Author: Leigh Sparks
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January 2024 – Roll over of some areas for new year, plus The Economics Observatory piece on Christmas trading (see commentaries tab)
May 2023 – Two new articles and a book chapter noted on the Journal Articles page
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Category Archives: Retailers
Handbags and Gladrags
My recent post about the development of the retail archive at the University of Stirling mentioned that there are various donations that are being processed, though this may take some time. The archive is built around the 40+ year history … Continue reading
Posted in Advertising, archives, Argos, Consumers, Historic Shops, Institute for Retail Studies, Paper Bags, Plastic Bags, Retail brands, Retail History, Retailers, University of Stirling, Woolworths
Tagged Advertising, Argos, Institute for Retail Studies, Paper Bags, Plastic bags, Retail Bags, Retail brands, Retail Emphemera, Retail History, Shopping, Shopping Bags, University of Stirling, Woolworths
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Stirlingretail.com : The 2023 Review
It’s that time of year again. The blog is another year older, but certainly not any wiser. At this point I normally reflect on the visitor activity on the blog during the year – and this year is going to … Continue reading
Posted in Branding, Bristol Pound, Cinemas, Cooperatives, Eataly, Grocery retailing, High Streets, Internet shopping, Market Shares, New Future for Scotland's Towns, Online Retailing, Places, Retailers, Retailing, Royal society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Retailing, Self-Service, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centres, Towns
Tagged A New Future for Scotland's Towns, Branding, Cinemas, Cooperative Movement, Eataly, Grocery market, Internet Sales, Market Shares, Place, Review, Royal Societyt of Edinburgh, Scotland, Self-service checkouts, Stirling Council, Stirling Retail, Town Centres, towns, Welsh Dairies
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How is consumer spending around Christmas 2023 likely to affect retailers?
Retailing has been going through a challenging time in the last three or four years. The restrictions and disruption of Covid have given way to an extreme cost-of-living crisis and an almost apocalyptic sense of uncertainty on a geo-political level. … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Consumer Change, Consumers, Cost of Living, Economics Observatory, Energy Costs, ESRC, Government, Inflation, Office for National Statistics, Pricing, Retailers, Retailing, Sales, Uncategorized
Tagged Austerity, Christmas, Consumers, Cost of Living, Economic Observatory, ESRC, Inflation, Pricing, Retailers, Retailing, Sales
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Is it the End for Self-Checkouts?
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 Booths, Customer loyalty, Marks and Spencer, Retailing, Self-checkout, Self-Service, Self-service checkouts, Staffing, Tills
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The Scottish Convenience Store Sector 2023
Due to University commitments I was unfortunately unable to attend the Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Independent Convenience Stores Tuesday evening. The technological advances in hybrid meetings however meant I was able to present online. I was delighted to accept … Continue reading
Posted in Association of Convenience Stores, Convenience, Convenience stores, Cross Party Group, Food Retailing, Go Local, Grocery retailing, Healthy Living, Local Multiplier, Local Retailers, Retailers, Retailing, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Retailing
Tagged Association of Convenience Stores, Brexit, Convenience, Convenience stores, Covid, Food retailing, Go Local, Healthy Living, Impact, Local Multiplier, Local Shop Report 2023, Local Stores, Scottish Grocers Federation
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Vacancy Rates and The Vacant Shops Academy
Way back in 2010, Anne Findlay and myself tried to summarise our thinking about the drivers and measurement of retail vacancy. Then, a decade ago, we did some work with the Local Data Company on retail vacancies (First event, Fifth … Continue reading
Posted in Data, Government, High Streets, Landlords, Legislation, Local Authorities, Non-domestic rates, Permitted Development Rights, Property, Rates, Retailers, Shop Numbers, Town Centres, Towns, Vacancies, Vacant Shops Academy
Tagged Agents, BIDs, Businesses, High Streets, Landlords, Local Authorities, Permitted Development Rights, Property, Rates, Retail, Shops, Town Centres, towns, Use Classes, Vacancy, Vacancy rate, Vacant Shops Academy
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Shrewsbury – Welsh or English?
There I was, quietly photographing an old shop and a neat ghostsign in one of the main streets of Shrewsbury (see photo above), when an elderly local man challenged me. He said he thought I was mad as there was … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Ghost Signs, High Streets, History, Independents, Local Retailers, Pret, Retail Change, Retailers, Shopfronts, Shrewsbury, Streetscapes, Town Centres, Urban History
Tagged Architecture, Buildings, Ghostsigns, Heritage, High Streets, History, Indpendents, Pret, Retail, Shops, Shrewsbury, store design, Town Centres, Urban History
3 Comments
Power, Heritage and Place: Battersea Power Station
The Sir Giles Gilbert Scott monumental Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames in London is an iconic building, and not just due to Pink Floyd. Designed and built between the 1920s and 50s it produced a … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art Deco, Battersea Power Station, Buildings, Heritage, London, Regeneration, Retailers
Tagged Archeology, Architecture, Art Deco, Battersea Power Station, Buildings, Commerce, Gilbert Scott, Heritage, London, Mixed-use, Pink Floyd, Preservation, Redevelopment, Residential, Retailing, Rome
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Grocery Market Shares in Great Britain (GB) 1997-2023
It’s July and that can only mean one thing – it is time again to update the grocery market share data for Great Britain in the latest instalment of slow data for this series. Regulars to this blog know that I have … Continue reading
Posted in Aldi, Asda, Brands, Competition, Data, Discounters, Food Retailing, Grocery retailing, Inflation, Kantar, Lidl, Market Shares, Morrisons, Retailers, Sainsbury, Tesco, Uncategorized
Tagged Aldi, Asda, Discounters, Food retailing, Great Britain, Grocery retailing, Inflation, Lidl, Market Shares, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco, UK
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Urban Logistics and Retailing
At the start of May, the details of the Routledge Handbook of Urban Logistics was published. The Handbook itself will be available for pre-order from early June with formal publication on June 23, 2023. I was happy to contribute a … Continue reading
Posted in Books, City Centres, Congestion, Consumers, LEZ, Logistics, LTN, Relationships, Retailers, Retailing, Spatial Planning, Suppliers, Supply Chains, Sustainability, Town Centres, Towns, Urban
Tagged Book, Cities, City Logistics, Congestion, Fast fashion, Last Mile, LEZ, logistics, LTN, Retail, Sustainability, Town Centres, towns, Urban Logistics
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