Category Archives: Retail brands

Retail Armageddon or Reinvention?

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Leigh Sparks

On the 3rd March, the University of Stirling, the Stirling Management School and the Institute for Retail Studies were very pleased to host the Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, OBE.  In front of an audience of … Continue reading →

Posted in Accounting, BRC, Brexit, Consumer Change, Employees, Government, Institute for Retail Studies, Internet shopping, Legislation, Local Retailers, Online Retailing, Rates, Regeneration, Regulation, Reinvention, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retail Policy, Scottish Government, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, Technology, Uncategorized, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Clicks and Mortar by Amazon

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Leigh Sparks

Last Friday afternoon I attended a launch of the new Amazon inspired and supported Clicks and Mortar store in the Waverley Mall, Edinburgh.  This is the third such store and the first in Scotland; ten are planned in total over … Continue reading →

Posted in Amazon, Amazon Clicks and Mortar, Brands, Edinburgh, Entrepreneurship, Independents, Internet shopping, Malls, Online Retailing, Pop Up Shops, Pop-Up Shops, Reinvention, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retailers, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Retailing, Shopping Centres, Small Shops, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized, Vacancies, Waverley Mall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Argos catalogues – a fascinating historical archive”

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

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 , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Taste the Landscape with Scotrail

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Leigh Sparks

I’ve always enjoyed travelling by train.  Maybe this stems from my grandfather being a blacksmith by trade and when I was young seeing him working on steam engines in Tondu sheds.  Or perhaps it comes from being packed off on … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Alcohol, Brexit, Diet and Health, European Union, Food, Food Tourism, Producers, Retail brands, Scotland Food and Drink, Scotrail, Suppliers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BrickMeetsClick: The Lidl Social Price Drop

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

A few years ago I was invited to became a “Black Belt” on the retail and retail technology site Brick Meets Click. This involves some occasional retail debate and commentary and some interaction with various retail stories and news. I … Continue reading →

Posted in BrickMeetsClick, Christmas, Competition, Customer engagement, Food Retailing, Lidl, Pricing, Retail brands, Social media, Twitter | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Singapore Swing

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

My current dose of warm weather in Singapore and soon in Hong Kong is mainly about meeting and talking to partners of the University of Stirling in my capacity as Deputy Principal for Internationalisation and Graduate Studies. It is good … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Consumer Change, Consumer Lifestyle, Consumers, Convenience stores, Experiential, Multichannel, Retail brands, Retailers, Singapore | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail Branding: it’s not (just) private label

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Over a long period, retail branding research, led by Steve Burt, has been one of the main areas of research for my colleagues and myself at the University of Stirling.  I have written a couple of things on branding in … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Brand Extension, Brands, Consumer Change, Corporate branding, Labelling, Loyalty, Private brands, Private Label, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retailer Branding, Retailers, Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment