As inflation pushes hospitality prices up, customers’ patience will also start to wane Andrew Busby Last week I had the painful, and for many people, familiar experience of trying to contact an airline to redeem evouchers. Mine was a simple request but not one I felt an online chat would resolve. After navigating a tortuous route through a myriad of menus, I was informed that they were too busy to [...]
Covid Secure: we’ve spent too much time on hand sanitiser and not enough on fresh air The roll-out of the vaccine continues to be an unequivocal success story for this country, and long may it continue. Earlier this month, however, the Government made a crucial change in its communications strategy – “hands, face, space” became “hands, face, space, fresh air”. This is a subtle, yet significant amendment. It points to the [...]
Are supermarkets right to return their business rates relief to the Treasury? Are the big supermarkets right to return their business rates relief to the Treasury? Josh Williams, speechwriter and managing director at The Draft, says YES. Doing well in a crisis is a risky business. There is a thin line between those who turn a profit and those who profiteer. The supermarkets have had a good [...]
Tis the season for retailers to rethink the Christmas chaos December 2, 2020 Today, Wednesday 2 December 2020, is likely to be like no other for retail. A month after many retailers were obliged to close at the very moment they would be expecting to enjoy their busiest time of year, and with just three weeks to go before the big day — Christmas — itself, they are [...]
From hero to zero: How supermarkets became the villains of the pandemic November 20, 2020 The recent news from Public Health England (PHE) that supermarkets are the most frequent common exposure setting for those catching Covid-19 in England is both shocking and devastating. But should we really be too surprised? PHE used data collated from the NHS test and trace app during the lockdown in November when supermarkets, as in [...]
There is another way out of these Hotel California lockdowns November 5, 2020 With the nights now drawing in, the weather growing more miserable by the day, and another lockdown starting today, this is beginning to feel more like being trapped in the Hotel California. We’re all just prisoners here, of our own device. But what if there was a better way out? According to official figures, Covid-19 [...]
Woolworths may not be making a return, but our love of retail is October 28, 2020 Admit it, you did it, I did it, we all did it at least once — pinching from the pick n mix at your local Woolworths. And sadly, all that came to an end in December 2008, when all remaining Woolworths stores were shuttered for good. As a nation we mourned. We mourned the loss [...]
Help retail workers weather the mental health storm October 21, 2020 You’re having “one of those days” — you know, the kind we all seem to be having with increasing regularity. But you’ve got to pop to the shops to pick up some essentials. Parking is a nightmare, and to cap it all, it’s raining. You’re anxious about all sorts of things and quite frankly, you’re [...]
Christmas isn’t cancelled — Santa is accepting buy now, pay later October 13, 2020 One thing’s for sure: we’re going to be tempted to spend more than ever this Christmas, because 2020 has not been a joyful year. Let’s face it, if 2020 were a wine, it would be reduced to being a bin-end, and a pretty poor one at that. But as furlough unwinds, and with a no-deal [...]
Inside Missguided: Welcome to a world of celebrities, swearing, and knock-off fast fashion August 21, 2020 What is it about Manchester for producing creativity? The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Simply Red, The Verve – I could fill a whole page with the successful bands that have come out of Manchester. Then there’s Manchester-based brands and retailers: the Co-op, Kellogg’s, Warburtons, Betfred, AO.com. And then of course, there’s fashion. The Very Group, [...]
