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Showing posts from September, 2020

Transforming Retail Winners: OneStock – Editor’s Special Award

Sponsored by Womble Bond Dickinson and Openpay We asked all our winners in this year’s Transforming Retail Awards to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their winning entry. Order management system OneStock jointly won the Editor’s Special Award for its agile Web to Store IT system which allowed Whistles to unify their stock (e-commerce, warehouses, points of sale, suppliers) and fulfil orders from every selling channel, turning stores into efficient, productive multi-channel centres. Romulus Grigoras, CEO of OneStock with his winning certificate How do you feel about winning this Award? OneStock is really happy to have won this very special award. It is great to get recognition from industry leaders and our peers. I am very proud of our team for delivering such a high quality and efficient product after several years of research and development. Today we can really see the relevance of the system we have developed. The market for highly efficient order manageme

Ocado share price soars as UK shifts to online grocery shopping

Tesco still delivers far more food to doorsteps but is now valued lower on stock market It may account for less than 2% of the groceries sold in the UK compared to Tesco’s near 27% share of the nation’s food shopping, but the stock market value of 20-year-old Ocado is now greater than that of the 100-year-old supermarket giant – a change that could reflect the future of the weekly shop. A sharp increase in the speed of the shift to online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has pushed up Ocado’s share price by 155% since March. As a result it is now valued at £21bn, compared to Tesco’s £20.9bn, even though Tesco delivers far more food to Britain’s doorsteps. Continue reading... from Retail industry | The Guardian https://ift.tt/34b5JKB via IFTTT

Silver Lake co-investors to invest Rs 1,875 crore more into Reliance Retail

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) announced on Wednesday that co-investors of Silver Lake will invest an additional Rs 1,875 crore into RRVL, a subsidiary of RIL. This brings the aggregate investment by Silver Lake and its co-investors in RRVL to Rs 9,375 crore, which will translate into a 2.13 percent […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3l4WqCS via IFTTT

Cinema halls to open from October 15 with 50 pc seating capacity

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines for permitting more activities in areas outside the containment zones that include opening up cinemas, theatres and multiplexes with up to 50 percent of their seating capacity from October 15 . In a statement, it said the activities permitted from October 15 in areas outside the […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/2GqepEq via IFTTT

Five winning mantras for consumer goods and retailing industry

Kearney, a leading global management consulting firm, published a whitepaper titled, ‘Decoding the success of Consumer Goods and Retailing leaders’. The whitepaper conducts an in-depth analysis of the consumer goods space over past five years and distils out five winning mantras which have helped leaders build a phenomenal competitive edge. As companies slowly recover and […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3ik8ONs via IFTTT

Delhivery to create 15,000 festive season jobs, eyes 100 pc growth

Aiming to create 15,000 seasonal jobs, leading supply chain services provider Delhivery said on Wednesday it is geared up to ship 65 million to 75 million packages in the upcoming festive season — almost a 100 percent growth over the last year. The seasonal job openings span over last mile, first-mile pickups, hubs, service centres, […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/33k1SvA via IFTTT

Amazon creates over 1 lakh jobs ahead of festive season

Amazon India on Wednesday said that it has created more than 1 lakh seasonal job opportunities across its operations network in the country ahead of the festive season. The new associates will join Amazon’s existing network of associates and support them to pick, pack, ship and deliver customers’ orders safely and efficiently, the company said […] from Indiaretailing.com https://ift.tt/3jmmc4M via IFTTT

Coles celebrates International Coffee Day with Melbourne’s finest roasters

Coles coffee sales “soar” amid Covid-19 as Aussies switch to café quality coffee at home to reap “major savings.” Coles UCC Double Espresso. Coffee drinkers across the nation are “saving thousands” by making the switch to Coles’ coffee range, bringing ethically sourced, Melbourne-brewed café quality coffee to the comfort of Aussie homes at an “affordable” price. “The global pandemic has seen coffee sales “soar” at Coles since March with coffee capsules increasing by more than 50%, pure coffee (beans and ground) swelling by almost 30%, coffee mixers rising by 20% and instant coffee up by 10%,” according to Coles, “proving that customers are looking for that quality cup of coffee at home.” Over the past 12 months, Coles has sold 16 million kilos of coffee, with Victoria – the coffee capital – leading the way consuming 3.7 million kg followed by NSW and SA [3.5m kg], Queensland [3.2m kgs], WA [1.5m kg] and Tasmania [350,000 kg]. To meet Australia’s growing demand for coffee, Coles

AFGC backs government’s manufacturing strategy

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement that confirms the importance of growing a strong, resilient, and competitive food and beverage manufacturing sector in Australia. The new Modern Manufacturing Strategy calls out the sector as one of the six national manufacturing priorities as part of the government’s centre piece in the 2020-21 Federal Budget. According to AFGC, this strategy not only delivers much needed confidence to encourage investment but the almost $1.5 billion that goes with it for a modern manufacturing initiative, supply chain resilience initiative and round two of the manufacturing modernisation fund backs it up. AFGC CEO Tanya Barden says that this is a “huge boost” to the confidence of the sector, which directly employs 247,000 Aussies and has room to grow. “We are keen to create a roadmap for the future of the sector, working with the government to ensure that investment hits where it is needed, and roadblocks a

New head of safety & wellbeing for Frucor Suntory

Frucor Suntory has announced the appointment of Joanne Van Den Berg as Head of Safety & Wellbeing. Joanne Van Den Berg is Frucor Suntory’s new Head of Safety & Wellbeing. Based in Auckland, Ms Van Den Berg will be a key player as part of Frucor Suntory’s People Leadership Team. She is passionate about the continued improvement of Frucor Suntory’s Health & Safety and wellbeing culture. Ms Van Den Berg has an extensive background in safety and wellbeing. She has held a number of safety roles at Air New Zealand and the Department of Corrections, where she led their Safety Business Partnering function. The recent Covid-19 pandemic saw Ms Van Den Berg lead the Safety & Wellbeing response at the Department of Corrections, where strong collaboration and agile thinking were key to ensuring the Department could operate safely and people were supported. During her time at Air New Zealand, Ms Van Den Berg led the company’s Health and Safety Worker Participation and Engage

Mars Wrigley appoints new Chief Financial Officer

Mars Wrigley Australia has announced the appointment of Duncan Webster as Chief Financial Officer. With over two decades of experience in corporate finance and strategic planning, Mr Webster will lead the financial management of the treats and snacks business from its headquarters in Melbourne. Mr Webster has held various senior roles at the company since 2003, including in the chocolate and pet care segments at both the global and market level. Most recently, he spent three years in Chicago as the Global Chocolate Business Unit Finance Director of Mars Wrigley where he played a lead role in the development of value creation plans for Mars Wrigley’s “iconic” brands, including M&M’s, Snickers and Maltesers. Prior to this, Mr Webster was the Chief Financial Officer for Mars Chocolate Australia delivering “strong performance and record successive growth” over that time. During his tenure at Mars, Mr Webster is said to have been instrumental in delivering continued strong performa

Boohoo reports sales surge despite Leicester supplier scandal

Hoodies and T-shirts sell well but Covid means Christmas dress stocks are scaled back Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A wave of negative publicity about working conditions at Boohoo’s Leicester suppliers has not dented demand at the online fashion retailer as sales rose by 45% during the coronavirus pandemic. Pre-tax profits at the group, which owns Oasis, Warehouse, Pretty Little Thing, Nasty Gal and Karen Millen, jumped 51% to £68.1m as sales rose to £816.5m in the six months to 31 August, well ahead of the £773m expected by City analysts. Continue reading... from Retail industry | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3n6n0gH via IFTTT

Sephora taps Instacart for same-day delivery

Sephora has partnered with grocery delivery app Instacart, allowing it to offer same-day delivery in the US and Canada. Customers will be able to shop from the retailer’s make-up and beauty range through the Instacart app, accessing promotions and earning points on orders placed. Once the order is placed, the Instacart personal shopper will pick and deliver the order according to the shopper’s preference. The same-day delivery service is now available in stores in California and Canada, with the option set to expand to over 400 stores in coming weeks. Carolyn Bojanowski, SVP and GM of eCommerce for Sephora, said: “We’re always looking for unique, yet practical ways to meet our clients at every touchpoint; and now more than ever, we know they seek ease and convenience. With our Instacart partnership, we can offer a new same-day delivery service option to our existing clients, and also introduce some of the benefits of being a Sephora client to Instacart’s marketplace.” Chris Rogers

Why PXM is the Future of Retail – and Why Your Brand Needs It

Our solution, OMIO PIM , has a PXM-approach and we’re often asked what this means. PXM is one of the latest retail technology buzzwords and, essentially, it’s the next evolution of PIM. PXM can bring so many benefits to brands, their teams and to their customers alike; in fact, the benefits it brings are integral to the future of retail. Meet PXM Where traditional PIM (product information management) systems were purely about managing product information within an organisation, PXM (product experience management) allows retailers to create many optimised versions of a product that is applicable and adaptable for every marketplace. It creates the right user experience per channel; buyers and merchandisers can create many optimised versions with data that supplies the customer’s demands, especially crucial when research shows that 76% of global consumers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations (Salesforce 2018). 76% of global consumers expect companies to understa

Retail rent arrears “to exceed £2bn” as landlords warn on lower payments

// Retail rent arrears are set to exceed £2bn // Landlords anticipate receiving less than half of due payments for the third quarter of 2020 // Landlords saw around £1.5bn of rent payments go unpaid during Q1 and Q2 this year Retail rent arrears are set to exceed £2 billion as landlords anticipate receiving less than half of due payments for the third quarter of 2020, an industry body has warned. Revo said landlords are expecting another set of low payment figures after Tuesday’s deadline for quarterly rent. “Retail property owners are braced for another hugely damaging quarter with fears that once again less than 50 per cent of rent due will be paid by operators whatever their balance sheets,” Revo chief executive Vivienne King said. READ MORE: Boots under fire for “unethical” approach to rent negotiations Trade bodies urge govt to cover 50% of rents to keep businesses afloat Rent relief row comes to a head for retailers and landlords The organisation said landlords

Topps Tiles warns of sales drop despite “robustly positive” fourth quarter

// Topps Tiles said for the 52 week period to September 26, trading “remained robustly positive” // Like-for-like sales were up 16.5% in the 13 weeks to September 26, 2020 // All of its stores were now open with “social distancing and hygiene protocols in place” Topps Tiles has reported a “robustly positive” fourth quarter of trading and now expects a “modest level of adjusted profit before tax” for the end of its financial year. For the 52 week period to September 26, the home and DIY retailer said that trading “remained robustly positive”, which reflects the “robust home improvement market”. Like-for-like sales were up 16.5 per cent in the 13 weeks to September 26, 2020, which boosted “confidence that the group will generate a modest level of adjusted profit before tax” for the financial year. READ MORE: Topps Tiles welcomes new chief financial officer In terms of average weekly sales, Topps Tiles said it had been tracking at double digit year-on-year growth since July.

N Brown sales recover thanks to rising demand in homeware

// N Brown said product revenue losses stabilised to 20.5% during first half of the year // Group revenues recovered to be down 17.6%, from a 22% drop in the first quarter of the year N Brown has reported a recovery in first quarter sales thanks to a rise in demand for its new homeware range. The group, which owns Jacamo, JD Williams and Simply Be, said that product revenue losses had stabilised to 20.5 per cent during the first half of the year. For the six months to August 29, N Brown said 92 per cent of all sales across its stable of brands came through ecommerce. READ MORE: N Brown full year profits fall 29% Meanwhile, group revenues recovered to be down 17.6 per cent, from a 22 per cent drop in the first quarter of the year. The fashion group said that in the second quarter of the year “revenue trajectory has continued to improve” from the “significant decline” at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. The recovery was driven by apparel sales, which N Brown said “co

Hammerson hires Canadian real estate boss as new CEO

// Hammerson drafts in Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive // Gagné was previously the president of growth markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge Hammerson has appointed the former Canadian president of growth markets at a real estate firm, Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive. Gagné was previously the president of growth markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge where she oversaw real estate assets across Asia Pacific and Latin America. Prior to joining Ivanhoé in 2006, she worked in various property markets across the world, including the UK, France and Germany. READ MORE: Hammerson eyes Canadian real estate boss as new CEO Hammerson CEO candidate steps down days after fundraising £800m Gagné will succeed current chief executive David Atkins to take the helm at the embattled owner of the Bullring shopping centre. “I am delighted that Rita-Rose will join Hammerson as our next chief executive, Hammerson chairman Robert Noel said. “She has an excellent track record in internation

Boohoo Group profits surge despite “most challenging time”

// Boohoo Group reports rise in profits despite its “most challenging time” // Profit before tax for the group rose 51% year on year to £68.1m in the 6 months to August 31 // Adjusted EBITDA increased 48% to £89.8m during the period Boohoo Group, which owns Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, and Oasis and Warehouse among others, has reported a rise in profits despite a “challenging” time. Profit before tax for the group rose 51 per cent year on year to £68.1 million in the six months to August 31, 2020. Adjusted EBITDA rose 48 per cent to £89.8 million in the period, compared to the same six months in 2019. READ MORE: Boohoo urges US court to drop £79m fake discount lawsuit Probe reveals “many failings” in Boohoo supply chain Revenues were up 45 per cent to £816.5 million, due to strong revenue growth across all geographies and brands. International revenue increased by 55 per cent, while UK revenue was up by 37 per cent. Boohoo Group now expects its revenue growth for the y

Innovative Retailer: Selfridges

Brought to you by Retail Insider and Flooid Name: Selfridges The Place: One of the grande dames of the department stores of London’s Oxford Street (and now Birmingham and Manchester too) but one which has always been a bit wild and exuberant and just a teeny bit off the wall. Like Princess Margaret to the Queen’s Fortnum & Mason if you will. There used to be 16 little mini Selfridges but these were sold off in the 1940s to John Lewis. Nowadays the chain is owned by Wittington Investments run by the Weston family which also owns…wait for it…Fortnum & Mason. The Story:  Seriously, have you not watched the TV series about brash Yankee Harry Selfridge? I think that might have been mainly fiction: Well you say that but they definitely got some of it right. The showmanship, the slightly un-English razzamatazz of it all, the business of the perfume counter in the front hall (shocking), the Bleriot aeroplane on show and other such dramatic Edwardian moments. But just in ca

Shop prices fall in September but no-deal Brexit may impact retail, BRC says

// Shop prices dropped in September as retailers cut prices to encourage spending // Shop prices fell 1.6% in September compared to August Shop prices have continued to drop in September as retailers cut prices in order to encourage further spending, but a no-deal Brexit may come at a cost. Shop prices fell 1.6 per cent in September compared to August, according to the latest BRC Nielsen Shop Price Index. This is below the 12 month average price decrease of 1.1 per cent, but above the six month average price decrease of 1.7 per cent, respectively. READ MORE: Shop prices fall for 15th month but Brexit uncertainty could lead to inflation Non-food prices dropped 3.2 per cent in September compared to a decline of 3.4 per cent in August. This is below the 12 month average price decline of 2.6 per cent, but above the six month average price decline of 3.5 per cent. Food inflation eased to 1.2 per cent in September, down from 1.3 per cent in August. This is below the 12 and six m

You went online during COVID-19, now what?

The gradual migration from the offline to online economy has been kicked into overdrive, with a surge in ecommerce that is showing no signs of slowing post-lockdown. Australian consumers began taking an ecommerce-first approach to shopping, with entirely new demographics doing so for the first time. Against this backdrop, Australian businesses seized the opportunity: between March and June, more than 10,000 new businesses came online with Stripe in Australia, and accrued in excess of $200m in revenue between them. As swathes of businesses move online for the very first time, an already competitive landscape is heating up. It’s well known that the marker of success in the online sphere is the end-to-end customer experience. The payments experience, however, is often overlooked as the final stage of the online ecommerce funnel, despite it being the difference between making and breaking a sale. So, for those coming online for the first time — how do you get this crucial step right? Re

The empathy effect: Why mobile messaging is an essential channel for retailers

  Between social, email, search and video, retailers are spoilt for choice when it comes to communicating with customers. But there’s only one channel that can offer open rates of nearly 90 per cent and response rates of about 45 per cent, both of which far outstrip email’s average open rate of 18.7 per cent in Australia . It’s SMS. In the past few years, consumers have grown to love using this 25-year-old channel to stay in touch with trusted brands – whether for delivery and appointment confirmations, product alerts, or two-factor authentication. Meanwhile, for brands, SMS has simply become the most efficient and economical way to stay in touch with large audiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both consumers and brands have become even more reliant on business SMS to communicate and strengthen relationships amid the uncertainty. A more empathetic interaction So why has SMS become so popular? According to OpenMarket’s global Empathy in the Age of AI research, 60 per cent of co

Filling the void: What to do with our empty shops

Australia’s first modern shopping centre opened in Brisbane in May 1957 – we have changed a lot as a society since then. The options available to us for shopping, dining and entertainment have exploded and amidst all that shopping centres have ceased to be bustling hubs they once were. In fact, the vacancy rates across Australia’s core retail sub-sectors are the highest they’ve been in over 20 years. A recent Retail Market Overview by JLL reported that vacancy across the Australian core retail sub-sectors increased by 1.3 percentage points in the six months to June 2020, to an average of 5.2%. Sure, some of this is because of the pandemic, but in reality the pandemic just sped up changes that have been happening for a long time. Brick and mortar retail still generates value, but the rise of ecommerce, food delivery and online communities mean we have to rethink how we use them. One effective solution is to move with the times and take advantage of the new trend towards flexible wor

Hammerson hires new chief executive

Shopping centre owner Hammerson has appointed Rita-Rose Gagné as its new chief executive.  Gagné was previously president of growth markets at Ivanhoé Cambridge where she oversaw... View Article from The Retail Bulletin - Latest Retail News https://ift.tt/3n57yRW via IFTTT

Innovative Retailer: Selfridges

Brought to you by Retail Insider and Flooid Name: Selfridges The Place: One of the grande dames of the department stores of London’s Oxford Street (and now Birmingham and Manchester too) but one which has always been a bit wild and exuberant and just a teeny bit off the wall. Like Princess Margaret to the Queen’s Fortnum & Mason if you will. There used to be 16 little mini Selfridges but these were sold off in the 1940s to John Lewis. Nowadays the chain is owned by Wittington Investments run by the Weston family which also owns…wait for it…Fortnum & Mason. The Story:  Seriously, have you not watched the TV series about brash Yankee Harry Selfridge? I think that might have been mainly fiction: Well you say that but they definitely got some of it right. The showmanship, the slightly un-English razzamatazz of it all, the business of the perfume counter in the front hall (shocking), the Bleriot aeroplane on show and other such dramatic Edwardian moments. But just in ca