazon is now the fifth biggest retailer in the UK accounting for £4 in every £100 spent in retail in the UK last year
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Savills research has found overseas expansion of luxury brands spurred on Europe’s leasing activity in the global luxury retail market, with London and Paris leading the way. US retailers with aggressive expansion programmes were behind the growth, up from 36% in 2006 to 38% in 2018
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The Future of Fulfilment Vision Study from Zebra Technologies forecasts that same-day delivery will be the norm by 2023, and also suggests a significant minority foresee two-hour delivery by 2028
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There was a net increase of 16 bakery stores in 2017, with 76 sites opening and 60 closing. Cafes and tearooms recorded one of the strongest performances, with a net increase of 30 stores
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Restaurants and pubs continued to outshine other sectors in March with year-on-year growth rising by 7.2% and 7.7% respectively according to Barclaycard data
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European consumers spent 4.4% more on groceries in the last quarter of 2017, making it the biggest increase in six years, according to new figures from Nielsen. whose retail performance data figures covered 21 European countries
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Online retail sales made via smartphones grew 18.9% year-on-year in December 2017, while sales on the device increased from 36% to 41% between 2016 and 2017. In contrast, the research from online retailer Mobiles.co.uk found desktop orders fell from 47% to 45% year-on-year in December 2017 and tablet sales decreased from 17% to 14% during the same period
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Retail Update - March 2018 |
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Posted At: 23 March 2018 16:00 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail, Retail Statistics |
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2018 is proving to be a difficult year so far for retail, with not much improvement on the gloomy landscape since our last update and high-profile administrations including Toys R Us, Maplin and Countrywide Stores, and a number of CVAs also approved. The news that over a quarter of the UK’s largest retailers are loss-making does not paint a rosy future.
However, there is some good or interesting news if you look hard enough for it.
• Retail sales showed surprising growth according to the ONS, with retail sales volumes up 1.5%, ahead of predictions
• UK inflation fell to 2.7% in February with a slow-down in food and transport price increases named as the largest downward contributors
• More retailers are jumping on the bandwagon of ‘try-before-you-buy’ for online shoppers
• IGD forecasts that the European grocery retail market is set to achieve sales of €2,289bn by 2022, driven by growth in central and eastern Europe
• Instagram has unveiled its much-anticipated shopping update, allowing UK businesses to sell products via posts
• Research has revealed that consumers are willing to pay up to £1.25 more for a burger if it comes in a gourmet bun, a study by Lantmannen Unibake showed
• The restaurant and bar scenes in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds are growing at double the rate of that in London
• Pubs continued to prove resilient to industry pressures in February achieving a 1.3% increase in like-for-like sales compared to a 1.5% decline seen in restaurants. However, the Coffer Peach Business Tracker has shown that people continued to dine out in February despite the cold weather and negative media coverage around high-profile casual dining brands closing sites
• Data from online retailer OnBuy shows the North West, West Midlands and Scotland had the highest rate of independent store openings in the UK in 2017 – with 230, 194 and 114 independent openings respectively
• Chinese tourist spend on shopping in the UK has risen by almost a third. Figures from the UK China Visitor Alliance show numbers of Chinese visitors to the UK soared by over 150% in the five years since 2012, from 211,000 visitors to 532,000 in 2017
And finally, a new study has found that Brits have collectively blown £4.46bn on spontaneous purchases while under the influence of alcohol, with almost half of British adults – 45.8% or around 15 million people – confessing to making a purchase while under the influence. Finder’s new report, which surveyed 2000 adults, also revealed that the average spontaneous spend while drunk shopping was a whopping £291.07 each!
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Retail Update - December 2017 |
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Posted At: 14 December 2017 17:17 PM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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With all the stats pointing towards a dismal Christmas trading period, and inflation hitting six-year high, one could be forgiven for planning hibernation and wait until things improve. But it isn’t all doom and gloom in the retail world. Here are some highlights from the past month to cheer you up;
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Two large shopping centre owner mergers have surprised the retail world – Hammerson announcing the acquisition of intu and Unibail-Rodamco acquiring a majority share of Westfield
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Pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK enjoyed an uplift in business in November following flat trading over most of the last six months
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Findings from ecommerce data expert PCA Predict have revealed that on average in 2017 Mondays generated the biggest ecommerce traffic in the UK
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This year’s Small Business Saturday achieved record spending across the UK, estimated to have topped £748 million
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YouTube released its list of the top 10 Christmas adverts this year, with John Lewis’ Moz the Monster edging out on top
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In 2016 vinyl sales hit 3.2 million, rising 53% on a year prior – this year, according to the BPI, sales are on track to top 4 million marking the highest level of sales since the trade body’s records began in the 1990s
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Amazon loses its crown as the UK’s favourite retailer to M&S Simply Food, according to an annual survey of 13,000 British shoppers
In the meantime, we wish you all a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year and look forward to bringing you more retail news and developments in January.
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Retail Update - May 2017 |
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Posted At: 19 May 2017 16:32 PM
Related Categories: Administrations, General, Retail Statistics |
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Following on from the administrations seen in March, April saw one high-profile retailer fall – that of Jaeger. Administrators announced the closure of 20 stores and the loss of 253 jobs shortly after Easter, and as yet, a buyer has not been found for the chain.
The high street benefitted in April from the late timing of Easter as evidenced by the figures from the Office for National Statistics. UK shoppers bought 2.3% more in April than they did in March. On an annual basis sales grew by 4%, helping to buoy the economy after a weak March - retail sales in the three months to April were up 0.3% compared with the previous three-month period. This suggests shoppers are not cutting back despite rising inflation, which climbed to its highest level in three and a half years to 2.7% in the 12 months to April, driven by the fall in the pound and consequent increase in the cost of imported goods.
E-commerce sales also grew by 19% in April, with shoppers collectively spending £1bn a week online during the month - accounting for 15.6% of all retail spending, excluding automotive fuel. That’s up from a 14% share last year.
Not surprisingly, footfall was also up in April. Figures from the British Retail Consortium and Springboard’s retail footfall monitor reveal that footfall in high streets was up 2.3% while footfall in retail parks climbed by 2.7%. However, footfall in shopping centres edged down 0.6%.
Continuing the Easter effect on the high street, figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker show that managed pub and restaurant groups were back in growth in April, with collective like-for-like sales up 4.4% compared with the same month last year.
In other news, the surge in openings of low-cost fitness clubs has driven gym usage in the UK to a record high. Memberships last year rose from 9.2 million to 9.7 million, boosting penetration from 14.3% to 14.9%, equivalent to one in seven people. According to the 2017 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report, the number of fitness facilities grew by 4.6% to 6,728 in the 12 months to the end of March. The number of budget gyms passed 500, with the sector now accounting for 15% of the market’s value but 35% of private sector memberships. The value of the market as a whole is estimated at £4.7 billion, up 6.3%, with the sector set to reach several milestones in the next 12 months: £5 billion by value, 7,000 gyms and 10 million memberships. All of which is good news for those involved in finding innovative use for retail space.
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Retail Update - February 2017 |
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Posted At: 22 February 2017 14:42 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail |
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January certainly proved to be a mixed month to mark the start of 2017, with a mixed bag of Christmas sales being reported across the board, and both retail sales and footfall dipping, even online sales faltered this month. Although not surprising, with Christmas being the monthly comparative, it is perhaps a sign that consumers are now starting to worry about what this year may bring; Brexit, business rate fears, price rises etc.
All is not doom and gloom however, with confidence increasing from -8 to -5 percentage points between Q3 and Q4 2016 among the 18 to 34-year-old age group resulting in them spending more money in bars and restaurants according to Deloitte.
The Leisure Consumer Q4 2016 update confirms earlier research from Deloitte which found that confidence about disposable income, debt and job security among millennials is now at a six-year high.
However, when looking forward to the first quarter of 2017, the research found that this age group is expected to spend less on eating and drinking, and more on holidays and gum activities than they did in Q4 2016. It will be interesting to see if this is the case, or if the increasing trend of eating and drinking out continues.
The start of the year also saw the price of an average basket of grocery items fall by 3% compared to January 2016. According to mySupermarket’s monthly Groceries Tracker, the price of a basket of 35 popular items came to £82.27 compared to £83.33 for December. This can only be good news for shoppers when price rises are imminent elsewhere.
With sales via smartphones set to more than treble in value from £13.5bn to £43bn over the next four years according to research by Google, PayPal UK and OC&C, and its increasing impact on people’s lives, a study by Apadmi has found that nearly 30% of consumers would like to see more innovation in mobile apps to enable the technology to provide a more personalised shopping experience. The study found that shoppers would be more likely to download a retail app if it featured technology that helped them to make a buying decision, or let them preview products before purchasing them, something for retailers to consider going forwards into an increasingly digital market.
SnapShop itself has only recorded one administration this month, that of Moda in Pelle, which was subsequently rescued by its founder through a pre-pack deal. Looking ahead, a number of new retailers are looking to enter the UK market this year, including H&M’s Weekday fascia, Polish retailer Reserved, and Swiss phone repairer iKlinik.
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Will retailers be the winners of this World Cup? |
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Posted At: 20 June 2014 10:31 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail |
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The World Cup is now well underway in Brazil, with the big brand names in sport and beer particularly, making a lot of noise in order to capitalise on the nation’s love of football. However, retailers have been noticeably quieter… should they be doing more to capitalise on the event?
The tournament presents a huge opportunity for retailers to tap into the atmosphere and excitement of the nation and drive sales.
Analysts have estimated that fans will spend £400 million per England game, resulting in a predicted £2.58 billion boost to the economy if we reach the final, with food and drink, sports and technology leading the sales. Even if England don’t progress out of the group stage (which is not unlikely after last night’s game!), it’s predicted that football fans will keep spending as they follow the progress of the rest of the tournament. Already we have seen an impact: UK retail sales were up in May, helped by a 1.7% increase in household goods sales, which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) credited to a lift in sales of widescreen TVs ahead of the World Cup kicking off this month.
So why are retailers keeping quiet?
Retail Week has suggested that it’s because this year England fans have finally stopped hoping for any real success for England. And both results so far will have done nothing to change that!However, the opportunity presented by the event is not lost and those retailers who are agile and taking note of what’s happening down in South America, will be the ones who can take advantage of the nation’s mood. Those who are reactive and have a clear strategy for their reaction, utilising a multi-channel approach to capitalise on instant public reaction – for example, driving online sales through sharp social media activity – will be the ones who are the winners.
Also, while hope is almost lost for England fans, the cultural diversity of the UK means that there is still hope for retailers looking to capitalise on World Cup fever. Restaurants, bars and shops, particularly those in areas with significant international populations – like Bedford, which hit the news ahead of the England-Italy match because of its 20,000 Italian residents – should focus on the wider tournament in order to engage with all fans, rather than focusing on England and risk alienating other supporters, who could be the ones to ultimately bring in the most revenue.
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Retail Spotlight - New food and beverage retailers |
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Posted At: 26 March 2014 17:16 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail |
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Earlier this year we reported that pub and restaurant groups had enjoyed a successful start to 2014, with total sales, including the impact of new openings, ahead 10.1% year-on-year in January, according to the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.
We’re taking a look at some food and beverage brands which are new to SnapShop and reflect a continuation of the above trend in the sector with plans for expansion…
Sports Bar and Grill
Who they are: Sports Bar & Grill are a restaurant and bar chain who show sports channels in their locations and offer English cuisine at mid-range prices.
Number of outlets: 4 – all in London
Recent news:
• ‘Sports Bar & Grill to open at new Crossrail destination’
The bar chain has signed up to open at Canary Wharf Group’s new Crossrail retail and leisure destination due to open in May 2015.
Honest Burgers
Who they are: Honest Burgers are a burger restaurant inspired by great British produce, which first opened in Brixton Village in 2011. The business has grown successfully around London since then, offering food at a middle range.
Number of outlets: 6 – around London
Recent news:
• ‘Honest Burgers to open sixth outlet’
The restaurant is set to open its sixth site, near Oxford Street in London’s West End, in April 2014. The new opening joins the brand’s existing sites around the capital including Soho, Camden, Portobello Road and King’s Cross.
Panda Yummy
Who they are: Panda Yummy is a noddle bar offering freshly made meals to eat in or take-away, at the lower middle/value price levels.
Number of outlets: 1 – in Crawley, West Sussex
Recent news:
• ‘Panda Yummy announces expansion plans’
The brand has lined up its first eight site openings of 2014 as it looks to grow to around 40 sites by the end of the year. Around two-thirds of the upcoming openings will have a sit-in restaurant, although the focus is on take-aways and deliveries, with each new location being run by individual franchisees.
Bunnychow
Who they are: Bunnychow is a South African street food vendor currently operating one outlet in Shoreditch, London, which is positioned in the middle of the market and aims to provide a unique food offering. Its name comes from the South African fast food dish Bunny Chow, which consists of a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry.
Number of outlets: 1 – in London
Recent news:
• ‘Bunnychow announces London expansion plans’
The brand is set for an aggressive rollout across London, targeting the opening of 19 permanent sites over the next five years. It made its UK debut in Shoreditch’s semi-permanent Boxpark development last year.
Foodilic
Who they are: Foodilic is a health fast-food concept launched by restaurateur Peter Ilic. The take-away driven stores offer a range of raw salads, vegetarian and vegan dishes, and sweet and savory ‘feuillete’ pastries at a mid-price range.
Number of outlets: 3 – two in Brighton and one in London’s King’s Cross
Recent news:
• ‘Foodilic announces London expansion’
The brand is looking to take the London grab-and-go market by storm with plans to open at least 30 new Foodilic outlets over the next five years, aiming for A1 sites in prime locations in and around the capital.
SnapShop welcomes this expansion of F&B brands, adding to the whole leisure experience associated with retail, but a word of warning to manage that expansion in an organic way and develop a robust location strategy. Whilst London is the hub for new and unique food offerings, targeting expansion to relevant towns and the customers therein will help ensure growth is manageable, achievable and profitable .
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Retail Update - January 2013 |
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Posted At: 18 January 2013 00:00 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail, Retail Statistics, Retailers |
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Statistics for December look promising with overall shop price inflation remaining at 1.5% for the third consecutive month according to the BRC Nielsen Shop Price Index. BRC’s Retail Sales Monitor showed a 1.5% increase in spending in December compared to the prior year. Designer outlet Cheshire Oaks reported Boxing Day 2012 was its best day of trading in its 18-year history.
December’s online sales rose 17.5% with the sector forecast to grow a further 12% during 2013 according to the IMRG Capgemini Index. UK shop vacancy rates dropped by 0.1% in November according to the Local Data Company. Shopping centres including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford and thecentre:MK all saw significantly increased footfall over the Christmas trading period reflecting an increase in consumer confidence.
Westfield and Hammerson have finally settled their long-standing Croydon dispute, agreeing to collaborate on the scheme.
Three administrations have been reported since the beginning of 2013, following in Comet’s footsteps. Jessops failed to generate the profits it required to viably continue trading and has resulted in all 192 UK stores being closed. HMV was placed into administration after talks with its lenders failed to reach a successful outcome. A number of potential buyers have registered their interest in the chain and all stores continue to trade while a buyer is sough. Blockbuster appointed Deloitte as administrator after increased competition from internet-based providers impacted its trading. Its core business is still profitable and it will continue trading while a buyer is sought.
In news relating to UK market entrants, H&M will debut its &Other Stories concept on London’s Regent Street in the spring, Saffran will open its debut UK outlet at Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Greek jeweller Li-La-Lo opened its debut store in December at Westfield London and Microsoft is looking to open high street stores in the UK in a bid to take on Apple.
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SnapShop – The Reliable Source of Retailer Information |
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Posted At: 15 October 2012 14:48 PM
Related Categories: FSP News, General |
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When FSP launched SnapShop, 7 years ago, we were testing the water. It seemed sensible to us; if we found the information on our database useful, then so would others in retail. We weren’t wrong. This year has seen some of our very first members sign up for their 7th year.
Ken Ford, Executive Director at Capital & Regional said: "FSP's SnapShop service is a very convenient and accessible digest of retail intelligence used widely throughout our business. Over the years it has helped support the development of our deep retailer relationships, providing invaluable insight into our core customers’ businesses."
It’s not only the reliability of the SnapShop service which our clients like, but our attention to detail, our customer service and, in line with the whole of FSP, our philosophy that nothing stands still and taking on-board what our clients say, we constantly aim to develop and improve. Click here to read more
Do you like what our clients have to say about SnapShop and think you could benefit from a reliable online retailer information service? Find out more on our membership page.
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And Finally - Tommy & Kate |
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Posted At: 22 February 2012 13:00 PM
Related Categories: And Finally, General, Social Commentary |
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SnapShop hears that Tommy Hilfiger, the upmarket American brand, is attempting to secure increased sales through its British stockists with the lure of a trip to New York. This is a bonus in the true sense of the word; something extra, which can’t be earned just by doing your normal job.
However, we wonder how successful the sales will be, in the face of stiff competition from all the bright young things currently being paraded at London Fashion Week. Add to that the Duchess Effect, currently being felt by Orla Kiely, Whistles and Hobbs, and the indies such as Choice, Fallen Hero and Accent which stock the Hilfiger brand are going to have to go some to be the winning store, achieving the highest sell-through above 65%.
Then again, the beautiful Duchess would make tea cosies fly off the shelves if she wore one as a fashion accessory. The rest of us mere mortals should not assume the effect will rub off if the outfit’s the same. So, where’s my nearest Hilfiger stockist?
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Birding - one more way to spend your money |
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Posted At: 05 July 2011 16:16 PM
Related Categories: General, Social Commentary |
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Possibly a bit of news you’ve missed…. Retailers are reporting bird supply prices rising as much as 100% over the last year. And according to the folk on the telly, over 50% of households feed garden birds. So that’s where we’re disposing of our income!
Even though the market for supporting our little feathered friends may be somewhere in the region of £200m, it’s still affected by the same issues which trouble the high street retailers: sourcing (wrong kind of climate to grow some types of bird food); use of food crops for Bio-fuels; increased demand from emerging economies are all to blame for a steep rise in prices.
Birding* is not peculiar to the UK. A recent US study shows their citizens have also taken birding under their wing (lame!), with it being the 2nd most popular outdoor leisure pursuit. It is thought that 7% of US pet store sales are from bird food and supplies.
One might not consider garden wildlife as pets, but Pets at Home along with garden centres have picked up on the consumer demand and sell a wide range of bird accessories from seeds and treats to feeders and boxes. Gone are the days of your standard net or wire birdfeeders, now you can delight the tweethearts in your life by placing their food on something that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern sculpture gallery and can set you back more than £20.
This must be one of a number of ways Pets at Home were growing their sales last year. Results announced in January of this year saw a revenue increase of £63m (+15.8%) for the year ending March 2010. But is it sustainable this year? To track the financial health of retailers, subscribe to SnapShop, or see a global overview on the FSP Accounts Barometer.
*Birding – noun: the identification and observation of wild birds in their natural habitat as a recreation; bird-watching.
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And Finally - World's first floating ice cream van |
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Posted At: 16 June 2011 13:14 PM
Related Categories: And Finally, General, Media |
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Fancy an ice-cream while swimming or sailing or boating or surfing or, umm, jet skiing? The world's first amphibious ice cream van is touring Britain's waterways.
As per Daily Mail, HMS Flake 99, chimes Rod Stewart's We Are Sailing, was created to mark National Ice Cream Week, and highlight how vans are being driven off the roads by soaring fuel costs and council red tape which bans vans from housing estates, parks and outside schools because of concerns about noise pollution and childhood obesity.
It started off in Blackpool, made its way along the Thames and, after a tour of Britain's beaches, is due to sail across the Channel and on to the canals of Venice next year.
Want to see it? Click Here
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And Finally - Bare shoppers turn heads… |
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Posted At: 26 April 2011 14:11 PM
Related Categories: And Finally, General |
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We know it has been quite warm lately but lady shoppers at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex seem to have taken it too far by turning up wearing only their undies and high heels.
The promotion at the Lakeside Shopping Centre, in Thurrock, was staged to launch the centre's spring fashion range. The first 100 girls who turned up wearing only their underwear and a pair of high heels won a £100 gift card... to spend on clothes, perhaps!
All entrants had to be over the age of 18 and had to have their photo taken as part of Lakeside's 'flash of fashion'.
As we are now entering the challenging period where the UK retail market is both advanced and intensively competitive, we, at SnapShop, must admit we like a unique idea for the launch of fashion range.
Being good will no longer be good enough to generate sales – retailers do need some creative thinking…what do you think?
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The Shrinking Cadbury Bar |
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Posted At: 10 February 2011 12:53 PM
Related Categories: General, Retailers, Social Commentary |
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The famous Dairy Milk bar has been reduced in size by 20g allegedly for “economic reasons".
Cadbury has said that it had to reduce the size of the bar in order to avoid price increases.
The resulting downsizing means that a previously 140g bar of Dairy Milk (RRP 99p) is reduced to 120g with two squares also being removed.
Reasons for reducing bar sizes include:
· The price of cocoa is on the rise
· Healthy eating concerns promoting smaller portions
Cadbury also defended its decision by suggesting the new, thinner bar would “enhance the eating experience”.
However there are brand risks that could result from the decision, especially if the changes are not completely transparent.
Consumers are increasingly savvy thanks to social media sites where thoughts and opinions can be broadcast in an instant, and often directly onto a brand’s public profile page.
One of our more seasoned team members remembers a hullabaloo when a similar thing happened to the Crème Egg. Ever decreasing chocolate bars do not, however, result in no chocolate bars; they result in a new product – witness the Walkers “Grab Bag” of crisps and the snickers “Duo”. More content, heftier price and the resultant health concerns So reducing the size of a chocolate bar might seem a quick fix with justified reasons of overhead costs increasing etc… but the consumer perception can be very different resulting in severe repercussions for the brand.
Other Shrinking Products include:
· GU's 'Cheeky Pots' of chocolate desserts are now 45g, compared with a previous weight of 50g. The retail price has not changed
· Haribo’s Liquorice Favourites have gone from 175g to 160g.
· Pots of Muller Rice used to be 200g but now are only 190g
· Malteser bags now have fewer chocolates in them with the price also staying the same.
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The Big Fish Fight |
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Posted At: 18 January 2011 12:22 PM
Related Categories: General, Media, Social Commentary |
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Over the past week Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and friends have launched ‘The Big Fish Fight’.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco were both highlighted as having questionable statements on Tuna.
The programme urged consumers to venture away from the popular but extremely over fished choices of Tuna, Salmon, Cod and Prawns and opt for alternative but just as tasty options.
As a result of the program sales of alternative fish have seen a significant rise. Waitrose saw sales of Coley up 36%, Dabs up 35% & Dover Sole up 163%.
Tesco has now announced plans to switch to 100% pole and line caught fish for its own brand canned tuna.
The UK is the second largest consumer of tuna in the world and Tesco being top of the big 3 supermarkets, this is significant.
This is not Hugh’s first battle with the big supermarkets. He first took them on several years ago with his ‘Chicken Out!’ campaign, where he wanted better conditions for battery farmed chickens and Tesco to be more clear and honest with its labeling.
For more information visit http://www.fishfight.net/
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Secret Shopper |
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Posted At: 13 January 2011 14:00 PM
Related Categories: E-tailing, General, Media, Social Commentary |
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Next Wednesday the new series from Mary Portas sees her turn her attentions to poor service in the `fast fashion' sector. Along the same topic Michel Roux’s series Service started this week. The programme sees Michel set out on a personal mission to train eight young people as front-of-house superstars.
Michel describes UK customer service as “Surly, slapdash and dreadful”. He says, "Even buying a newspaper you can find that you're not even acknowledged. There's no eye contact, no greeting or anything. Bad service is unforgivable and it's everywhere in the UK."
Michel describes UK customer service as “Surly, slapdash and dreadful”. He says, "Even buying a newspaper you can find that you're not even acknowledged. There's no eye contact, no greeting or anything. Bad service is unforgivable and it's everywhere in the UK."
As shown in the last SnapShop blog entry - Animal – a customer service success story, customer service can be brilliant.
So is UK service really that bad and if so, why?
With the upcoming Royal wedding and 2012 Olympics international visitors are going to expect a warm welcome.
Competition to get the increasingly frugal customer to part with their money is strong, making customer service and customer relationships more important than ever.
If I receive bad service I will avoid that shop or website, and tell all my peers of my bad experience. With reports of decreasing sales retailers cannot afford to lose customers or the subsequent bad publicity.
Maybe retailers should take a leaf out of Waitrose and John Lewis where the customer is key and service often going above and beyond.
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PAYG Membership |
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Posted At: 12 December 2010 17:20 PM
Related Categories: General |
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If you’ve read the posts about the other types of Membership, are pretty interested but don’t fancy shelling out hundreds of pounds straight away, why not buy some Pay As You Go credits? Credits are £5 and can be bought in multiples of five, and give you access to one full retailer record for one week. One full record means you can see all the tabs available, including; retailer synopsis, key staff contact information, merchandise category, target customer, sales results, accounting analysis, rent details and news articles!*
Unlike our other Memberships, you won’t be able to see our powerful News Search and Statistics pages, but you will be able to determine how the site might be useful for you and your company. And of course, if you only need to research a handful of retailers here and there, the PAYG option is perfect.
What are you waiting for? Get searching…
*Some records may not be fully populated
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Heston Blumenthal Christmas pudding for sale on eBay |
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Posted At: 01 December 2010 15:17 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Demand for Heston Blumenthal’s Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding is so high that after selling tens of thousands, last night Waitrose said there were only 2,000 left in the country.
As a result the must-have dish is now being re-sold on eBay with prices going up to £129 for the originally £13.00 priced pudding.
Unlike Blumenthal's more exotic restaurant creations, such as eggs and bacon ice cream, the pudding is easy to prepare in the microwave but has a hidden surprise of a caramelised whole orange in its centre.
Other Christmas crazes which have followed endorsement by popular celebrity chefs include goose fat, after it was promoted by Nigella Lawson and Venezuelan black chocolate after Willie Harcourt-Cooze promoted his own chocolate brand on his TV show ‘Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory’.
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And Finally - Keeping up with the Royals |
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Posted At: 18 November 2010 13:35 PM
Related Categories: General |
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With Royal Wedding fever sweeping the country – the US, that is – we’re a little short of stories about stupid shoppers. However, we can, of course, rely on the Americans to keep And Finally supplied even in this lean (other) news time.
Minutes after the world first glimpsed the sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring Prince William gave his fiancée, phones started ringing madly at New York's Natural Sapphire Co. and its website crashed as customers swamped it with online orders. With no stiff upper lip to rely upon, Michael Arnstein, the CEO couldn’t contain his excitement when he called his wife to say, “Honey, I'm not coming home tonight!”
The company that normally makes five to 10 high-end engagement rings daily was starting production on about 30 - and counting, as calls came in.
Here in the UK, not to be outdone by those across the pond, we’ve stripped Harvey Nicks and Matches of the Kate Middleton dress
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Struggling for Christmas present ideas? |
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Posted At: 09 November 2010 16:11 PM
Related Categories: General, Social Commentary |
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Stuck with a difficult secret Santa gift to get? Wondering what to get that distant relative or work colleague? How about a Marmite chocolate bar!
Marmite has launched a Marmite flavoured chocolate bar available in BHS, Robert Dyas and Debenhams.
The 100g chocolate bar is a blend of milk chocolate with ‘a hint of the yeasty spread’.
A ‘Black Label’ has also been introduced aimed at hard-core Marmite fans.
This is not a standalone product. Other Marmite themed products will accompany it including a Marmite cheese board dome complete with cheese tools and a Marmite teapot and mug.
This is a continuation of the marketing campaigned launched in line with the general election where Marmite introduced the ‘Love Party’ and the ‘Hate Party’.
So if you are struggling this Christmas will marmite chocolate be on you shopping list?
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BCSC attendees benefit from SnapShop |
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Posted At: 04 November 2010 00:59 AM
Related Categories: General |
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The Marketing and Information team at FSP spent three days in Manchester supporting the FSP Consultants at BCSC. Although not specifically focused on SnapShop this year - some of you may remember our Balloon and Magician from a couple of years ago - we took the opportunity to remind people of the wonders of SnapShop and offered our visitors some free access - we're busy arranging that now!
If you missed us at BCSC and would like a tour of the SnapShop website, some more information, or some free access yourself, please contact us.
If you would like to know more about FSP in general, please visit our corporate site or contact one of our Directors
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And Finally - Contains Nuts! |
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Posted At: 22 October 2010 00:57 AM
Related Categories: General |
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With bags of cashews warning that they contain nuts, packets of cheese highlighting the dairy content and leg of lamb indicating that it’s unsuitable for vegetarians (OK, I made that one up), there is little scope for us to use what many employers, not surprisingly these days, fail to find…. Initiative!
Witness one Nicky Labron, who expressed his disgruntledness to an ASDA call centre worker, when he discovered that his pizza was bare. No, ASDA were not skipping a part of the production process, Mr Labron had just opened his box upside down. “This Way Up” is the new “contains nuts” for those with limited access to their own brain.
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2009 Review |
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Posted At: 04 January 2010 16:44 PM
Related Categories: Administrations, Future of Retailing, General, Retail, Retailers, Social Commentary |
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If you’re anything like me, you’ll be thoroughly confused as to how it can be January 2010 already. 2009 seems to have gone by in a blur of drama and change for the retail world, as the industry struggled to stay afloat in the difficult market conditions.
January was perhaps the most traumatic month, as the final Woolworths store closed and SnapShop record 20 – yes 20 – retailers falling into Administration!
On the flip side of that of course are new market entrants, which also saw a decline in 2009. Falling from 110 in 2008 to 79 between January and December 2009, they struggled to offset the losses felt on the high street.
Interestingly, some retailers who may have been destined to die managed to breathe new life into their lungs by persuading landlords to agree to a CVA. Focus, Blacks and Flannels all took advantage of this rarely-used opportunity.
Though many property developments slowed down as redundancies in the sector increased in abundance, Aberdeen’s Union Square, Bath’s SouthGate scheme and the St David’s 2 shopping centres in Cardiff all opened successfully and continue to trade well.
And finally, towards the end of the year, we though Christmas was doomed as a veil of white snow fell across the country, creating panic and pandemonium amongst the hundreds of men who had left their Christmas shopping till the last minute – again! John Lewis was on hand, however, to provide a bed for those stranded at their High Wycombe store when the blizzards hit – aaaw!
It may not have been the best year, and it may not yet turn out to be the worst, but those who got through it are likely hoping for some reprieve in 2010, so here's hopping they get it!
Also in 2009…
- Co-Op completed its £1.5bn acquisition of Somerfield
- Primark was hit with more controversy over questionable ethics at some of its suppliers
- JJB Sports and Chris Ronnie got into a right old spat, ending with his suspension and a subsequent investigation into his dismissal
- Iceland’s economic crisis threw Baugur into turmoil – it eventually put its stakes in House of Fraser, Hamleys, Aurum and Iceland into Administration in February
- HMV ventured into new things, opening a cinema above one store, Orange concessions on the high street and taking stakes in various music venues
- New Look relocated their head office from Dorset to London
- Jimmy Choo collaborated with H&M
- Best Buy ramped up its UK entrance plans
- And importantly, M&S won its £3.5m teacake tax battle, to determine that teacakes were in fact cake and not chocolate-covered biscuits as they had been taxed for
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FSP Christmas Office Opening |
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Posted At: 23 December 2009 10:00 AM
Related Categories: General |
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Please note that the FSP and SnapShop office opening times during the Christmas period are as follows;
Wednesday 23rd December - Open as normal
Thursday 24th December - Closed from 12:30
Friday 25th December - Closed
Monday 28th December - Closed
Tuesday 29th December - Closed
Wednesday 30th December - Closed
Thursday 31st December - Closed
Friday 1st January 2010 - Closed
Monday 4th January 2010 - Open as normal
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He's from just south of the Watford Gap |
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Posted At: 15 July 2009 14:55 PM
Related Categories: General |
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You might think that, what with this whole recession thing, concerns about healthy living had somewhat fallen to the wayside. And you’d be right; a report by Which?, published earlier in the year, found that 24% of UK adults feel healthier eating is now less important, with 56% saying price has overtaken as a priority when choosing food.
The BRC are understandably unimpressed with the Which? report, as they say it pushes “the myth that fruit and vegetables are expensive”. A myth? ...Not so much.
Lets take two example meals - the first, chicken breast, new potatoes, broccoli and carrots; the second, fish fingers, chips and beans. For this comparison, I have used the shops own brands. Meal one comes out at £5.87; meal 2, £1.40…for a lot more food, incidentally. Though while the price of meal 2 is shockingly low, so is its nutritional value.
Actually, the 12th annual Top 500 Superbrands survey revealed a rise in the popularity of fast food companies, with strong YoY improvements from McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Domino’s Pizza.
While it doesn’t make sense – £10 spent on a pizza would get you quite a lot of veg – the evidence does suggest that health is just not a top priority for people in a recession…
…Especially people in the North!
A recent report from comparison website Mysupermarket.co.uk showed that those in the North East spent the least on fruit and veg across the country – just £403, or £120 a year less than those in the South.
Interesting statistics, but its not all bad. The revolution that is the Nintendo Wii has changed our fitness routines to quite a large extent. Apparently nearly half of Sheila’s Wheels customers have a Wii Fit at home, compared to 28% with a gym membership. Bad news for the gym, but at least we’re working off those pies one way or another!
Now, 10 points if you can tell me which song the title is quoting.
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Fishy Business |
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Posted At: 22 April 2009 13:15 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail Suppliers |
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We have busy lives. Lives that are made easier by gadgets and solutions and a whole range of things that we didn’t even know we couldn’t live without before their invention.
