Media Commentary 2020

This page provides a listing of, and links to, some of the media commentary produced by Leigh Sparks on various retail related topics.

July

Expert Group on Town Centre Action Plan Review, Interview with Chair, Leigh Sparks, Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland, July 2nd (see also The National, Aberdeen Evening Express, insider.co.uk and Press and Journal; Evening Times; Sunday Post; Evening Telegraph; Evening Express; The Courier; Stirling News)

June

Crowds queue for retail return as scotsman backs local shops, Scotsman, 30th June (plus Edinburgh Evening News)

How will things change once lockdown is lifted? The National, 28th June

Supermarket Wars: battle of the high street, Channel 5 TV, 21st June (and repeated)

A shop to the system, Daily Record, 19th June

Lockdown puts future of highstreet online, Daily Record, 18th June

Most dangerous part of the supermarket, Daily Mirror, 18th June, also in The Irish Mirror and The Stars Post, item arising from the BB2 TV programme Keeping Britain Fed

Keeping Britain Fed, BBC2, short clip of Leigh Sparks discussing retail supply chains, 17th June

Coronavirus has shown us a solution to the food climate crisis, Wired.com, 15th June

Save our Shops, comments by Leigh Sparks, Mail on Sunday, 14th June

Death knell for traditional beauty counters as shoppers raise hygiene fears, comments by Leigh Sparks included in Scotsman, 10th June

What should we value abut retailing and towns and what should we do about them. Reblog of a post on this blog in SLR: Scottish Local Retailer, 10th June

Taking Stock: why food retail in a new economy must cater for all, Article by Leigh Sparks in Cooperative News 6th June

May

Food security: do we need to rethink ourjust in time supply chain post coronavirus, The Grocer, 14th May

Retail is broken -how do we fix it? Scottish Local Retailer, The Week in Retail, Digital Edition, 6th May

The huge changes we can expect in post lockdown shopping, Scotland on Sunday, 3rd May, together with an Analysis piece on “From maximising dwell time to minimising contact “From maximising dwell time to minimising contact_

Retail Behomoth: are we witnessing the birth of a savage new business age? Sourcenews.scot, News Analaysis by Common Weal, 1st May, includes a 20+ minute podcast discussion with Leigh Sparks on the impact of the COVID19 virus on the retailing and its future shape

April

Can Scotland return to business as usual post-lockdown? The Scotsman, April 26th

Discussion of the future of retail after the virus, Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland, April 11th

Thousands of jobs on line as retail giant goes to wall, Edinburgh Evening News, 10th April

Debenhams teeters on bring of administration for the second time, Scotsman, 7th April

March

How the Uk’s just-in-time delivery model crumbled under coronavirus, Wired.co.uk, 30th March

Coronavirus could kill off Scottish high street as people self-isolate, comments in the Scottish Daily Record, 18th March

Retailing and the Coronavirus, intefview on BBC Good Morning Scotland, 16th March

February

We could have a Bute of a high street too, comments on the GB High Street Award, Sunday Mail, 2nd February

January 

Inside Asda: Bigger, Better,Cheaper? – contains interview on Asda history, Channel 5. 6th January. Trailer here. Full programme here.

UK Retail Tumble – online interview on factors in the changing retail situation in the UK, Economic Divide on PressTV – video here. 9th January

Discussion on BBC Radio 4 You and Yours programme on retail job losses and retail change, 27th January