This page provides a listing of, and links to, some of the media commentary produced by members of the Institute for Retail Studies on various retail related topics.
December 2012
Scotland battered by rain and storms but deluge fails to halt £1bn Christmas shopping spree – comment by Leigh Sparks, Sunday Mail, 23rd December.
Good Morning Scotland – Radio Scotland comment by Leigh Sparks about Christmas shopping, sales and weather, 21st December.
Game of chicken as shoppers hold out for early bargains – comment on Scottish retail sales by Leigh Sparks, Scotsman, 12th December
November 2012
BBC Radio Scotland Business Scotland – interview with Leigh Sparks about the development of internet retailing, 25th November (see also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20543787)
War of nerves over cut-price Christmas – comment by Leigh Sparks, Sunday Post, 18th November.
Good Morning Scotland – Radio Scotland comment by Leigh Sparks about consumer boycotts and Starbucks, 14th November.
Retail – looking ahead to 2013 – short article by Leigh Sparks in The Insider, November.
BBC Radio Scotland John Beattie Show – discussion with Leigh Sparks about the SRC Retail Sales for October and the prospects for the high street, 14th November.
Price-rise fear as weather takes toll on crop yields – comment by Leigh Sparks in The Herald on the potential for retail price rises from weather impacts on crops, 5th November
BBC Radio Scotland Headlines Show – discussion with Leigh Sparks on the state of Scotland’s High Streets and Town Centres, 4th November.
There’s going to be a tsunami of change … – comment in The Herald by Leigh Sparks on some of the reasons for Comet entering administration, 4th November.
Comet failure threatens jobs – comment in The Herald by Leigh Sparks on the news of Comet seeking administration, 2nd November.
October 2012
Careers in Retail – Jonathan Elms took part in a live Guardian online Q & A session regarding careers in retail, 18th October. Details and comments can be seen at the Guardian website.
BBC Radio Scotland John Beattie Show – discussion including Leigh Sparks on the state of Scotland’s high streets, 18th October.
BBC Radio Scotland Good Morning Scotland – comment by Leigh Sparks on the rising price of commodity prices due to bad weather and geo-political issues, 10th October, also see BBC website
BBC Radio Scotland Newsdrive – comment by Leigh Sparks on the Tesco figures, 4th October
Money matriarchy: women are taking control of the family purse strings – comment in The Scotsman, 4th October 2012 by Leigh Sparks on women and money
Supermarket giant plans to open store on Princes St – comment in The Herald, 3rd October 2012 by Leigh Sparks on plans for a Tesco opening on the iconic street.
September 2012
Task force takes on fight to aid ailing high streets – announcement of the Scottish Government’s National Town Centers Review of which Leigh Sparks is a member – The Herald, 10th September 2012, The Scotsman, 10th September 2012
Festival ends in a blaze of box office glory – comment in The Scotsman, 3rd September by Paul Freathy on the success of the Edinburgh Festivals.
August 2012
High street shops most exposed to bad weather – comment in The Herald, 20th August by Leigh Sparks
Scottish Retail Sales Figures – interview on BBC Scotland, Good Morning Scotland with Leigh Sparks, 15th August.
A Pound? Too Dear. Bargain Shops in Price War – comment on Pound Shops in The Sunday Mail, 12th August by Leigh Sparks
June 2012
Union marketing leaves a stink – comment on Diamond Jubilee Union marketing in Scotland in The Scotsman, 4th June by Paul Freathy
May 2012
Tories accused of betrayal over controversial plans to scrap the names of famous Scots regiments – comment on regimental branding and the military in The Daily Record, 9th May by Paul Freathy
Upmarket sites causing pain for traditional thoroughfares – comment on Glasgow shop vacancies in The Herald, 3rd May by Leigh Sparks
April 2012
The Honest Truth – Supermarkets still sweep all before them – comment on supermarkets in The Sunday Post 29th April by Leigh Sparks
Charity shops ‘sitting ducks’ as thieves strike every day – comment in The Scotsman 26th April by Paul Freathy
No room for error in retail – comment on the Scotmid figures in The Herald, 25th April by Leigh Sparks
Analysis – the next retail figures will be more revealing – comment on Scottish retail sales in The Scotsman, 18th April by Leigh Sparks
Planners face court over retail park expansion nod – comment in The Edinburgh Evening News, 16th April 2012 by Leigh Sparks
Pressure at the pumps fuels rise in food prices – comment in The Scotsman, 4th April 2012, by Leigh Sparks
March 2012
Manufacturers cut content, but prices stay the same – comment in The Scotsman, 24th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Breath of Spring air needed to blow away consumer caution – comment in The Scotsman, 23rd March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Supermarket planning bid to help protect small stores – comment in The Edinburgh Evening News, 20th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
First name terms at Starbucks is just not our cup of tea – comment in The Scotsman, 17th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Analysis: Scotland isn’t so much worse off than other UK regions – comment in The Scotsman, 14th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Markets for baby cast-offs booming – comment in Scotland on Sunday, 4th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
February 2012
Puppy love? Recession fails to hit spending on our pets – comment in The Scotsman, 25th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
High street gloom as falling sales set alarm bells ringing – comment in The Scotsman, 15th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Scots save pounds with bargain basement food shopping – comment in The Herald, 8th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Party time as younger set seal deals in mould of Tupperware – comment in The Scotsman, 4th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
January 2012
Decline of Scottish town centers: Bookies and charity shops outnumber stores on high streets – comment in The Daily Record, 19th January 2012, by Paul Freathy
