Category Archives: Marks and Spencer

Is it the End for Self-Checkouts?

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Leigh Sparks

A few weeks ago, an announcement by Booths (the north west of England supermarket chain) sparked a lot of media interest and column inches. They had decided to remove self-checkouts from all bar two of their stores. Was this the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Booths, Checkouts, Consumers, Customer engagement, Customer Service, Employees, Marks and Spencer, Retailers, Retailing, Self-checkout, Self-Scanning, Self-Service, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Food Shopping Habits – A “Massive Shift” ?

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Leigh Sparks

There can be no denying the impact of food inflation on the national psyche and individual lives. The cost-of-living crisis in the UK is significant and sustained. The exact combination of factors behind its origins and now its longevity are … Continue reading →

Posted in Aldi, Consumer Change, Cost of Living, Covid19, Discounters, Discounts, Food Retailing, Greedflation, Internet shopping, Kantar, Loyalty Schemes, Marks and Spencer, Office for National Statistics, Online Retailing, Pandemic, Shrinkflation, Tesco, Tesco Clubcard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Strange Things in Self-Service

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Leigh Sparks

My twitter timeline has been populated recently by photos of retailers doing, for me, some strange things with self-service tills.  These tills have popped up everywhere over the last decade and not always to universal acclaim.  B&Q and WH Smith … Continue reading →

Posted in Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go, Clothing, Consumers, Customer Service, Employment practices, Experiential, Functional Retailing, Marks and Spencer, Retail Change, Sainsbury, Self-checkout, Self-Scanning, Self-Service, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Conversation: UK Retailers Christmas Trading Updates

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Leigh Sparks

The University of Stirling is a supporter of The Conversation and I published a piece there on the 12th January about the recent UK retailer trading updates from Christmas. I reblog it below. The starting point for the piece was … Continue reading →

Posted in Aldi, Christmas, City Centres, Consumer Change, Consumers, Cost of Living, Covid19, Discounters, Grocery, High Streets, Independents, Internet shopping, Local Retailers, Market Shares, Marks and Spencer, Next, Retailers, Retailing, The Conversation, Town Centres, Towns | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Departing Stores and Place Vandalism

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Leigh Sparks

“Loss of local identity is a powerful factor that can influence the social and economic wellbeing of a town. By preserving the fabric of distinctive historic buildings, particularly those as prominent as former department stores, residents can recover a sense … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, City Centres, Department Stores, Design, Edinburgh, Heritage, High Streets, Historic Shops, Marks and Spencer, Oxford Street, Places, Town Centres, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments