Alan Monahan writes: Were you at Spring Fair? I’ve visited since 1997 and this year it was one of my more enjoyable experiences. Old-timers complain that ‘trade shows aren’t what they used to be’. They’re not – and neither is the gift industry. The online world and fewer shops have seen to that. But at
Alan Monahan writes: I popped into my local coffee shop the other day to be greeted by a hand-written sign on the counter: ‘Sorry, we can only accept cash payments.’ Oh dear, their computer had crashed and the barista was painstakingly noting all transactions on a piece of paper. Never mind. I always carry cash.
Retail Reflections: computer crashed and shop was happy to take my cash Read More »
Alan Monahan writes: Back in 2005 some bright spark decided that Blue Monday was the most depressing day on the calendar. Until then I had always regarded it as one of my favourite Fats Domino songs. Anyway, apart from worrying about what I was going to write on Blue Monday – which fell on January
Retail Reflections: Sleuthy Shoppers are ‘recent traitors to materialism’ Read More »
Alan Monahan writes: Fed up with reading downbeat pre and post-holiday stories about footfall and predicted sales, I turned in desperation to Amazon Echo, my new Christmas toy, to find out if the future looked brighter for retailers. Surely the all-knowing Alexa would be able to tell me if shop owners could expect economic salvation
Retail Reflections: Can small retailers fill the void left by big chain stores? Read More »
The continued surge in online shopping will see over £2.5bn of unwanted Christmas presents returned to retailers, according to LCP Consulting. Stuart Higgins, its director of retail, says: ‘The price retailers have to pay for online growth is pretty substantial.’ UK consumers lead the world when it comes to internet shopping, with an average of
Alan Monahan writes: I do hope that your Christmas sales have defied the grim predictions of the doomsayers. For what is supposed to be the most joyful time of the year, recent data has been less than upbeat In my last column I said that the jury was out regarding Black Friday. Well, Visa UK
Retail Reflections: don’t despair of the data, you can still put money in the till Read More »
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