It’s a multimillion pound industry, and there are countless mail order companies (Kleeneze, Betterware) dedicated to selling this tosh. Need a cream cracker box? Not until you mentioned it! Tired of using your hand to sweep pesky crumbs from your desk or table? Never fear, get a table sweeper! These are actually real products that you could spend your hard earned cash on. That is, of course, assuming you have some left after you’ve stocked up on your NO DRAIN TUNA.
No Drain Tuna. Seriously. What’s that all about? If there was ever a problem that just didn’t need a solution, draining the brine from the tuna can is one it. I’m surprised there’s not a tool to do it for you already, quite frankly, but that’s by the by...
Apparently a lot of research was carried out, and this is what the people wanted.
So it goes that we said “jump!” John West asked “how high?!” and the item created turned out to be the laziest food product since the of the Pot Noodle.
But what do I know? Industry experts say that John West will ‘revolutionise’ the canned fish industry with the introduction of its new ‘No Drain, Less Mess’ tuna…mkay.
My opinion is that if an industry - which, by the way, is worth £442m - can experience a revolution just because someone realises that putting less brine in a can will eliminate the need to drain the excess, then the country is in dire straits indeed!
And on a financial note, some food for thought - how can ‘no drain’ tuna cost 10p more than conventional cans when it contains fewer ingredients and requires a whole lot less effort to manufacture…!
In conclusion; stupid.
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Just a wee note |
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Posted At: 27 February 2009 13:35 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Just a quick note to our readers to say that the SnapShop blog will be experiencing a slow in updates (yes, even slower) over the next few weeks, and we ask that you remain patient - we will be back! I shall continue to update Twitter as and when I can, so in the interim, please add us over there!
http://twitter.com/FSPRetail
Thanks,
Lorraine
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Who ate all the pies? |
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Posted At: 12 January 2009 16:32 PM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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There really could be no other title for a blog about Greggs and good sales results, although come to think about it I don’t recall ever having a proper pie from Greggs? Steak bakes and mince pies sure, but not a proper round short crust pie? Please correct me if I’m wrong, it’s been a while since my conscience has allowed me to go through those pale blue doors!
Anyway, defiant against the gloom, Greggs posted like-for-like sales results of +5.3% for the four week Christmas period, adding to a half year increase of 6.6% on total sales.
The strength in Greggs lies in people’s stupidity. I have proof of this: MacDonalds have reported record figures for the year, while Dominos have posted an 18.4% increase in sales in the 12 months to the end of 2008.
...now, call me cynical and everything, but since when did McDonalds, Greggs or Dominos provide a financially viable alternative to getting off your fat arse, buying some bloody vegetables and a cheap cut of meat, and sticking it in the oven for a few hours?
A large Big Mac Meal; £3.59. A stew pack of veg, stock cubes and some chicken breast pieces, £3.53 (Sainsbury's). A Big Mac Meal feeds one, this chicken casserole would feed 4.
Its not even about nutrition, it’s about a lack of understanding of the value of money. If living on my own and managing my own resources has taught me anything, its that you can stretch your money far and wide as long as you keep a grip on the way that you are spending.
Add up all those sausage rolls (which, by the way, used to be 40p and are now almost double that price!) and milkshakes, and you’ve probably traded away a days worth of healthy food for a few hours worth of full stomach/sugar rush.
I’m not saying that you can’t have a sausage roll for Christ’s sake, but I am suggesting you remember that age old phrase “it all adds up”...
Unless, you know, you want to forget about the credit crunch, in which case fair play, continue as you were (and order me a medium Pepperoni Passion while you’re at it!)
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Biggest stories of 2008 |
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Posted At: 06 January 2009 16:52 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail, Retail Statistics, Retail Suppliers, Retailers |
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Happy New Year to all our readers, and welcome to the first SnapShop Blog post of 2009! As is [to become a] tradition with these things, we’re going down the ‘a year, in retrospective’ route. So without further adieu, here’s a not-so-quick review of the hottest stories of 2008 (from a retail industry perspective, anyway).
1. Freshest in our head is the demise of the largest pick n mix chain in the world, Woolworths. I can’t remember which witty journalist coined the aforementioned pick n mix phrase, but it does sum up, in essence, what poor old Woolies became. With today marking the closure of the last few stores, it’s with a furrowed brow that we bid goodbye to the golden child of the 1990s. At least you won’t be alone…
2. From perfume to media, to childrenswear to savil row tailors, the sheer numbers of retailers being affected by administrations and closures in 2008 was immense.
Our Managing Director, Geoff Nicholson, comments as follows:
“I think we will have to deal with the factor that has hit all business – the move from it being not only smart, but de rigeur, for high performing businesses to have as much debt as possible. As long as debt was freely available, at reasonable rates of interest, it seemed a no-brainer. However, when the availability of credit dried up, as it did throughout 2008, the rules of the game suddenly changed. Now, trying to service debt, if you’ve still got the loan, or to renew it if the term has come to an end, is somewhere between impossible and very expensive.
Thus, when we look at retail failures, there are two basic causes:
-Retailers, such as Woolworths, whose retail proposition was un-compelling. Loads of the fashion retailers are likely to fall into this category but also some of the household goods retailers.
-Retailers with financial problems – retailers backed by Icelandic money are a particular case of a general problem – who can’t renew their debt funding. Not all of them are poor retailers; the problem is with the lack of credit.”
If you say so, Geoff! Moving onto something less depressing!
3. 2008 saw fuel prices rise to record levels, peaking at a UK average of 119.5 pence per litre in July. The knock on affect of the rise was felt across the retail industry, with transportation costs pushing up the cost of food, in particular.
One savvy PR department did see the silver lining, however, by giving away £20k worth of petrol at a London station to promote its new computer game… much to the chagrin of local moaners!
Thankfully, though still high, prices have returned to a much more reasonable 83.9ish ppl.
4. Next to grab our attention was the opening of 4 major regional shopping centres in 2008, namely; Highcross Leicester, Cabot Circus Bristol, Liverpool One and White City, London.
Liverpool One and Highcross hit the 1m visitor mark in 2 weeks, White City notched up 2m in 3 weeks and Cabot Circus clocked 2 million visitors in its first month of trading.
5. Though Christmas may be over for most of us, the retail world will likely remember Christmas 2008 for a long time still to come! Spurred on by plummeting consumer confidence and desperation to get us handing over the green, a raft of top name retailers slashed their prices in half in the most vicious pre-Christmas discounting seen in recent memory! Great news for us, not so great for the profit margins.
6. Not strictly retail, but still important, 2008 and its inherent gloom brought the car industry across the world to its knees. By November, production in the UK was down by a third, Honda pulled out of F1, and Nissan, Vauxhall and Ford announced short-time hours for its remaining workers. Luxury brands are expected to suffer next, as demand for extravagant cars such as Jaguars and off-roaders subsides.
7. Where to start with the economic news of 08! VAT cuts, inflation rates, income tax rebates…its all, quite frankly, beyond me, but obviously worth a mention.
8. And last but by no means least, Sir Phillip Green/Iceland/Baugur. This is what I understand;
September 08
The Icelandic economy starts to collapse. Glitnir bank is handed over to receivers along with Landsbanki and Kaupthing. All 3 are nationalised.
October 08
Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde says that Iceland's banks might have to sell stakes that they hold in foreign companies…Icelandic banks hold significant stakes in a number of Baugur's retail chains, including House of Fraser, frozen food supermarket Iceland, Oasis, Principles, Mosaic and Jane Norman.
Coface pulls credit insurance for Baugur suppliers.
Baugur quashes speculation that it will suffer as result of the nationalisation of Icelandic bank Glitnir and the administration of Stodir. Chief Executive Gunnar Sigurdsson say that Baugur's facilities with its banks are solid.
It’s rumoured that the management teams of several Baugur-backed businesses are looking at buying back their chains.
Rumours that Sir Philip Green would buy Baugur’s debt from the Icelandic banks and the Icelandic government under the deal start. Alchemy Partners are also rumoured to be interested.
Baugur do not deny that the assets owned by the banks are up for sale, but do deny that an administration is on the cards.
November 08
Jon Asgeir Johannesson says that a quick fire sale of assets controlled by the Icelandic government would be impossible before Christmas.
Baugur chief executive Gunnar Sigurdsson has said the Icelandic investor has no intention of altering its portfolio of brands and that it is 'business as usual'.
Sir Philip Green buys Baugur's 28% stake in Moss Bros, which is later sold to Simon Berwin.
January 09
Rumours for the New Year is that Baugur are on the brink of receivership, despite claims that the Icelandic government would not allow such a travesty! (Really, how much does Geir Haarde care about retail...)
So, it’s been a rocky year, and although I’m sure there must have been some good news out there, it certainly wasn’t hot and I was unable to recall it! 2009 will continue on a similar trend, so I’m sure next years review will be just as, erm, exciting!
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What will you be doing on Christmas day? |
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Posted At: 24 December 2008 11:00 AM
Related Categories: E-tailing, General |
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The words “Christmas Day” spark a different emotion in everyone; for most, they mean a time of joy, cheer and family, for some, they mean loneliness and sorrow and for others they just mean more hard graft. And though Christmas time is mainly synonymous with love, life and laughter - all free - it has become a key time in a retailers calendar, and this year that means only one thing; making up for the previous 11 months’ pitiful performance!
It’s been no secret that the run up to Christmas 2008 has seen foolhardy marks of desperation from even the most respected high street retailers, with crazy sales offers popping up all over the place…so what will happen to the infamous ‘boxing day sales’?
I feel like they will have less impact than in previous years; after all, with retailers offering up to 40% discounts pre-Christmas, what will they have to do to impress us post-holidays? Not much, according to ITPro and various other sources. They’re predicting that a whopping 5 million people will hit the e-high street in search of even more bargains on Christmas day!
It’s an odd phenomenon which I’ve never considered before…I quite like fighting my way through the boxing day sales…but given the chance, I’m certainly not going to say no to sitting in my living room instead!
What do we find to buy?! And why do we feel the need to spend more money, days after maxing our credit cards?
Let me know what you’ll be shopping for this Boxing Day, and what, if any, websites you consider ‘must hit’!
As this is my last post of 2008, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May 2009 bring you – and the high street – much more luck!
And for our international readers, Merry Christmas…in many different languages!
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
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Men And Christmas |
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Posted At: 22 December 2008 11:55 AM
Related Categories: General |
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It was always gonna happen. I’m a woman, women moan about men a lot and sometimes Christmas really does magnify their ineptitude! It’s amazing it’s taken this long, to be honest, but here it is, a post about men...and the way Christmas shopping seems to melt their brains...
Actually, I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I laid into men soley for last minute buying, as I also intend to do my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve this year...but at least I have some kind of an idea of what I’m going to do. A plan of attack, if you will. I know who I need to buy items for, I’ve listened to hints all year long and taken notice of the things people like and dislike, and I pretty much know what stores will be useful and which will not. Men, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t notice a hint if a ready-circled picture got up out of the catalogue and stapled itself to their foreheads!
I know that we’re difficult and that we’re never happy with what you buy us...what are you, psychic...but it’s not like we don’t make it easy! Staring bright-eyed at the Chanel No 5 advert proclaiming, “oh I’d love some Chanel to wear with my nice new dress” isn’t exactly subtle! So why, WHY is it so difficult for you? And why do you leave it so late?!
John Lewis has reported an increase in sales of traditional man-woman presents, such as lingerie and fragrance, over the last seven days, and expects this week to be busier than last. Great, so while I’m out shopping on Christmas Eve, I’ll expect to run into a herd of wild-eyed blokes sweating and staring at the jewellery counter waiting for inspiration, then.
That’s assuming the last minute gifting will result in a purchase, anyway. The ‘net tells me that many man are turning to scrap booking this year! Making scrap books! Do I even need to go into the dangers of this!?
1: What if you make the scrapbook too short...and what if you make it too long?
Too short, and the woman might realise you’ve had very little mutual experiences, too long and she might spot a pattern...“he takes me to that restaurant all the time, it’s all too routine...maybe its time for a change...OF MAN”. Get my drift.
2: NO. PHOTOS. You must not, under any circumstances, use photos that have previously never been out of the drawer. There is a reason. She probably thinks she looks fat, or that her hair is hideous in them! Leave them there. Stick to ticket stubs.
3: Unless you do it really well, she’s just going to know that, though possibly sentimental and even romantic, you are also a cheap git.
Maybe that’s not really fair. Your genetically dictated lack of multi-tasking and organisational skills means you were always going to fail, and I do realise that women are very hard to please, but preparations can be made.
Seriously fellas, next year, start early. In fact, if you’re that into the idea of making scrap books, why not go the whole hog and make a flipping list! Write down things that she mentions, note her favourite colours and fragrances, the stores she likes to shop in and how much she spends on you...you’ll be amazed at how easy shopping will be NEXT Christmas Eve!
And just a tip - no, a gift voucher won’t get rid of all your problems! Unless you think sex is a problem, because you won’t be seeing any of that for a while when she discovers what she thought were plane tickets to New York is actually a £20 gift card from Next.
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The Post Of Christmas Past |
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Posted At: 19 December 2008 13:15 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Though more and more retailers use couriers for their home deliveries, a good many still use good old Royal Mail. Whether or not Royal Mail perform their function well or not is a matter of debate, but you do have to ask yourself what would happen to all your stress free online purchases if the men in red didn’t exist...
True to the advent calendar blog form, some post-based Christmas facts for you:
-The world’s first Christmas card was sent in 1843 – the same year that Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol
-In 1843, 1000 Christmas cards were made. In 2005, 744 million Christmas cards were delivered by Royal Mail
-On early cards Father Christmas was dressed in green, as he was seen more as the spirit of winter
-Until 1878, Valentine’s cards were more popular than Christmas cards.
-Over 17 thousand million Christmas stamps have been printed in Britain since the first ones (designed by children) in 1966
-Post was last delivered on Christmas Day in England in 1960 (Scotland 1966)
And finally...
-The first ‘post early for Christmas’ instruction was issued in 1881
This year, the last postal date for first class cards to reach their destination on time is the 20th. Let’s hope your presents make it in time...I wonder who you’ll blame if they don’t!
PS: Yes, yes, I know I've been a bit lax on the posts the last week or so, not managing to keep up with my one-a-day target (even with some help from other members of the team) but give me a break! It was the annual FSP office Christmas shindig on Tuesday night so Wednesday was a complete write off, and my birthday yesterday so today's not looking too great either...but what can I say, a girls allowed a little bit of down time, surely!! And I'm always looking for blog ideas...any suggestions, send em my way (please!!): lorraine@fspretail.co.uk! Thanks!
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Santa Clause Is Coming To Town |
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Posted At: 15 December 2008 16:11 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail Suppliers, Town & Shopping Centre Management |
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I for one remember my favourite shop Santa….he (and I do understand that it probably was not the same ‘he’ every year) was based at a local garden centre in Oxfordshire where I grew up. We would visit every December and inevitably encouraged my parents to buy more decorations and other Christmas related paraphernalia; presumable exactly what the garden centre wanted to happen. But does the jolly fellow boost sales? And are kids even still interested? If they’re not, they soon will be…
As we walk ever on into the future so does Santa. New concepts such as the Big Daddy ‘fly on the wall’ expose from Propinvest (Father Christmas and his gang will be broadcasting real-time to 6 of their Shopping Centres) and Santa’s Showtime (a 15 minute show put on by Meadowhall shopping Centre in Sheffield designed to expel ‘the long queues and disgruntled customer’) are dragging St Nic into the future, and you can also fit him into your increasingly busy lives (savvy teched-up parents can create their own personalised video message from Santa! I know one 4 year old who insisted her message was played back to her over and over again, now that is value for money as it is a completely free service.)
Good ideas, and theres nothing wrong with Santa going 21st C. PC, however, Santa is not! One shopping centre in Birmingham is outright refusing to have a Santa’s grotto for fear of offending Non Christians (a spokeswoman said: "We wish to be sensitive to people of other religions over the festive period. There are a lot of people in the region who are not Christians and do not celebrate Christmas") and in another centre, a skinny St Nick is refusing to stuff his suit with a cushion as he believes this encourages child obesity. He claims tubby children make his knees hurt! Maybe he needs some more meat on those knobbly sparrows knees?!
All of this is very interesting but does having him in your centre really boost sales?
There is the argument that actually no, he doesn’t, as no one in their right mind would take their children shopping in December! If parents take the kids to see the big FC, then perhaps they don’t intend to shop at the same time, but surely most people would not walk away from the shops empty handed during the festive period???
Shopper numbers are continuing to rise in the week before the penultimate last minute rush, and latest figures from retail analysts SPSL show that for week 10-16 December, shopper numbers increased 6.4 per cent on the week prior. We should also consider that on-line purchasing is on the increase; online year-on-year sales jumped 14% to £320m on Monday December 8 - traditionally the busiest day of the year online.
So although we might not be stepping out to shop as much as we did last year, there is definitely some attraction to the shops, and the SnapShop team like to think that good old Father Christmas has done his bit to get the shoppers flocking!
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Full Blown Super Duper SnapShop Membership |
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Posted At: 12 December 2008 00:51 AM
Related Categories: General |
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Some of you will have found your way here by accident. I hope our SEO is working so that we’re pretty high up in the rankings for searches based around retailing, and that our profile has risen somewhat over the last few months enough to be drawing in some new readers. New readers will be confused, I imagine; 24 blogs in 24 days? SnapShop? Contacts Memberships? What now? Membership to what? I’m not paying to read a blog! Of course not. SnapShop is much more than just a blog…
Launched in 2005, SnapShop is your “One Stop Retail Intelligence Service”, and a bargain at that.
For £750 +VAT per year, you can get access to all this (don’t click away until you’ve read, it’s very impressive!):
- Retail Industry News and a 2 year archive of press articles from all the top industry journals and research sources
- The Contact details for key members of staff within the top high street retailers
- Retailer store information; numbers, formats operated, sales densities and average sizes
- Rent and letting information; where do retailers currently trade? How much are they paying? Are they in key ranked locations?
- Retailer sales figures – group, UK, international and divisional, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly
- Official company accounts for each retailer - analysed; P&L figures, ROTA estimations, other boring number stuff, and downloadable PDFs of full accounting documents, as filed with Companies House
- Economic and retail statistic, including base rate graphs, house price trends, inflation…stuff, retail sales figures for Ireland and the UK, consumer confidence barometers and footfall statistics
- The monthly news, stats and sales figure digest that is 'SnapShop Monthly'
- And, of course, this blog…which, though it’s free for everyone, wouldn’t be possible without our wonderful subscribers and their continuous feedback!
Lets be honest, you’d be a fool to miss out. Your competitors certainly didn’t…
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How much!? |
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Posted At: 11 December 2008 00:58 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics |
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No frills, just stats…(all figures based on UK 2007 statistics unless otherwise stated)
Consumed
- 10 million turkeys
- 25 million Christmas puddings
- 250 million pints of beer
- 35 million bottles of wine
Spent
Sold
- In the week before Christmas, Asda will have sold 750,000 tonnes of Christmas pudding
- Marks & Spencer will sell more than 500 tonnes of sprouts over Christmas
- Tesco have stocked up on 2.25 million fresh and frozen turkeys, 72 million mince pies and 16 million Christmas crackers.
- If all the Christmas crackers in Tesco were laid end to end, they would stretch 3,082 miles
- To meet customer demand an estimated £160 million worth of Christmas decorations are imported into the UK
Children
- 7 million leave mince pies for Santa
- only 44% of 7-11 year olds think Christmas day is a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
- 63% of children save pocket money to buy presents, averaging around £34 each
- The average child in Britain will open 18 presents on Christmas morning. One in 10 will be broken by the New Year!
- 46 million toys will be thrown away.
Trees
- There are 25-30 million real Christmas trees sold in the US alone every year. 6 million were sold in the UK
- 80% of artificial Christmas trees are made in China
- For every real Christmas tree harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted in its place
- It can take up to 15 years to grow a 6-7 foot tree
- The top selling Christmas trees are; balsam fir, Douglas fir, fraser fir, noble fir, scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine
Other
- Royal Mail delivers 150 million Christmas cards and gifts each year.
- If all the cards delivered were laid end to end, they would span from London to Sydney...and back...more than 5 times!
- If all the glass jars from items consumed of Christmas in the UK were recycled, it would save enough energy to boil water for 60 million cups of tea
- In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies on Christmas day illegal. This was voted the 4th most ridiculous British law in 2007
- Across 5,500 Christmas cards in WH Smith, Clinton Cards and Hallmark, only 67 had pictures of the Bible story
- 43% of people cite financial pressures as the worst thing about Christmas
- 86% of people rated spending time with loved ones as the best thing...just 2% said presents...
- The most expensive mince pie is the 'ultimate' £100 (€149) being offered by London bar, Dion, which includes organic cranberries, stem ginger, orange blossom water and Hennessy cognac, the pie has been subjected to many makeovers in the name of innovation.
And if you want to know how many mince pies that hour at the gym earned you… http://www.walkingworks.org.uk/calculator
Add yours at the Comment page, below!
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Contacts Membership |
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Posted At: 09 December 2008 00:10 AM
Related Categories: General |
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Need to know who’s in the know? It’s a proven fact that getting a foot in the door starts with a name. Just one name, just one email address, just one telephone number, and the world becomes your oyster. Got a product to get to market? We’ve got your back. Got a property you’re trying to shift? No problem. Need a quote for your paper? Sure thing. SnapShops Contact Membership gives you all the details you need! From the Managing Director to the Head Buyer, to the Finance Director to the Head of Marketing, we try to provide names, email addresses and telephone numbers for all the key contacts within the top high street retailers, plus Head Office details as standard!
For £395+ VAT (at 15%!) a year, a SnapShop Contacts Membership could pay for itself ten times over.
Make knowledge your number one priority, contact us today on snapshop@fspretail.co.uk!
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All The Best News...At Your Fingertips! |
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Posted At: 06 December 2008 11:45 AM
Related Categories: General |
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It’s an interesting time for the retail industry at the moment; companies are going into administration at the rate of about 3 million per week (according to the press), and the battle for the consumer pound is rife. So with all this happening, are you finding it hard to keep up? Here at SnapShop, we trawl the web, industry journals, and many other sources to bring you the most up to date, comprehensive collection of retail industry news on the web.
Why have 10 subscriptions when you can have just one?
SnapShop’s news archive covers 2 years worth of retailer-specific, industry general and commercial property news, and can be searched so quickly and easily that you’ll wonder what you ever did before!
An annual Associate News Membership to SnapShop is just £96 +VAT; knocking the socks off all the competition. What are you waiting for? Click here for more details.
And don't forget, all our prices are now at the reduced VAT rate of 15%!
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Top Selling Christmas Music |
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Posted At: 04 December 2008 12:56 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Music fans turn away now; we are delving into the murky world of…Christmas pop hits.
