Category Archives: Retail Failure

“No Town Immune”: Data and reporting

Posted on April 12, 2018 by

On Tuesday afternoon, I was contacted by a journalist (Stephen Naysmith) from The Herald about the upcoming Local Data Company/PwC report on high streets.  He sent me the (then) embargoed press release.  I attach it here for those interested and … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Closure, Data, Government, High Streets, Independents, Internet, Local Data Company, Online Retailing, Places, Retail Failure, Retailers, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Retailing, SNP, Town Centres, Towns, Understanding Scottish Places, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2000 and Counting

Posted on March 26, 2018 by

This just popped up in my Twitter timeline; a tweet from James Timpson, announcing that Timpson’s had just opened their 2000th store.  Now I am pretty sure that Twitter timelines reflect personality traits (hello, Cambridge Analytica, I’ll save you the … Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Consumer Change, CVA, High Streets, Leadership, Retail Change, Retail Failure, Retailers, Service Quality, Store Closures, Timpsons, Towns, Turnaround | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fake Shops and some other retail news

Posted on March 7, 2017 by

Everyone pretty much agrees these days that we are living in an era of ‘fake news’, or outright lies as it would be better called.  You know the sort of things – £350m per week to spend on the NHS, … Continue reading →

Posted in BHS, Brands, Employment, High Streets, Independents, Local Retailers, Places, Retail Failure, Sainsbury, Store Closures, Tesco, Town Centres, Waterstones | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retailing’s Unacceptable Faces

Posted on August 23, 2016 by

Of course, the week I was away on annual leave (and if you love rain, then my home country Wales, had it in buckets) the two House of Commons Select Committee investigations into those captains of industry, Sir Philip Green … Continue reading →

Posted in Agencies, BHS, Employment, Employment practices, Governance, Pensions, Retail Failure, Retail leadership, Select Committees, Sports Direct, Store Closures | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Playthings of the Monetary Rich and (In) Famous

Posted on June 12, 2016 by

The last couple of times this blog has fallen silent for a month, it has been because of a death in my family. Thankfully, this time that is not the case, though an alleged death threat does feature. Can you … Continue reading →

Posted in administration, BHS, Closure, Comet, Governance, Liquidation, Pensions, Retail Failure, Select Committees, Store Closures | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

The Perfect Storm?

Posted on January 4, 2016 by

Are the storms getting worse now that someone has decided to give them names? Certainly by the time Frank had finished with my garden, I’d pretty much got the swimming pool I always thought that I had not wanted. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Friday, Christmas, Closure, Consumer Change, Costs, Discounters, Internet, Margins, Retail Economy, Retail Failure, Sales, Stock | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Easy, it Ain’t

Posted on September 7, 2015 by

What with the announcement by a number of retailers that they are re-considering the tone of voice and announcements made by their self service checkouts and others who are removing such non-human (inhuman?) equipment, it has not been a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Automation, Communications, Customer Service, Easyjet, Personal, Retail Failure, Self-Scanning, Self-Service, Service Quality, Twitter | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment