As Americans get out their flags and fire up their barbeques in celebration of their independence, Retail Week looks at how the US has helped mould UK retail.
1. The pound shop
Retailers like Poundland and 99p Stores are rapidly taking over British high streets and are on many an investor’s watchlist, however single price-point retailing was started in the US. Dollar stores have a long history across the pond starting life in the 1870s and were only brought to the UK when Poundland opened in 1990.
2. Black Friday
The discounting frenzy, which kickstarts the US Christmas shopping season on the day after Thanksgiving, has fast been making its way onto our shores. Amazon was the first to bring it over back in 2010 but last year the likes of Apple, Asda, Tesco and The Hut Group jumped on the Black Friday bandwagon. More retailers are expected to follow this year as Black Friday looks set to become an annual tradition for the UK shopper too.
3. Vouchers
The high street has seemed awash with paper coupons over the past year as the big four grocers have embarked on voucher wars. And it’s not just supermarkets – Boots and WH Smith are also big users of coupons. UK retailers have clearly taken inspiration from our American cousins. The average US shopper has a purse packed full of coupons and loves their money-saving properties. Ignoring the coupon model can have dire consequences as former JC Penney boss Ron Johnson found out. As part of his turnaround plan he withdrew coupons last year and found that sales soon collapsed. Johnson was ousted from his role earlier this year.
4. Amazon
The Seattle-based online giant, which launched in 1995, came to the UK in 1998. Amazon has not only set the model for online retail in the UK but has transformed retail as a whole. Few retailers are unaffected by Amazon’s phenomenal range and hard-to-beat prices and it has been cited as one of the reasons for the downfall of the likes of Comet, HMV and Jessops. However, the online goliath has also helped drive innovation across online retail in areas such as personalisation and fulfilment.
5. Customer service
‘Service with a smile’ is the mantra of American retail staff and impeccable customer service has migrated to the UK. John Lewis’ focus on service and its partners’ determination to go over and above to give the customer what they want – even sending them off to other retailers – has made shoppers trust it and seek it out.
6. The mall
There is much talk of the death of the British high street with the rise of the super mall such as the Westfield complexes. With oodles of parking spaces and a plethora of brands under one roof, UK shoppers have, like our American counterparts, become lovers of a mall. And with new mega malls such as Westfield and Hammerson’s £1bn joint venture centre in Croydon and Westfield Bradford getting underway the trend towards the shopping centre shows no sign of abating.
7. The Drive Thru
Picking up goods without leaving your car started off life in the US, but not with the humble Big Mac. It was first used in the 1930s at the Grand National Bank of St Louis, Missouri. It was soon adopted by fast food restaurants but now, in the UK, the format is being used in retail. Department store Selfridges is launching a drive-thru service at its Oxford Street flagship store next year and grocer Asda has also adopted the format at seven locations. Boots has also trailled the offer.
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