It’s a bittersweet topic for me, I suppose. I love music, and am not a fan of Christmas, but the songs about Christmas I find quite enjoyable…so I get this weird internal conflict when I hear, say, “Last Christmas”. I like the song, I sing along, but the topic…well the topic mostly leaves me cold. I’ve never given my heart (physically or emotionally) as a present to have it given away the very next day, and I can’t imagine many other people have, but we buy this stuff up in droves!
Here are the top ten biggest selling songs about Christmas and the festive season, sourced from useless.info
Band Aid – Do They Know Its Christmas?
Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child
Wham! – Last Christmas
Harry Belafonte – Mary’s Boy Child
Band Aid 20 – Do They Know Its Christmas?
Slade – Merry Christmas Everybody
Bing Crosby – While Christmas
Cliff Richard – The Millennium Prayer
Johnny Mathis – When A Child Is Born
Cliff Richard – Mistletoe And Wine
It’s probably worth noting that White Christmas is commonly known as the best selling Christmas song of all time…so I’m not sure how accurate this list is!
Very upset not to see Mud, Shakin’ Stevens, Wizzard, Pogues or Beverly Sisters in the top ten, especially when I don’t think I’ve ever even heard ‘Marys Boy Child’, but there you go!
I don’t know where you even go for Christmas music these days? It always used to be Woolworths (the one thing that I did used to use it for!) but I haven’t been in there for so long I really don’t know if they even still sell music anymore. Are HMV/Zavvi too trendy to stock ‘The Best Christmas Album Of All Time Ever’!? Not sure. Probably not. And there must be some Christmas songs on iTunes? It’s quite funny to think of hooded youths walking around with their iPods jammed in their ears secretly listening to Mariah Carey blast out “All I Want For Christmas Is You”! I know that music touches everyone, but that’d be something quite spectacular.
Reader question: do you still buy Christmas albums? If so, where from? Let me know
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Every Little Helps |
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Posted At: 17 November 2008 14:00 PM
Related Categories: General |
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As I’m sure anyone involved in business events will testify, there comes a brief period shortly after everything’s wrapped up where you feel a little bit lost. The SnapShop team - while essentially glad that the BCSC Conference & Showcase is done and dusted and that everything went OK - are now feeling a little jaded. There is no stand building to oversee, no balloon gas to chase, no designs to sign off…you get the idea. Normal service, as they say, has been resumed.
We hope those of you that came to see us on the stand were pleasantly surprised and warmly welcomed, and maybe we’ll see you again next year, if we’re crazy enough to do it again!
During BCSC, we ran a free prize draw for one Full Annual Membership, and are pleased to announce that the business card drawn at random was that of Peter Everest, Managing Director of WD Limited.
WD Limited are shopping centre Asset Managers, Developers and Investors, and have worked on schemes such as Kingsgate, Huddersfield; Royal Quays, Newcastle; The Galleria, Hatfield and The Belle Vale, Liverpool.
We’d like to thank Peter for leaving us with his business card, and can only hope that his SnapShop Membership will come in handy! We’d also like to remind everyone that attended BCSC of the 50% discount offer we are running until 21st November – that’s a Full Annual Membership for just £375 +VAT! BCSC delegates can contact us on snapshop@fspretail.co.uk for more details.
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It'll be a healthy Halloween for many UK retailers |
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Posted At: 29 October 2008 11:59 AM
Related Categories: General |
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The holiday season will soon be upon us and no, I’m not talking about Christmas! This Friday is Halloween of course.
Originating from combination of Gaelic and Pagen celebrations, Halloween is now more commonly known for the meaningless joviality surrounding it than for the spiritual connections the night once held.
For the kids, it’s a night of trick-or-treating, for the elderly it’s a time to close the curtains and pretend to be out, and for the under 30’s, it is, predictably, an excuse to get drunk. And all of these things mean good news for the economy (or at the very least for our national happiness levels).
The current poll running on retail-week.com shows that 21% of respondents think Halloween is important to their business. I was confused about this, wondering which retailers would benefit from our pathetic attempt at a spooky celebration; lets face it, compared to Americans, who spent around £2 billion on the festival last year, our interest just doesn’t match up. Until now. It seems that, along with a raft of other American imports, the British have begun to more widely embrace traditions such as trick or treating and jack-o-lantern carving, and retailing during Halloween is booming as a result.
In 2001, British spend on Halloween stood at just £12m. 7 years later, numbers are forecast to reach triple figures and major retailers are standing up and taking note.
Asda and Woolworths have severely ramped up their Halloween offerings (Asda are currently selling lifesize robotic zombie statues for sale at approx £70 that are awesome), and both are running special themed advertisements. Greeting card retailer Birthdays has taken it one step further by launching special Halloween stores across approximately 18 sites in the UK, and savvy Tesco - having spotted a gap in the market - are offering glow in the dark roses for couples wanting to add a more romantic twist to the night.
Halloween is probably my favourite time of the year after Bonfire Night, never having been one for Christmas or any of the other religious festivals, so I’m quite happy to spend some cash on an outfit or two and forget the downturn doom for a while.
Some mostly non-retail related Halloween facts for you:
· About 99% of pumpkins marketed domestically are used as Jack O'Lanterns at Halloween.
· It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow's Eve, Irish townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions of food for a feast in the town
· The average American will spend approximately $24 on a costume, $20 on candy, $18 on decorations and $3 on greeting cards this year, totalling a $65 spend per head
· Compared with 2007, adult retailers have noticed an explosion in the number of Halloween related goods being sold this year.
· And finally…the days immediately following Halloween are among the busiest of the year for orthodontists as they add emergency appointments to their schedules and repair braces damaged when patients indulge in inappropriate treats.
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From Marrakech to…Manchester? |
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Posted At: 08 October 2008 11:50 AM
Related Categories: General |
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Though a tradition still prevalent in China, Turkey and Egypt, haggling has been absent from the high streets of western Europe and the USA for many years now.
‘Bartering for bargain’ at the fruit and veg market was common practice in my parents’ day, but we seem to have been shoehorned into this cage of obedience as the rise of the credit card (see, you thought I was going to say crunch, tut tut) and luxury aspirational advertising take hold.
Not anymore!
A recent report by Experian reveals that 57% of British adults now say they are more likely than they were 12 months ago to try and negotiate a discount on an advertised price.
Not surprisingly, the [yawn] ‘economic downturn’ is cited as a reason for this, as well as the rising cost of ‘every day goods’. Interestingly, the majority of participants said they were most comfortable haggling with technology retailers (though I question how many ‘everyday goods’ fall into this category!), and men are much better at dickering1 than women. (My only experience of haggling occurred in Morocco, where a thrifty market trader suggested my mother sell me to him in exchange for some prize camels, so I’m happy to leave the haggling to the men, thanks)
Truth be told, even though the report suggests that we can save money by bargaining in this country as well as the next, I just can’t see myself in Currys.digital asking for a couple of hundred quid off that nice new LCD TV that I so desperately need. Moreover, if it’s true that many retailers are willing to give a discount to the confident few who ask (across all segments, from electronics to grocery), is it true that they are overpricing their goods in the first place? It’s very confusing, and I for one am not keen on factoring this market tradition into an already lengthy checkout process in my favourite high street stores. If the price on the tag is the true value of the item, then this is the figure I either will or will not pay. I’d like price tags to reflect reality, not ‘ball park figures’, please, so that I can just finish my shopping and get on with my day!
1A brilliant word I discovered today meaning ‘bargaining or bartering’! Quite apt for the description of any male activity, I feel.
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To Buy Or Not To Buy... |
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Posted At: 18 September 2008 16:50 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics |
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Currently, rumours abound about how we, as a nation, will spend the extra cash in our wages this month! Will it go on rising energy bills, rising petrol costs…maybe even rising food bills…or will we be kind and help out the high street?
Back in April, then not-Prime-Minister-but-Chancellor Gordon Brown seemingly made a bit of a cock up. His heart was in the right place, bless him, but like a drunk on a night out he didn’t really think of the consequences before sticking his tongue down the collective throat of British taxpayers.
In a bid to keep us peasants happy, Brown reduced the basic tax rate from 22% to 20% - seemingly great, however he offset this cost by abolishing the 10% rate. For people earning less than £18,500, this meant an additional tax cost of over £200 a year, rending those he set out to help – low earners – even worse off. After many moans and jeers from the backbench (or that’s how I imagine it, anyway), Brown rethought his genius plan and brought back the 10% band while simultaneously retaining the 2% reduction. Sooooo, basically, to compensate all the money they took off us over the months between then and now, we (I say we, I mean most of us) will be getting a ‘rebate’ of £120 in the form of a £60 lump sum this September and a further £10 every month until the end of this tax year. Hurrah!
I’ll be spending mine on one of 2 things; either a nice new haircut, or some work clothes – both unnecessary, both luxuries and both nothing at all to do with paying for “rising” anything! The way I figure it, I would rather be poor with good hair than poor with rubbish hair! But those with families and larger financial responsibilities than I might view it differently. I’m not sure there will be enough people being as indulgent as I to influence the Retail Sales Monitor next month, but it’s an interesting thought, all the same.
The British Retail Consortium’s Retail Sales Monitor figures for August were released this week, and can be found on our new Retail Statistics page, along with various other super interesting Economic and Retail Statistics! Take a look, formulate your thoughts and leave us a comment below.
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Take A Break From Scientific Research |
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Posted At: 11 September 2008 14:10 PM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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The main focus of the news this week has been about this ‘big bang’ research that’s been going on over in Geneva. For those of you that have actually been in a black hole over the last few days, some scientists are trying to recreate the first billionth of a second after the earth’s creation by whizzing some protons around tunnels underneath the Alps.
This, in my opinion, is valid research; sure, a few nutters (ok, ‘rival scientists’) around the world thought that the experiment might bring about the end of the world, but as it goes the machine was switched on and we are still here, so hopefully the study will bring about some valuable results when its all said and done.
Some research that I don’t feel is as valid, however, is the 9 months that it took Asda to figure out that a combination of oats and honey would provide a biscuit that’s able to stand up to the rigorous ‘dunking’ habits of the British nation.
Apparently inspired by comedian Peter Kays infamous “dunk me! Again!” sketch, Asda spent 9 months – yes, 9 months – testing their recipe against competitors’ best sellers, such as McVities Ginger Nuts, Digestives, Hob Nobs and Rich Tea. Well, any fool will tell you that you don’t dunk a Rich Tea! They’re like kitchen towel – in taste, texture and absorbency – however I would’ve thought a Hob Nob would hold its ground? I digress. Point is, I was taught how to make flapjacks at school when I was about 13, and it took me about 3 seconds to deduce that the ultimate dunker recipe would consist largely of the main flapjack ingredients of oats and honey. So why did it take Asda – the chain that brought us such gems as ‘Asda Whatevers’ (Love Heart sweets stamped with words like Minger, Chav, Proper, Bothered and Whatever) – so long to figure this out?
Apparently some of the testers were construction workers, so maybe this has something to do with it? You see, the cookie has been designed as an oblong for the maximum mug-biscuit fit ratio, and honestly, when was the last time you heard of a builder getting the measurements right first time!
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Trinny and Susannah Undress the Obesity Crisis |
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Posted At: 13 August 2008 11:15 AM
Related Categories: General, Retailers |
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This blog is going to be a bit controversial and a bit undecided, I warn you now. There are 2 opinions on the matter of Plus Size Fashion and I happen to agree with both!
Last night, I caught Trinny and Susannah’s ‘Undress The Nation’ on ITV1, which this week was focused around the fashion options available to plus size women. You have to say plus size really, you can’t get away with fat, obese or unhealthy on TV. Don’t get me wrong, I myself am certainly not, by any stretch of the imagination, skinny; in fact, a couple more dress sizes and I’ll be limited to ‘larger lady’ collections too. So, you see, its not like I’m trying to be biased or offensive…the difference is, I’m also not trying to say I’m normal or ‘fabulous’, as one women kept repeating on last nights show. I am overweight and unhealthy and I, granted, most of the time do not look good in current fashions! So what should I do? Should I stick to the dreaded ‘tent tops’ and wide leg trousers, should I wedge myself into a white pair of skinny jeans and deal with my highlighted lumps and bumps in the name of fashion…or maybe I should just lose some weight? No real answer to this question was truly given last night – possibly, because there is no answer or possibly, because ITV was too afraid of offending someone, who knows.
Trinny and Susannah have their heart in the right place (I’m a big fan, actually); they tried to get some young designers from the London College of Fashion to create their ‘big girl’ models some fashionable, flattering clothing, but I have to say they failed. All that was really offered were a few square neck pencil dresses in different colours, primarily of the same design. I don’t want to wear that every day either, thanks.
The retailers did their bit and joined in on the debate; Elvi and Evans turned up, as expected, along with a small number of representatives from other retailers such as Monsoon, but most were defensive about their collections and decision to stop at a size 16.
Even the retailers who offered an 18 and above got criticism; it was suggested that simply making one design in a wide range of sizes wasn’t enough and it should be adapted for the larger ladies unique figure.
One representative (from a retailer whose name I’ve forgotten, I think it was Zara) said it would take a whole new design, a whole new template and a completely separate production line to do this…so, a whole separate retail operation then? Like, maybe, Evans (part of Arcadia), for example?
I agree here that it really isn’t financially viable for the majority of fashion stores who already make quite enough money serving “size 10 freaks” (the [irresponsible] words of a woman on the show, not mine!) to add bigger sizes, and you have to wonder if getting the retailers to make bigger clothes is really the way forward. I don’t think it is. How about getting people to loose some weight?!
I know that there are legitimate reasons for obesity and I know that it’s bloody hard to shed the pounds, but trust me – and this is from one who knows – you’ll feel much better getting into that Topshop size twelve than if you had stayed big and waited for the Topshop ‘Big Is Beautiful’ collection*.
You might look alright in plus size clothing, but (and this is purposefully clichéd) you really won’t feel alright on the inside, and that’s what really matters.
*not a real collection!
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How far can we knock consumer confidence? |
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Posted At: 01 August 2008 11:13 AM
Related Categories: General, Retail |
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GfK NOP have reported a further drop in consumer confidence, to a level not seen since the UK was heading into the last recession, but how much can this be credited to a true reduction in our confidence, and how much to a thinking that our confidence should be lower, because everyone keeps talking about the credit crunch and the falling house prices. Surely we would be considered abnormal if we told GfK NOP that we expected our own personal financial situation to improve and the economic situation to do likewise?
Maybe, rather than asking consumers and receiving regurgitated news, we should look to their actions instead. 42% of GfK NOP respondents say they have changed to buying supermarket own brands rather than branded goods and 28% have switched to a discount supermarket, however, the iPhone – not exactly an essential - went on sale in the UK on Friday 11 July and by the end of the weekend, one million had been sold!
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Like stats? Love our new stats page! |
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Posted At: 30 July 2008 10:45 AM
Related Categories: General |
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SnapShop have always reported various retail statistics in their monthly newsletter, SnapShop Monthly, however all the information is now available to view online too!
The new Statistics page can be found here, and contains everything you need to know about the current retail and economy climates in the UK.
UK Retail Statistics – Shows Retail Sales Figures and Pedestrian Flow information.
Economic Statistics – Details Bank of England Base Rates, Inflation, House Prices and Consumer Confidence indicators.
Irish Statistics – Provides Irish Retail Sales and Inflation statistics.
Full access to these statistics is available with all levels of membership, including our Full, News, Contacts and Performance packages.
If you have any questions about this new feature, please comment on this post below or email me, on lorraine@fspretail.co.uk
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Silver Lining In Form Of Sales |
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Posted At: 25 July 2008 15:20 PM
Related Categories: General |
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It’s been a bit quiet here on the SnapShop blog for a while, and I guess you could say it has a little to do with the attitude of the retailing world at present. Its looking pretty gloomy, I suppose; there’s this ‘credit crunch’ that everyone’s been talking about and fears of a recession, but as a consumer you also have to remember there’s a glowing silver lining at the end of this very large black cloud…in the form of the SUMMER SALES!
Some kudos has to be given to the retailers out there who are helping us mere mortals in the wake of all this horror; Topshop, Argos, John Lewis, Next and River Island all have tip-top sales going at the moment which I personally have hit with a vengeance. Netto, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons have blessed us with their insistence on price wars and even an oil company or two have given in and lowered the prices of their barrels. So you see, its really not all bad. I’m not saying its great either, but honestly, turn off your BBC News Alerts for Business and Politics and the world seems like a much happier place at least for a while; sometimes, no news is good news and sometimes avoidance IS best.
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Developments, ahoy! |
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Posted At: 22 July 2008 11:47 AM
Related Categories: General |
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Just to let everyone know that 2 new developments of the SnapShop site are now live!
Firstly, you will notice a very nifty little subscription box to the top right of this page, whereby you can receive new blog posts direct to your inbox! We urge everyone to go ahead and subscribe; is there an easier way to keep up with all the latest retail news? We think not!
Secondly, there is now a new FreeZone information page, making getting information about SnapShop for FREE even easier! Go and have look at www.snap-shop.co.uk/freezone, and maybe register for our brilliant Information Pack if you're not already a member.
More exciting things soon to be announced, and a new [proper] blog is currently in the pipeline.
Thanks,
Lorraine
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Shoplifters are not criminals |
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Posted At: 09 July 2008 12:46 PM
Related Categories: General, Retail Statistics |
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Persistent shoplifters could avoid jail under rules proposed by the Sentencing Advisory Panel yesterday, a move which has angered many in the industry and that the BRC has labelled ‘ridiculous’.
Shoplifting costs retailers in the UK around £600 million pounds per year and there appear to be no signs of offences decreasing; there were also reports today that Sainsbury’s have started to security tag chickens in some of their stores after a disproportionate rise in shoplifting of the birds!
Figures published last year show that only 51% of people convicted of theft get sent to prison, and this latest move has to be seen as a further effort to keep all but the worst offenders out of our crowded jails. Punishment for smaller crimes like this seem to be becoming less and less severe all the time, and what with last years introduction of a fixed penalty fine smaller than that issued for public dog fouling, you have to wonder how long it will be before shoplifting becomes decriminalized completely.
Edit: On 10th July 2008, Iceland founder Malcolm Walker spoke out about the level of retailer crime on our UK streets stating: ‘"We are plagued with a tidal wave of shoplifting. 50 per cent of the time it turns violent. Our store managers are physically attacked, spat at, assaulted – it's out of control."’
Its interesting to see a response from someone on the front line (well, sort of) for a change as opposed to just the BRC, and it will be interesting to see if any of the suggestions proposed in the above article are taken forward.
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BPI forces ISP's to target law breaking customers |
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Posted At: 07 July 2008 13:29 PM
Related Categories: E-tailing, Future of Retailing, General |
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It was announced in the press last week that Virgin Media has teamed up with the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) to target illegal file sharers on their network. Around 800 letters were sent to customers who the BPI had identified as participating in illegal download activities warning them that they, well, shouldn’t be.
The BPI wants all UK Internet Service Providers to advocate a ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ policy, however so far only Virgin Media has agreed. I find this curious, to be honest; from the reviews I’ve been hearing, I’m not sure Virgin Media can afford to give customers another reason to go elsewhere or to discourage people from taking up their reportedly mediocre service further! And, really, people will choose to go elsewhere unless the BPI get full co-operation - something that doesn’t appear to be happening (Carphone Warehouse have refused to sign up already and BT have stated they already have their own similar policy so are not interested in aligning themselves with BPI).
In my opinion, this is just another instance of the recording industry blaming everybody but themselves for the state of the music retail market.
For many, many years record companies had a monopoly on the way we accessed music – options ranged from ‘pay £13.99 for that CD’ to ‘pay £13.99 for that CD’ – and now there are other ways to listen to our favourite artists they don’t know what the hell to do. Point is, illegal file sharing isn’t a new phenomenon, it’s been around for a good ten years now and the BPI really should have worked with the recording industry to respond to developments in technology and the shift in the way people access music much, much sooner.
While I wholeheartedly agree that illegal downloading does affect the music industry, it is entirely unfair of the media to paint such a ridiculously bleak picture. In reality, revenue is still higher than it was 10 years ago; other, equally vulnerable, industries have continued to grow since the advent of file sharing; and like it or not, there are many other, more influential factors aside from p2p which may have contributed to the decrease in music sales (both Zavvi and HMV in the UK have recently posted healthy trading results due to increased spending in their DVD and gaming sectors, for example)
The BPI does, and will always, work for the recording industry. It is not interested in consumers or any other industries, and I truly believe that ISP’s are just the next victim the BPI have chosen to take the brunt for something which is essentially their fault. Loss of revenue from illegal filesharing will only be stopped by a lot of time and effort being invested by them, no one else, and so how on earth they have the cheek to launch a campaign like this right now - when they’ve openly admitted that their current mechanisms for selling music online are inadequate - is beyond me. Studies report a willingness amongst illegal p2p users to use legal services if they are improved, so why not offer a viable alternative to illegal downloading before having a childlike tantrum and blatantly forcing ISP’s into threatening their own customers. Step up, take responsibility and sort out your own problems, BPI, your failings created the problem, only you can remedy it!
8th July 2008 edit: For further reading about the propsed European Anti-Piracy laws mentioned above and more on what the opposition has been saying, see this interesting article by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7492907.stm
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Development news |
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Posted At: 27 June 2008 13:54 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Just a quick update to let everyone know that we are working on some exciting new SnapShop features which should be with you very soon! Most notably, there will be a new Freezone page, explaining a bit more about SnapShop for those who don’t already know, and a statistics page where you can access useful information such as sales growth, pedflow and base rate information.
We’ll keep you posted!
The SnapShop Team
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Power To The People |
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Posted At: 20 June 2008 14:40 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Another chapter in the long tale of Battersea Power Station is set to be written should yet another redevelopment plan of the historic site be approved when put forward for planning permission towards the end of the year.
Real Estate Opportunities, 67% owned by Irish developer and investor Treasury Holdings, bought the power station in December 2006 for £400 million and plans to spend in excess of £4 billion redeveloping the site into a mixed-use scheme of flats, hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants. Designs by Uraguyan architect Rafael Vinoly show blue prints encompassing 3m sq ft of flats, 2.5m sq ft of offices, 1m sq ft of hotels and services flats, 900,000 sq ft of Covent Garden-style retailing and 500,000 sq ft of leisure and cultural space.
Since Battersea Power Station ended final production in 1983, several companies have bought the site and a variety of uses have been put forward (notably another mixed-use scheme proposed by Parkview International after acquiring the freehold in 1996) however nothing has ever come to fruition.
Fortunately, many areas which other schemes have ignored have been addressed in these new plans; the need for a tube station, environmental fears (current plans aim for the scheme to be ‘zero-carbon’), replacement of the irreparable chimney towers (to keep community groups and listed building inspectors happy rather than anything else, I suspect) and the fact that affordable housing commitments will have to be reduced if the scheme is to be financially viable have all been investigated, so its with fingers crossed that I await results of yet another Battersea Power Station planning application.
I have great hopes for this site, targeted to open to the public by 2014, and comments about the UK retail market being in decline thankfully don’t apply here; Property Week estimates around 4,000 residents and 25,000 employees alone will be in the area daily, and I suspect a successful redevelopment (with good transport links) will also mean an awful lot of interested tourists spending their hard earned cash in the retail sector of the scheme for many years subsequent to the launch!
SnapShop would also like to remind readers that parent company, FSP, are one of the leading names in Retail Business Information and Consultancy and can provide a variety of services to owners and prospective retail tenants of such sites. For more information about FSP’s Market Potential and Tenant Mix Recommendations services please visit http://www.fspretail.co.uk or comment as such below. Author: Lorraine Shingler
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The Devil Wears Primark...or M&S, or MK One, or Gap, or Nike etc etc |
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Posted At: 16 June 2008 16:11 PM
Related Categories: General |
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Primark – the UK retailer known for rock bottom fashion – has said in a statement issued today that it has cancelled orders with 3 southern Indian factories that failed to meet its ethical rules in relation to sub-contracting, home working and child labour.
Primark operate strict Supplier Code of Conduct which bans the use of child labour and requires all third party sub contractors be vetted in accordance with this, and so made the decision to cancel orders with factories contravening its Code of Conduct while withdrawing the affected garments from sale. Yet the cheap as chips retailer has been under the microscope over the past few weeks in light of the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Devil Wears Primark’ (later pulled due to ‘editorial issues’)…so which one is it, sinner or saint?
I would argue that Primark is no worse than any of the other high street chains and designer labels, and that in all actuality the responsibility and blame should be shared and shared alike.
Thought all those free range/organic/ethical fair trade food and clothing adverts meant M&S had a bigger halo than the other high streeters? I’m afraid not. A recent research report into the ethical ratings of our clothing retailers named Primark the least ethical retailer in the UK, however MK One and Britain’s favourite - Marks and Spencer - were ranked second and third worst! Heard about this ‘living wage’ that is supposed to be a benchmark for pay in India and Bangladesh…it’s not official! Think the £80 you pay for your Nike Air’s represents value, quality and ethical manufacturing? Nike were accused of using sweatshops back in the 90’s! So it’s incredibly confusing for the discerning consumer who WANTS to do right but just doesn’t know where to turn.
As our own Jo Creech states: "With the cost of living at such a high premium I found myself in a bit of a quandary during my weekend splurge. The issue of Primark’s ‘sweat shops’ [was] in the forefront of my mind, [so] it was difficult to decide whether to shop in there or not, however my justification for my £4 T Shirt rooted from the notion that more and more shops that we think are ‘good honest places’ are in fact not so untarnished". And really, we all feel the same.
The basic facts are that no one knows who’s to blame. British press likes to blame the retailers; the retailers say they audit their factories to ensure none of the Ethical Trade Initiatives rules are broken; staff at the factories say they are forced to lie to auditors and factory management say they are forced to bring down prices and therefore cut wages due to pressure from the retailers to deliver cheaper goods, so the circle of blame continues and the truth evades me. All I know is that the garment industry is vital to countries like Bangladesh (it employs nearly 2 million workers there and accounts for 75% of their exports) and that if Primark, Gap and whoever else keep being forced to pull orders from their factories their economy is going to be in deep trouble. Everyone needs to work together to ensure that factory workers have good conditions and get a fair wage, and I'm afraid you do have to commend Primark for its latest announcement – the launch of the Primark Better Lives Foundation (yes, I know it’s a basic rule of PR that you implement damage control in light of bad press, so its no surprise that Primark have done this, but who cares what the reason is, surely its enough that the retailer is stepping up and doing something positive about the situation rather than just apologising like people – and retailers - always do?) – and hope that other retailers make the same kind of moves.
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The latest victim of violence on our streets...and in our shops |
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Posted At: 12 June 2008 11:45 AM
Related Categories: General |
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It’s a long standing joke that Britons will queue for almost anything. Give us a reason and into line we will fall, safe in the knowledge that everyone knows and will abide by the unwritten, unspoken laws of ‘the queue’…until now, it seems.
It was today reported that a 57 year old man has died after an attack at a Sainsbury’s in Merton, south west London, provoked, seemingly, by queue jumping.
CCTV recorded the victim being accused of jumping a queue at a checkout at around 7pm on Tuesday 10th June by a woman who is then seen making a phone call and pointing the man out to a male who arrived shortly after. Said male then punched 57-year-old ‘Kevin Tripp’, father of 1, knocking him unconscious; Mr Tripp later entered a coma and died the next day as a result of ‘serious head injuries’.
This isn’t the first attack of its kind and it seems that Checkout Rage is a global phenomenon in itself, with similar stories being reported around the world.
Now, not that I’m defending it, but when did it become ok to jump queues, cut people up at roundabouts and to basically treat the world as if it revolves around you in the first place? If you do one of these things, expect to be reproached (not punched, reproached) – social niceties seem to have flown so far out the window that they’ve ended up in the next county, and that in turn makes me feel a little bit angry. On the flip side, it has to be said that the world has serious issues when you can be kicked and punched for loading 13 items onto the ’12 items or less’ checkout.
I don’t know what the cure is (aside from appointing etiquette police), all I know is that I’m going to join the back of that queue like a true Brit, defend my place when someone jumps in front, hope they don’t stab me, grit my teeth when they refuse to move, leave, and get on with my life safe in the knowledge that I haven’t been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment just because I so desperately needed that extra 30 seconds the queue jumper in front of me stole from my day.
Author: Lorraine Shingler
Credited sources: timesonline.co.uk and davesdaily.com
All blogs are the opinions of the author and not the views of FSP or any other member of staff.
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Oliver opens new Italian - hit or miss? |
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Posted At: 11 June 2008 00:53 AM
Related Categories: General |
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With the financial climate of the UK as it currently is, the idea of affordable food is a welcome break from the horrors of rising costs in our supermarkets, but do we really need more restaurants clogging up our streets? Is eating out a luxury these days, or is it the alternative?
In most larger towns and certainly cities, there seems to be ‘affordable’ food on every corner – 2 meals for £7.19 in Wetherspoons, ‘Early Bird’ offers in Harvesters and ‘Tapas for a tenner’ at La Tasca , not to mention the trusted KFC, McDonalds and Burger King all still offering a burger, fries and a drink for [usually] under a fiver, so it was quite a shock to hear that Jamie Oliver has gone ahead with his plans for an ‘affordable Italian’ chain in opening his first location in Oxford this month.
Simply labelled ‘Jamie’s Italian’, Oliver aims to offer "fast, urban, casual dining" with meals ranging from around £5-£10 each.
I’ve no doubt people will go and see what all the fuss is about initially – anything the mockney puts his name to seems to be a sure fire hit – however I still have to question the decision to open such a restaurant in a high street environment not only feeling a consumer recession, but one that is already saturated with similar Italian-style eateries.
In a recent statement, Oliver insists: "There are some little places, privately owned by dedicated people, who are doing a good job but they are few and far between and I don't think many of the chains really give consistent quality at a decent price” (I suspect Altia Holdings, holding company of Ask and Zizzi , for example, would have something to say about that statement, but that’s another post!) but I’m not convinced.
Personally, not only am I all Italian-ed out (I can name at least 5 similar high street pasta restaurants off hand), but I also resent paying £10 for something that I can probably make at home for a fiver (something that Mr Oliver has been quick to advocate as part of his ‘feed your family for a fiver’ campaign with Sainsbury’s) and this is really the issue here – is eating out so intrinsically linked into our social makeup these days that money will always appear no object, or will we start to see the return of family meals around the table (or maybe the TV) in an effort to try and save some of our hard earned cash? Comment on this article below.
For more information on Jamies Italian or any of the restaurants mentioned in todays blog, please visit www.snap-shop.co.uk
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Pedlars in your town centre |
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Posted At: 06 June 2008 14:15 PM
Related Categories: General, Town & Shopping Centre Management |
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I understand a bill is being placed before the commons to regulate the use of the Pedlars Act 1871.
Pedlars, these days, tend to stand in one place for an extended period to sell their goods or services, whereas the act defines them as “a person who, without any horse or other beast, travels and trades on foot from town to town carrying to sell or exposing for sale any goods, wares or merchandise or procuring orders for the same, or selling or offering for sale his skill and handicraft”.
These people, having morphed the original definition to protect themselves, therefore escape the clutches of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, which allows local authorities to designate streets for the purpose of street trading. Believe it or not, street trading is different from peddling and therefore regulation of pedlars is exempted from those provisions.
Brian Iddon (Labour, Bolton South East), championing the bill, states that “19th-century legislation can no longer cope with changes in the way that goods are marketed and sold today”. Too right! Unfortunately for him, Chris Chope MP (Conservative Christchurch) intends to attempt to 'talk the Bill out' in order to frustrate the legislation. Talking the bill out must be even more antiquated than the Pedlars Act. Mr Chope believes that "Pedlars are hard-working, entrepreneurial, market-driven, self-employed and law-abiding traders who provide services much appreciated by the public at competitive prices.” A similar set of adjectives could be applied to MPs of course.
In looking into this a little further, I came across an Americanism for such antics – filibuster. Neat.
Mr Chope, please do not filibuster, allow the bill’s assent and let those legally operating in town and city centres get on with their jobs unencumbered by “pedlars”.
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Ethics and Retailing |
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Posted At: 21 February 2008 14:42 PM
Related Categories: Environmental, General |
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The words “ethics” and “morality” are derived respectively from the Greek and Latin words for “customs”. In a society of increasing diversity, without universally respected traditions and heritage, whose ethics are relevant?
In a purely market driven economy, the ethical stance of the target customer, constrained by the law of the land, would prevail. So, in response to a customer survey that showed ethical trading (i.e. treating suppliers equitably) is their top priority, all Co-op tea and coffee is to be Fair Trade. However, the same survey also showed that climate change interests only a very small number, but nevertheless, “the Co-op remains fully committed to supporting the global drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.
For private retailers, the ethics may be those of the owner. Hence a fascia that proclaims, “Your local, ethical deli”, has a policy that out of season, it stocks no red peppers, because that would involve air miles, but a loaf of bread costs over £3.00. Are these ethics only for the well-heeled?
For public companies, the ethics of stakeholders, (investors, suppliers, staff) and others (regulators, legislators and media), may be relevant. How else to explain Plan A, the high profile, and expensive, M&S response to the challenge of climate change?
As Michael Skapinker recently pointed out in an FT article about Corporate Social Responsibility, “Profit in good times and bad, is where any discussion of companies’ responsibilities should start. Without profit, there is no future for shareholders, employees or customers. But engaging with the community in the pursuit of profit has its place: indeed, it is essential.” A company can function only with the approval of its community. Or, in the light of the travails of Huntingdon Life Sciences, companies cannot function normally with the vociferous disapproval of even a small section of the community.
A student recently asked whether retailers will increasingly employ ethical brand strategies – as though the alternative is to have unethical strategies. The judgement is to decide whose ethics are to be taken into account. It would be logical for retailers to adopt an ethical stance to reflect their particular market position and circumstances. Perhaps ethics is another area where “one size fits all” is no longer appropriate.
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