Author: Leigh Sparks
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February 2023 – New piece for The Conversation on online retailing (see commentaries tab)
January 2023 – Roll over of some areas for new year, plus The Conversation piece on Christmas trading updates published (see commentaries tab) and main posts
December 2022 – End of year tidying up and re-arrangement, including link to EDAS podcast on places and towns (see presentations tab)
April 2022 -new journal article published (Journal Articles page) on Twenty-One Years of Going Shopping and Marketing History
Top Posts & Pages
- Twenty One Years of UK Grocery Market Share
- UK Grocery Market Share 1997-2019
- London's Welsh Dairies: The Welsh Milk Trade
- Discount Food Stores in the UK: Kwik Save and Shoprite
- Grocery Market Shares in Great Britain (GB) 1997-2022
- Personal Announcement: FRSE
- Tesco Trails
- Woolies Five years On
- The Wonder of Woolies - continued
- Stirling - Still All at C
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Category Archives: Pricing
Let them eat Turnips
Therese Coffey’s comments were crass, ill-informed, tin-eared and risible in many regards but did at least shine a light on aspects of our food supply chains. And in one small sense she has an unpalatable point; we’ve got used to … Continue reading
Posted in Agflation, Brexit, Consumers, distribution, European Retailers, European Union, Food, Food Quality, Food Retailing, Greenhouse, Pricing, Rationing, Retailers, Seasonality, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Vegatables
Tagged Brexit, Cheap Food, Cost of Living, Energy prices, European Single market, Food Chains, Media, Quality Food, Rationing, Retailing, Shortages, Tomatoes, Turnips, Weather
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The Price of Petrol
During the summer my pattern of buying petrol changed. My semi-regular route takes me past two independent garages and two superstores. Almost invariably over years Tesco has been the cheapest, often by some margin. But this changed at some point, … Continue reading
Posted in Asda, CMA, Competition, Competition and Markets Authority, Convenience stores, Cooperative Group, Independents, Petrol, Pricing, Tesco, Wholesaling
Tagged Asda, CMA, Co-operative Group, Competition, independents, Petrol, Prices, Retailing, Tesco
1 Comment
The (Retail) Reality of our Current Predicament
Whatever political leanings one has, the last ten days or so have hopefully provided a nadir in political (mis-)management of the economy and society. The crashing of the pound, the almost demise of the pension market, a screeching u-turn on … Continue reading
Posted in Consumers, Cost of Living, Costs, Economics Observatory, Employment, Government, Inflation, Pricing
Tagged Consumers, Cost of Living, Costs, Crisis, Economy, Employment, Energy, Government, Inflation, Prices, Retail, Special Fiscal event, spending
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Shopping: the cost of living crisis – Q&A with The Conversation
In between graduation ceremonies last Friday (as we caught up with the pandemic impacted ceremonies of 2020 and 2021), I was interviewed by Steven Vass of The Conversation about the cost of living crisis and Shopping. The result is a … Continue reading
Posted in Consumer Confidence, Consumers, Cost of Living, Discounters, Food, Food Banks, Food Retailing, Inflation, Local Retailers, Office for National Statistics, Pricing, Retail Sales, Retailers, Shopping, The Conversation
Tagged Budgets, Consumer Confidence, Consumers, Cost of Living, Food, Inflation, Retail Sales, Retailing, The Conversation
5 Comments
Poundland and Sports Direct
It has always baffled me; if Poundland lived up to its name and everything was a pound, then why was the average basket size not a round pound number? Anyhow it is a moot point now. The announcement that Poundland … Continue reading
Posted in Accounting, administration, Auditors, Closure, Department Stores, Finance, Government, House of Fraser, Jack Wills, Landlords, Mike Ashley, Poundland, Pressure, Pricing, Rents, Retail Failure, Retailers, Retailing, Sports Direct, Strategy, Uncategorized
Tagged Accounting, Auditors, Fixed Price, High Street, House of Fraser, Jack Wills, Poundland, Retail, Sports Direct, Tax
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Retail Disruptors – the spectacular rise and impact of the hard discounters
The rise of the hard discounters is a well-observed phenomenon of continuing research endeavour and commentary. In the UK, as is well known, Aldi and Lidl have captured considerable market share over the last decade. ‘Retail Disruptors’ by Jan-Benedict Steenkamp … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Aldi, Competition, Consumer Choice, Discounters, Food Retailing, Jack's, Lidl, Market Shares, Pricing, Retail Change, Retailers, Strategy, Uncategorized
Tagged Aldi, Book, Competition, Consumer Choice, Discounters, Disruptors, Food retailing, Jack's, Lidl, Market share, Pricing, Strategy
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1967 and All Things Retail
2017 was the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the University of Stirling. There were a number of celebrations and activities, as well as periods of reflection. One of the events on campus was an exhibition about 1967. This involved … Continue reading
Posted in 1967, ATMs, Cashpoints, Consumers, Cooperative Group, Cooperatives, Corporate History, Cumbernauld, Fish, History, New Towns, Pricing, Retail History, Shopping Centres, University of Stirling, Urban History
Tagged 1967, ATMs, Co-operatives, Cumbernauld, Devaluation, Fish Fingers, Retailing, Shopping Centres, University of Stirling
1 Comment
“Argos catalogues – a fascinating historical archive”
Rather to my surprise, in the eight or so years this blog has been in existence I seem not to have mentioned my collection of Argos catalogues, except tangentially. Built up and in-filled after an initial donation some 20 years … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Argos, Brands, Catalogues, Consumer Change, Corporate History, Design, History, Milton Keynes, Pricing, Products, Research, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retail History, Retailers, Social Change
Tagged Argos, Catalogues, Consumer change, Design, History, Price, Products, Retail Change, Social Change
4 Comments
The Scottish Diet and Retail Shops
The Scottish diet has become a short-hand for unhealthy living. All the evidence points to its stubborn lack of change despite information, exhortation and even small measures of legislation. Whilst retailers and manufacturers have taken some actions on reformulation of … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Advertising, Availability, Behavioural Economics, Brands, Consumer Choice, Consumer Lifestyle, Diet and Health, Discounts, Food Retailing, Food Standards, Healthcare Retail Standard, Labelling, Marketing, Merchandising, Policy, Pricing, Research, Retail Policy, Retailers, Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, Space, Sugar Tax, Supermarket, Suppliers, Tax, Unit Pricing, University of Stirling
Tagged Consumption, Diet and Health, Display, Food retailing, Food Standards Scotland, Healthcare Retail Standard, internet retailing, Merchandising, Pricing, Product, Promotion, Retailing, Scotland, Small shops, Sugar Tax, Supermarkets, Unit Pricing
8 Comments
Two new academic papers on healthy eating and sport
The last few weeks of 2016 saw the release in early view of two new articles on which I am co-author. Both are slightly unrelated directly to retailing, but they do have tangential interest for those who know my broader … Continue reading
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