Tag Archives: Pricing

How is consumer spending around Christmas 2023 likely to affect retailers?

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Leigh Sparks

Retailing has been going through a challenging time in the last three or four years. The restrictions and disruption of Covid have given way to an extreme cost-of-living crisis and an almost apocalyptic sense of uncertainty on a geo-political level. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Consumer Change, Consumers, Cost of Living, Economics Observatory, Energy Costs, ESRC, Government, Inflation, Office for National Statistics, Pricing, Retailers, Retailing, Sales, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail Disruptors – the spectacular rise and impact of the hard discounters

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Leigh Sparks

The rise of the hard discounters is a well-observed phenomenon of continuing research endeavour and commentary.  In the UK, as is well known, Aldi and Lidl have captured considerable market share over the last decade. ‘Retail Disruptors’ by Jan-Benedict Steenkamp … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Aldi, Competition, Consumer Choice, Discounters, Food Retailing, Jack's, Lidl, Market Shares, Pricing, Retail Change, Retailers, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Scottish Diet and Retail Shops

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Leigh Sparks

The Scottish diet has become a short-hand for unhealthy living.  All the evidence points to its stubborn lack of change despite information, exhortation and even small measures of legislation.  Whilst retailers and manufacturers have taken some actions on reformulation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Advertising, Availability, Behavioural Economics, Brands, Consumer Choice, Consumer Lifestyle, Diet and Health, Discounts, Food Retailing, Food Standards, Healthcare Retail Standard, Labelling, Marketing, Merchandising, Policy, Pricing, Research, Retail Policy, Retailers, Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Retailing, Small Shops, Space, Sugar Tax, Supermarket, Suppliers, Tax, Unit Pricing, University of Stirling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

An Unholy Trinity: Brexit, Marmite and Toblerone

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Last week was all about a divided nation. Were you cheering or crying when Marmite was removed from Tesco’s shelves? The delicious irony that Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco, used to work for Unilever, the makers of Marmite and various … Continue reading →

Posted in Availability, Brands, Brexit, Buying, Discounters, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Marmite, Pricing, Product Sizes, Relationships, Stock, Supply Chains, Tesco, Toblerone, Unilever | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Women Charged More on the High Street

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Last week there was a media flurry about the The Times report that women are routinely charged more for similar or essentially the same items by some retailers. This “BIC for her” phenomenon seems to be more prevalent than thought. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brands, Consumers, Discriminatory Pricing, High Streets, Legislation, Pricing, Retailers, Sexism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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