RIP Wilko: How another high street chain went to the wall September 11, 2023 After more than 90 years on the high street, Wilko and all its 400 stores will vanish by early October. Its 12,500 staff were hoping that HMV owner Doug Putman would be able to close a rescue deal that would see several hundred stores saved. But the Canadian entrepreneur abandoned talks with the high street [...]
Wilko may look like Woolies 2.0, but a new buyer should save it from collapse August 11, 2023 Wilco’s collapse into administration put tens of thousands of jobs at risk, but the high street staple should have a future if a buyer sees beyond the hysteria, writes George MacDonald.
Analysis: Wilko collapse is the Woolworths of this financial crisis August 10, 2023 The collapse of Woolworths was described as “the first domino of physical retail Armageddon.” Although it might not justify that epithet, the collapse of Wilko shows which way the wind is now blowing.
The fate of John Lewis vs Debenhams is a parable in how to adapt to the future December 7, 2022 Emerging technologies, from AI and machine learning to edge computing and the metaverse, are fundamentally revolutionising how data is captured and used by businesses in the UK. The effective application of this data can have a transformational effect on the performance of an organisation. In the UK, we’ve had clear examples of this working to [...]
T.M. Lewin faces legal battle after workers win £439,000 employment lawsuit against collapsed firm April 19, 2022 Clothing retailer T.M. Lewin faces a lengthy legal battle over claims it was required to consult employees before firing them, after an employment tribunal told it to pay out a total of £439,000 to more than 100 of its former staff, lawyers have said. The comments come after an employment tribunal ruled that T.M. Lewin [...]
WPP snaps up delivery tech firm Satalia in AI push August 23, 2021 WPP has snapped up a London-based tech firm specialising in home delivery services in a move that will boost the ad giant’s artificial intelligence offering. The FTSE media group today said it had acquired Satalia, which is one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech companies and serves major clients such as BT, Tesco and Unilever. Following [...]
High street decline May 5, 2021 With high streets in turmoil and recovery slow, high street graveyards are becoming a common sight across the UK. The past 12 months have not been easy for the vast majority of companies, in particular for those without an online platform. However, the struggle of the high street is not a new problem. Rewind a few years [...]
Covid was the final lever for the creative destruction of the high street: it’s not gone, just changing March 8, 2021 If you believe some of the gloomier predictions, the high street is on life support and will breathe its last when the government eventually pulls the plug on the comprehensive Covid relief package that has kept it alive. Last week’s budget offers another lifeline but is, in effect, a stay of execution in a process [...]
Scrapping the VAT refund for tourists would be catastrophic for the UK economy October 30, 2020 Retail, hospitality and tourism are three of the sectors that have been hardest hit by Covid-19 and the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Employing close to six million people, job losses in these sectors are expected to be devastating. The government should be doing all it can to support these businesses at this critical time. Instead, it [...]
Covid-19 ‘doughnut effect’ creates retail opportunities in outer London, experts say October 28, 2020 Outer London boroughs have recovered faster from the coronavirus restrictions than the city centre, creating a “doughnut effect”, which could provide new opportunities for retailers and landlords, experts have said. Research by estate agent Savills showed that in the six weeks to 23 October footfall in the City and Westminster was down 72 per cent [...]