Tag Archives: Alcohol

‘Writing the Rules of the Game’: Non-market Strategy, commercial interests and health policy

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Leigh Sparks

The UK Government has recently published a set of proposals and statements about restricting commercial activity as part of an approach to tackle obesity.  We have also seen the first stage of a ‘National’ Food Strategy be published.  In Scotland … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Alcohol, Consumers, Diet and Health, Food Retailing, Food Standards Scotland, Health, Healthcare Retail Standard, Hospital Shops, Large Store Levy, Markets, Non-market Strategy, Politicians, Profits, Promotion, Public Health, Public Health lev, Public Policy, Regulation, Retail Levy, Scottish Government, Sugar Tax, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas and more in March – but only for some

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Leigh Sparks

On the 31st March, Kantar released their data on the last four weeks of grocery sales and the figures were eye-watering, outperforming Christmas sales and periods. March was the biggest month of grocery sales in the UK ever recorded. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Christmas, Community Grocer, Consumer Change, Convenience stores, Covid19, Data, Food, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Kantar, Lidl, Local Retailers, Logistics, Non-food retailing, Online Retailing, Panic buying, Restaurants, Retail Change, Retail Sales, Retailers, Sainsbury, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fight Time? The Boxing Day Petition

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

The issue of opening hours for shops is something that has been an ever-present during my time as an academic.  The product-based absurdities of the late 1970s and early 1980s were eventually swept away as opening hours were modernised and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Black Friday, Boxing Day, Campaigns, Christmas, Consumer Lifestyle, Cyber Monday, Employees, Employment, Employment practices, Government, Internet shopping, Legislation, Online Retailing, Opening Hours, Petitions, Regulation, Small Shops, Supermarket | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What Are Retailers For?

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

My recent visit to Poland and the symposium on sustainable development discussion brought back memories from my first visit to Poland in 1987 and discussions we had there around retail location and the purpose of retailing. In that not quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Diet and Health, Legislation, Plastic Bags, Retail Levy, Scotland, Scottish Government, Tobacco | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Buckie or Bruichladdich? You Pay the Price

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Leigh Sparks

Scotland’s relationship with fags and booze has been one of the main foci for this government.  It is, as I’ve argued before, the fig leaf behind which hypocrisy, sorry modesty, is preserved, as in the laughably titled ‘health levy’. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Diet and Health, Government, Pricing, Promotion, Tax | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My Levy is Your Tax

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Leigh Sparks

It might not have been in the manifesto, but it certainly made headlines. Wandering into the newsagent yesterday morning, John Swinney would have seen an almost uniform newspaper lead coverage on his new “Public Health Levy”. Only, the words used … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Consumers, Convenience stores, Food Retailing, Government, Pricing, Regulation, Retail Levy, Retail Policy, Retailers, Tax, Uncategorized, Vacancies | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Just Majestic

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Leigh Sparks

Drafting legislation must be a thankless task. All those lawyers, double meanings, wriggle room, my version of certainty against your version … and that’s before the MSPs get their hands on it. What a job … cross fingers and hope … Continue reading →

Posted in Discounts, Government, International Retailing, Majestic, Online Retailing, Pricing, Promotion, Regulation, Retailers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments