Tag Archives: Consumer change

Toast – Green Shield Stamps

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Leigh Sparks

Green Shield Stamps could be traded in for ‘free’ gifts so why did consumers abandon them? Sean Farrington examines their rise and fall and discovers how they spawned a famous retail chain which is still trading. The stamps were the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, Argos, Brands, Catalogues, Consumer Change, Consumers, Green Shield Stamps, Loyalty, Loyalty Schemes, Retail Failure, Retail History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Great Expectations

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Leigh Sparks

I was not intending to add to my previous two posts on data and reporting (footfall and store openings and closures), but then I saw the coverage (looking at you again in the first instance BBC) of last week’s Scottish … Continue reading →

Posted in BRC, Consumer Change, Consumers, Data, Food Retailing, Non-food retailing, Retail Change, Retail Sales, Retailers, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Retail Sales, Towns, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

London’s Welsh Dairies: The Welsh Milk Trade

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Leigh Sparks

As a child I remember people mentioning the ‘milk train’ between London and South Wales, but was never sure if it was first up or last down or both. Before I married, my fiancée and I went to stay in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Buildings, Consumer Change, Consumers, Customer Service, distribution, Food, Food Retailing, Heritage, High Streets, Historic Shops, History, Independents, London, MIlk, Retail Change, Retail History, Sanders Bros, Shopfronts, Signage, Uncategorized, Urban History, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Trading Places: our Town and Country Planning Columns

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

In 2012 Anne Findlay and I attempted to take over from Professor Cliff Guy who had provided the Trading Places columns in Town and Country Planning for 12 years.  In the subsequent 6 years we have produced 23 columns, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Alcohol, BIDS, Bill Grimsey, Bookmakers, Consumer Change, Consumers, Farm Shops, Food Retailing, Government, High Streets, Internet shopping, Mary Portas, Places, Planning, Pop-Up Shops, Proactive Planning, Rates, Resilience, Retail Change, Retail Parks, Retail Planning, Retail Policy, Social Inequality, Town & Country PLanning, Town Centre Review, Town Centres, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Argos catalogues – a fascinating historical archive”

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

Rather to my surprise, in the eight or so years this blog has been in existence I seem not to have mentioned my collection of Argos catalogues, except tangentially.  Built up and in-filled after an initial donation some 20 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Argos, Brands, Catalogues, Consumer Change, Corporate History, Design, History, Milton Keynes, Pricing, Products, Research, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retail History, Retailers, Social Change | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Waaaagaaamaaamaaa – Tesco and Booker spring a surpise (perhaps)

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Leigh Sparks

I read something the other day whereby the author noted that such was the bad news coming out of this government and the USA so far in January, they were getting nostalgic for the calm and reason of 2016. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Association of Convenience Stores, Booker, Click and Collect, Competition, Competition and Markets Authority, Consumer Change, Consumer Lifestyle, Convenience stores, Food and Beverage, Food Retailing, Mergers, Restaurants, Retail Change, Tesco, Wholesaling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Boldly Going to the Borders

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

The 8th September this year was notable for a couple of anniversaries.  In 2015 the Queen formally re-opened the Borders Railway.  It was also 50 years since the first episode of Star Trek was broadcast; may retailers ‘live long and … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer Change, Convenience stores, Cooperative Group, Food Retailing, High Streets, Local Retailers, Places, Retail Change, Retailers, Rural, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scotland's Towns Partnership, Scottish Borders, Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, Scottish Grocers Federation, Small Towns, Town Centres, Towns | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Conversation: What is Going on at Tesco?

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

The University of Stirling is a supporter of The Conversation, and I published a commentary there yesterday. I reblog it here. My commentary, perhaps unsurprisingly, was on the goings-on at Tesco, which has been something of a running theme on … Continue reading →

Posted in Click and Collect, Competition, Consumer Change, Discounters, Finance, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Retail Failure, Tesco | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retailing, High Streets, Town Centres and Stirling

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Leigh Sparks

I don’t often get to watch much daytime TV, especially at work, but that’s another thing the internet is transforming. The ability to stream TV direct to my desktop has opened up new panoramas (and I don’t mean Jeremy Kyle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Grimsey, Consumers, Government, High Streets, Internet, Mary Portas, Places, Stirling, Town Centres | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Changing Times – the ONS Inflation Basket

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Leigh Sparks

As I write this entry, I am about to make a presentation at a business conference on the changing nature of retailing and the future of the high street. There are a number of themes I aim to pursue but … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Consumer Change, Data | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment