More finance – Page 170
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Opinion
Michael Poynor: Why the fast and the focused will win
As the economy slows down, speed paradoxically grows in importance.
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Opinion
City Insider: Morrisons is well placed to win
Morrisons unveiled a surge in sales and profits last week, but the retailer was rewarded not with an investor buying spree but by its shares touching a two-year low.
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Opinion
A whiff of panic about Tesco
At a time when such excitement has been focused on the discount grocery retailers it was always going to be a question of when, rather than if, Tesco fought back.
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Analysis
Product information: Knowledge is power
In a culture where customers are empowered to find product information for themselves, retailers are in danger of losing authority in their field. Liz Morrell finds out why it’s crucial they take control.
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Analysis
Currency shifts: Less bang for your buck
As the dollar gains strength against the pound and inflation creeps up, George MacDonald investigates how badly the shift could hurt retailers in this already stricken climate.
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Opinion
City Insider: Simon Fox is working magic at HMV
There was no new Harry Potter book this year to summon up book sales but that other sorcerer, Magic Circle member and HMV boss Simon Fox, still managed to conjure an impressive performance at group level.
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Opinion
Act tough now and win later
As famed former Marks & Spencer boss Sir Richard Greenbury points out on page 23, retailers have had a good run. Such a good one, in fact, that many of today’s senior retailers won’t have worked through a recession. Not many of us here at Retail Week have either.
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Opinion
Retail can and will get through this
In 10 years of following retail and the City, I can safely say the sector has not been so out of favour with the Square Mile as over the past year or so. Sure, there have been spills – the boom and bust of the dotcom era, economic fears after ...
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Analysis
Is this really the worst of times?
As Alistair Darling’s sobering comments on the downturn hit home, George MacDonald asks industry experts what truth lies behind the figures and what the impact will be for retail.
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Opinion
What hope for Christmas?
The dog days of August are almost over. Store chiefs and analysts are back from Monaco and Mustique (or Margate, for those whose options are under water). And the countdown has begun to the year’s biggest retail blowout: Christmas.
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Opinion
Will a new rider alter Woolies’ course?
The going was far from good, but Sir Stuart made it over the hurdles to land his dream job of executive chairman at Marks & Spencer.
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Opinion
Even food can lose its flavour
In tough times, investors seek refuge in defensive stocks. In retail that usually means food, but how safe a bet are the big grocers?
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Analysis
Do your research
In tough times insight into customers is more important than ever, because it enables retailers to give shoppers exactly what they want. Liz Morrell finds out how it can help steal a march on rivals.
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Opinion
Tata and Tesco tie-up is ideal
Tesco this week finally secured a long-awaited deal enabling it to enter what many believe is the most exciting and potentially lucrative market in the world – India.
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Opinion
Retailers need to restore faith
During tough times we should be helping our customers, not passing cost hikes on to them.
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Opinion
Dispute laws were wrong for retailers
Instead of calling someone in and having a word, it was straight to written warnings and formal meetings.
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Opinion
Recession would be different this time
However we term the downturn, we are entering poorly chartered territory with out-of-date maps.
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Opinion
One year on the crunch still bites
August is the quietest month in the retail calendar, with most store chiefs taking well-earned holidays. Yet last August those chief execs – and indeed the world – were hit with something that made them put down their cocktails and dust off their blackberries.
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Opinion
Retail needs team players
“Commission returns in bid to boost sales” was Retail Week’s first ever front page headline. “In an abrupt reversal of recent trends, retailers are bringing back commission as a way of generating extra sales,” the story read.