Opinion – Page 47
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OpinionRichard Hyman: Home is an expensive distraction for fashion retailers
As a throng of fashion retailers push into homewares, retail expert Richard Hyman argues they are chasing fool’s gold and should stick to the knitting.
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OpinionOpinion: Is Dunkerton’s passion enough to turn Superdry around?
He might “bleed orange” – but is passion enough to make Superdry’s interim boss Julian Dunkerton the man to return the fashion retailer to rude health?
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OpinionOpinion: How many more tomorrows will the City give Ocado?
Ocado has today reported a big slump in half-year profit – yet the City remains, for now at least, fairly sanguine.
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OpinionObituary: Arthur Ryan, Primark founder who blazed a trail
In 1969, Apollo 11 flew Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon, Jeff Bezos was just five years old and Arthur Ryan opened the doors to the first Primark store.
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OpinionMove of the Week: ‘Beating heart’ of Pret A Manger steps down
It will very soon be the end of an era at Pret A Manger, following the news that Clive Schlee will step down as chief executive at the end of September after 16 years leading the business.
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OpinionOpinion: Online retailers must face up to inconvenient truths
Online retail sales growth slowed to 0.6% in the 12 weeks to June 2, versus 8% in 2018. While we can point to the weather as being partly to blame, I think there are a few larger trends at play here.
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OpinionLeader: Retail must help itself on Brexit if new PM won’t
As the clock ticks into a pivotal month for the future of the UK and its economy, retailers could be forgiven for feeling far from optimistic.
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OpinionBryan Roberts: Sainsbury’s stores still a mixed bag
Against a backdrop of relentless discounters, a resurgent Tesco and a recovering Asda, Sainsbury’s put out its first-quarter update this morning, putting a brave face on what might be considered a tepid set of numbers.
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OpinionOpinion: JLP must beware death by a thousand cuts
John Lewis partners have been dealt a blow by the news that some of them will lose their partnership status – and thousands of pounds each year.
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OpinionLeader: Western retailers can't take success in China for granted
As Aldi launches in China, Carrefour is scaling back. The French retail giant is the latest in a long line of big international retailers to dial down their presence in the Chinese market.
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OpinionMissguided supply boss: Don’t demonise fashion’s democratisation
The retail sector’s issues around sustainability and ethics go much deeper than sounding off about a £1 bikini, says Missguided head of product quality and supply base Paul Smith
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OpinionMove of the Week: Kernan brings impressive CV to River Island
River Island has gone outside of the family to appoint its new chief executive.
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OpinionOpinion: Government rejection of fashion 1p tax is a cop-out
The government has rejected an additional tax on retail, news that might normally be welcomed, so overburdened with levies is this industry.
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OpinionOpinion: What can other retailers learn from Arcadia’s CVA?
Reading the coverage of Arcadia’s company voluntary arrangement (CVA), one could be forgiven for thinking that rather than being a matter of commerce it was, in fact, a popularity contest.
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OpinionOpinion: Time to take a leaf out of Waterstones’ book
It seems a long time ago – some people won’t even remember it – that Amazon was simply an online bookseller.
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OpinionMalcolm Walker: Iceland was right to fight GM food
In the headlines last month came news that another US jury had awarded huge damages against the chemicals giant Monsanto – $2bn in this case, to a couple who successfully argued that use of the glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup caused their cancers.
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OpinionOpinion: Founders bring authenticity – lose them at your peril
With all the recent activity, it seems a good time to review the role of founders in retail brands and when, if ever, they should step aside.
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OpinionOpinion: Ted’s tired product could make it vulnerable to takeover
Ted Baker, which was until very recently a stock market darling, has issued its second profit warning in four months.
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OpinionMove of the Week: Farfetch creates retail roles for the future
It is often said that the key to succeeding in digital commerce is the ability to create value from your data.
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OpinionLeader: Tumultuous times demand unconventional thinking
The surprise appointment of Ofcom boss Sharon White to succeed Sir Charlie Mayfield as chair of the John Lewis Partnership was unforeseen, but not unwelcome.

















