Category Archives: Sustainability

The Big Show (Y Sioe Fawr)

Posted on August 17, 2017 by

A few weeks ago I attended the Royal Welsh Show (Y Sioe Fawr) at Llanelwedd/Builth Wells.  For a number of years I have been to the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston and have always thought it to be a large … Continue reading →

Posted in Farmers Markets, Festivals, Food and Beverage, Food Quality, Food Retailing, Markets, Producers, Rates, Retail Economy, Retailers, Rural, Sustainability, Tax | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where Good Food is a Religion

Posted on February 9, 2017 by

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of my passion for Welsh rugby, fresh food and especially markets.  Every so often the stars align and we take ourselves off to Rome where all can be indulged.  And so it … Continue reading →

Posted in Campagna Amica, Consumer Lifestyle, Diet and Health, Eataly, Farmers Markets, Food, Food Quality, Food Tourism, Gastronomy, Markets, Producers, Rugby Union, Scotland Food and Drink, Slow Food, Sparks, Supply Chains, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The ‘squeezed middle’ and the domino effect in the grocery supply chain

Posted on January 5, 2017 by

A popular phrase used in media and other commentary on the UK grocery system is that “Small firms are being ‘squeezed’ by their powerful partners“.   This is shorthand for financial pressures put on SMEs by large organisations such as grocery … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Brexit, Food Retailing, Governance, Networks, Pressure, Regulation, Relationships, Retailers, Suppliers, Supply Chains, Sustainability, Toblerone | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Oor Summit’ and its Big Ears

Posted on June 20, 2016 by

Towards the end of the first day of the World Towns Leadership Summit in Edinburgh last week, Neil McInroy tried to describe and capture the sense of engagement and endeavour that the delegates were displaying and he used the phrase … Continue reading →

Posted in ATCM, Bids Scotland, Community, Community Development, Connectivity, Data, Downtown, IDA, Leadership, Local Retailers, Places, Public Realm, Reinvention, Retail Change, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Government, Social Justice, Sustainability, Town Centre Action Plan, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Towns, Understanding Scottish Places, University of Stirling, Urban, World Towns Agreement, World Towns Framework, WTLS16 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fully Funded ESRC Collaborative PhD Studentship on Scottish convenience store retailing

Posted on April 29, 2016 by

  Three Year Fully Funded ESRC Collaborative PhD Studentship on ‘Scottish convenience store retailing; understanding local impacts and cost drivers to enhance performance’ – Now Open for Applications A few weeks ago I gave preliminary notice of our success in obtaining … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Association of Convenience Stores, Convenience stores, ESRC, Food Retailing, Independents, PhD, Retail Economy, Retailers, Scotland, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Local Retailer, Sustainability, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Place Matters: Local Environmental Quality and Charity Retailing

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

Last Tuesday was one of those days where I was sort of double-booked, and ended up doing two conference presentations, though I prefer to think of it as enhanced academic productivity. In the morning, I presented on the strategic role … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity Shops, Environmental Quality, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Places, Public Realm, Retail Change, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Sustainability, Towns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments