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It’ll Be Alright On The Night – But Don’t Leave It To Chance
Price, value and service are vital for retailers, but there’s one thing that seals the deal: great customer experience, and…
Unexpected Item In Licence Agreement
The Hidden Cost of IT Infrastructure and Why Having Visibility of Your Retail Estate is Vital in Order to be…
Net Zero Is Good For The Planet But There’s A Problem – We Don’t Want It
Ever wondered which David is correct? Attenborough or Bellamy? To be honest, I can’t say that it is something which…
Imbibe Live 2023 – A Guide To The UK’s Number One Drinks Event
Imbibe Live caters for the UK on- and off-trade drinks industry. It is an interactive event for anyone who sources,…
Imbibe Live Conference at Olympia: Uniting Retail and Hospitality in the Age of Evolving Consumer Behaviour
The forthcoming Imbibe Live conference at Olympia is set to bring together professionals from the retail and hospitality industries. With…
IRX 2023: A Look Back In Pictures
The Internet Retailing Expo, otherwise known as IRX & eDX took place last week to a full house at the…
IRX & eDX – Your Guide To The Ultimate Internet Retailing Show
Next week I will have the pleasure of chairing the customer experience theatre on Wednesday at the IRX & eDX…
Smart Retail Tech Expo Las Vegas
May 3rd & 4th 2023 Here at Retail Reflections, we are thrilled to be partnered with Smart Retail Tech Expo…
Shoptalk 2023 Day Four: Made in Huddersfield
Breakfast this morning was quiet, at least it was when I got there at 8am, but there again, I did…
Shoptalk 2023 Day Three: RIP Omnichannel
After the day at Shoptalk ended yesterday I took a walk down the strip to the Bellagio hotel as it’s…
Shoptalk 2023 Day Two: You Gotta Pick A Pocket Or Two
I’ve already had many meetings at Shoptalk but there’s one which I wanted to share before getting into today’s roundup.…
Shoptalk 2023 Day One: Don’t You Just Love APIs?
Shoptalk hadn’t even begun before I think I might have found my killer technology use case for this year’s conference.…
The Most Important Metric In Retail
Retail is full of them, in fact if you’re in the industry you can’t get away from them; sales per…
Go On, I Dare You, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
I imagine that in your household, Christmas preparations are gathering pace, the tree may already be up, lights shining brightly…
Deceit, Disappointment and Drama – My New Build Home Hell
An awful lot of retail column inches are consumed with discussing the customer experience, whether it be the good, the…
The Law Of Unintended Consequences
Because I have the pleasure of working for an enlightened, forward-thinking organisation, I am writing this not from the office…
Retail Quarterly Trend Review: Q3 2022
When I sat down to write this quarterly review, I found myself struggling to find anything positive to report, and…
Give Me A Break From Poor Service
Service, who needs it? Well, if you’re Novak Djokovich or Rafa Nadal, it’s fairly fundamental to your job, However, it…
Content, Cartoons and Curation – Shoptalk Europe 2022
Sixteen hour days, a constant round of interviews and content creation could only mean one thing; Shoptalk Europe 2022 was…
Retail 2022, Why This Year Will Be The Most Uncertain Ever
Inflation, rising costs, energy prices, the cost-of-living crisis global supply chain issues, food shortages and the war in Ukraine. Just…
Something Strange Happened On The Way To The Retail Technology Show
If you don’t mind, I’m going to come straight to the point, in fact more than that, I need to…
Latest Retail Sales Data: Expert Claims It Was “Merciless March” For Countless Independent Retailers
March retail sales data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning reveals that sales volumes fell by…
Shoptalk 2022 Day Four: The Load-Out
Shoptalk wrap up – the top eleven takeaways. This is a summary of the top eleven trends emerging from the…
Shoptalk 2022 Day Three: The Store Strikes Back
OK so we’ve heard all about how the metaverse is going to revolutionise our lives, giving us NFTs and as…
Shoptalk 2022 Day Two: This Is So Good, Let’s Not Do It Again
After Party in the Park where Shoptalk let its collective hair down yesterday evening, it was an early start for…
Shoptalk 2022 Day One: It’s All About The Global
Day one: Sunday 27th March 2022 So, we’re finally here. After getting asked for my id in Target to inadvertently…
Shoptalk 2022: What Goes On In Vegas Doesn’t Have To Stay In Vegas
It’s been described as ‘Disney for adults’ and quite apart from iconic names such as Caesars Palace, The Bellagio, MGM…
Retail On The Ropes? A Quarterly Trend Review: Q2 2022
I’ve a confession to make. Like many retail writers, when we hit December, that means only one thing: it’s time…
Zdorovia Comrades, I Can Do Without My Beluga, Can You?
As the tragedy continues to play out in Ukraine, the days of glasnost and perestroika and The Scorpions following the…
Get Yourself Connected, The Writing’s On The Wall
“I‘m gonna get myself connected” — so said the Stereo MC’s back in September 1992. Little did they know that they were…
Where Are Retail’s Emerging Stars And Why Retail Must Do More To Attract New Talent
My retail journey began in what must be fairly typical style. I was eighteen and the family had recently moved…
The Metaverse, NFTs And Us, Why The Catatonic Consumer Threatens The Future Of Retail
Now, for those of you who have had the pleasure of reading some of my ramblings (and I thank you)…
Superdry – Why Cool Only Happens When You’re Using Both Thumbs
Since its beginnings in 1985 in Cheltenham, the Superdry brand has always been something of an enigma to me. Once…
IBM And NRF Second Global Consumer Retail Study Reveals That Consumers Want It All
IBM and NRF reveal the findings from their second global consumer retail study: hybrid shopping, the purpose driven consumer and…
The Ghost Of Retail Past, Present And Yet To Come – A Short Novella
It was Christmas Eve and whilst many were at home with their families, Retail was still hard at work. Because…
Why The Pandemic Will Accelerate The Shift To The Cloud
I’ve worked in numerous data centres both in the UK and abroad and seen the devastating impact on the business…
Learning To Speak Retail – What Every Sales Exec Needs To Know
Some advice for those in the technology sector who are working with retailers and finding that selling into retail is…
The Covid Customer Care Continuum – Is This Really As Good As It Gets?
We’ve all experienced it, you know what I’m referring to, listening to interminable muzak whilst on hold. Our crime? Simply…
What Retail Can Learn From Peppa Pig. No, Really!
Many moons ago I used to live in Dorset, just outside Poole to be precise. And in those days the…
Have We Fallen Out Of Love With Online?
Cast your mind back for a moment, to those heady days of spring last year. We went online crazy. Ordering…
Is It Time To Ditch The Retail Christmas Ads?
The Christmas retail ads have become as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and falling asleep in…
Zebra Technologies 14th Annual Global Shopper Study Reveals Intriguing Consumer Trends
Zebra Technologies has released the findings of its 14th Annual Global Shopper Study, and it provides some intriguing insights into post-pandemic…
Retail Innovation – A Day With Zebra Technologies
Back in the day, before Facebook, Twitter or Instagram had even been conceived of (how on earth did we survive…
The Internet Just Went Down, That FaceTime Call Will Have To Wait
This weeks’ Facebook meltdown might have been an inconvenience for those of us desperate to share with the world more…
Retail Reawakening: Why Retail Week Live 2021 Is The Most Significant Yet
Retail Week Live 2021 is nearly upon us, taking place at Magazine London on October 13 – 14. It has…
Crimes Against Chocolate
The news that chocolate maker Thorntons, is not reopening any of its remaining 61 stores, with the loss of over…
Why The New Two Tiers Of Retail Ushers In An Exciting Era Of Customer Experience
The arrival of Covid-19 suddenly imposed shifts in consumers’ expectations, perspectives and behaviours, and this will usher in a new…
The Psychology Behind The Temporary Excitement Of Impulse Buying
The rapid development of Covid-19 turning into a worldwide public health emergency has been one of the most powerful disruptors…
We Won’t Miss Debenhams Or Arcadia And Why ASOS And Boohoo Will Eventually Follow In Their Footsteps
With the news today that Boohoo are in talks with Arcadia to purchase the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands,…
Remember, we’re all in this together, but just don’t get too close
On this, Blue Monday, I am reflecting on the fact that 2020 has thankfully and finally, drawn to a socially…
Amazon, I’m Not In Love, So Don’t Forget It, It’s Just A Silly Phase I’m Going Through
And just becauseI call you upDon’t get me wrong, don’t think you’ve got it madeI’m not in love, no no,…
Will Brick and Mortar Stores Cease to Exist After the Pandemic?
Guest blog Across the globe, countries are riding out the same storm in varying degrees. Suddenly, the term ‘essential’ has…
Consumerism Redefined: How the Lockdown Has Cracked Down on Our Big Spending
Consumers are re-evaluating their relationship with spending and consumption in favour of deeper human values. They are prioritising and becoming…
Stay Alert-Stay Safe: An Overview Of The Elusive Nature Of Emotional Abuse
Any form of disrespectful, insulting, physically and/or psychologically harmful behaviour infused with covert or overt aggression, inflicted upon another human…
Retail Workplace Challenge: What Do You Do To Manage Mental Health And Substance Abuse During Covid-19?
Following the Covid-19 lockdown, the Retail industry counts as some of the worst affected labour market sectors, where millions of…
The Return of Non-Essential Stores: How The Pandemic Is Changing Our Pleasure Based Retail Habits!
Monday 15th June 2020 wasn’t just any ordinary day. It was the day that non-essential shops in UK were allowed…
Lockdown Breakdown: Beware Of The Four Horsemen Prancing Around!
As relationship management is part of the topic in my upcoming webinar at the end of this month, “Wellness with…
Retail In Lockdown: Leaving The Comfort Zone And Braving The Unknown
If the retail industry was going through stormy weather for the past decade, now it’s going through a hurricane brought…
If Only Staying Alert Was So Simple, We’d All Be Doing It
Why the “Staying Alert, Staying Alive” message means we’re are all in the same boat, or are we? Actually, we’re…
Retail And Hospitality Are Being Destroyed By Mathematicians And Modellers
There appear to be an increasing number of dissenting voices being heard as we go into week six of the…
From surreal present to the new post-COVID19 future – how will consumer lifestyles change?
“When we are no longer able to change a challenging situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” – said Viktor…
The world of the consumer after COVID-19: will the paradox of consumerism change?
As we sit locked away in our homes, with our loved ones or isolated far from family, a lot of…
It’s not you, it’s me: How our relationship with retail is changing
Everybody is talking about how the coronavirus has changed our everyday lives: we are locked indoors, shops and bars and…
The psychology of a pandemic
The coronavirus outbreak has changed, at least for the time being, the dynamics of our daily lives in an unprecedented…
“There can be no new grain without first burning the stubble”: retail after COVID-19
This has taken me a long time to write. Not because it’s particularly long, as you can see, but because…
It’s the end of the world as we know it: do you feel fine?
It feels like writing anything about coronavirus (COVID-19), the virus which is now officially a global pandemic, is fraught with…
Why retail has a part to play in International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is an event synonymous with inspiration. A celebration of women’s achievements, it also exists to promote dialogue…
Why Influencer Marketing is the Bane of Creativity
Brands have always sought to associate themselves with the most fashionable individuals of the day, be it simply to be…
Brands need missions and there’s none better than sustainability
All the best brands have a sense of purpose. In these complex times, there’s no shortage of demand for a…
Why I’m Delighted To Be Speaking At The CX Exchange For Retail
There’s one retail conference that I’ve long been wanting to be involved with and that’s the CX Exchange – or…
Say It With A Rabbit, They’re Really Rather Friendly You Know
I don’t know about you but when I was a child I used to keep rabbits. Lovable and adorable, quite apart…
Digital retailers are not unbeatable: why physical stores are the future
There’s a misconception among the general public that the world of retail is moving inexorably to a fully digital experience,…
Your customer will cheat on you—but that’s okay
Customer loyalty is everything. It is the Holy Grail, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the…
Adobe Heralds A New Age Of Experience Management With Adobe Experience Manager In The Cloud
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m frequently frustrated by what passes for personalisation these days. And frankly, the…
Returns, An Epidemic Which The Fashion Industry Is Choosing To Ignore
There are certain taboo subjects which we tend to steer clear of, give a wide berth if you will. Like…
Fulfilment As A Service, Why The Future Of Delivery Is In The Clouds
I don’t know about you but it seems to me that in the crazily busy, demanding lives many of us now…
Is The Future Retail Salesperson A Machine?
The question of whether the future of retail lies in the hands of robotic salespeople is one people are beginning…
The Pet App Which Might Just be Man’s Best Friend: Here’s Why
I confess that I don’t have a pet. This wasn’t always the case, you see, I used to have a…
How Open Is The Retail Sector To Cyber Crime?
As technology evolves, so too do the many threats. And with the prevalence of cyber-attacks across all industries, cyber security…
The Future Of Customer Experience And How To Get It Right With Emotional Intelligence
Do you believe that consumers are buying your brand or that they are buying into your brand? If you are…
RetailEXPO 2019: Why We Are The Lucky Ones
This week I had the pleasure of chairing the stage at RetailEXPO 2019, held once again at London’s Olympia. The list…
Trust Your Gut It’s Telling You Something
Are you falling guts over heads when making a business decision? Steve Jobs once said that there’s no reason not…
People, Passion And AI – Retail Strikes Back!
We might not always associate humanity with artificial intelligence (AI) however, Retail Week Live managed to combine this somewhat paradoxical concept…
The Road To CX Success
With SciVisum and Mobify Think about this for a moment; do you consider yourself to be a patient, tolerant person?…
The Cupid Of Your Brand
Investing In A Brand-Customer Relationship Whether we want to admit it or not, the concept of relationships takes a central…
Why The WOW Factor Is Based On Emotion Not Logic
How To Design A Winning Online Customer Experience Many factors determine the success of your online business but how you…
eFulfillment For Everyone
Fulfillment just got a whole lot easier thanks to the launch of a new all-in-one service for small and medium-sized…
Fulfillment Capabilities Will Define Retail Brands In 2019
First published in UPS Longitudes On the day that UPS launches its new eFullfillment service, and two months into the new year…
Optimism Is A Moral Choice
Optimism is a moral choice – those aren’t my words but the words of Chelsea Clinton speaking at IBM Think…
NRF 2019 In Pictures
NRF 2019 once again took place at the Jacob K Javits Convention Centre in New York and again it was a…
Retail’s BIG Show: NRF 2019 – Staying Ahead Of The Curve
As every year Retail’s BIG Show, NRF, the world’s largest retail conference and expo, will again this month open its doors…
Fraud Prevention: What’s Holding You Back?
Some people like to count it, whilst others like to hoard it and some (rather irritatingly) like to jangle it.…
Have You Checked Out Yet? Why Frictionless Commerce Matters
I was buying my wife a birthday gift just the other day, the conventional way – walking into a store…
Painless Payments: The Path to Customer Loyalty and Brand Experience
Why having a secure online payment method drives loyalty and helps deliver great customer experience Customer experience, customer journey, engagement, loyalty,…
In The Bleak Midwinter, Brexit Lay All Around
Is Brexit turning this year’s ‘season of goodwill’ into ‘the season of uncertainty’? If you, like me, have been following…
The Great Iceland Palm Oil Scandal
You may well have seen the banned TV advertisement on Youtube, if not the cute (sometimes shocking) pictures of baby…
Mobile First: The Future Of Apps With Sutherland Labs
Retail Reflections recently attended an evening hosted by Sutherland Labs to hear some of the results of something called the…
Brexit – The Only Thing Clear Is The Scoreline
The process to deliver what happens to be one of the most emotive topics of the modern era is inexorably…
Business Rates: The Curse Of The High Street
The news that Coast has collapsed into administration was met with the usual gnashing of teeth. And whilst stablemate Karen Millen has…
Weather: Are You Getting It?
Saturday October 21st 2017; if you’re a Huddersfield Town fan you’ll know the significance of this date. But as the…
Jack’s: Back To The Future?
Remember the date: 20th September 2018. Because this is the date when Tesco launched their new discount brand Jack’s onto…
How Will Generation Z Continue To Shape Retail?
The increasingly instantaneous nature of how the customer likes to shop, purchase and obtain their products has seen leading retailers…
Are We Killing The High Street?
The plight of House of Fraser highlights a worrying trend which has huge implications for us all The news this morning…
Five Ways To Making Better Decisions
The fragile nature of human decision making and how to overcome our cognitive biases Which dress to wear? What to…
Is Your Brand At The Other Side Of Success?
Business and consumer psychologist explores the trap which is our own comfort zone, and just like us as individuals, so…
Generation Z Don’t See Your Business The Way You Do
In the second part of this Gen Z series, I look at digital dancing and why your stores are more important than…
These People Don’t Use Commas!
Why Generation Z Are Different To The Rest Of Us, And Why You Need To Pay Close Attention To Them…
Quick Thoughts On Artificial Intelligence
First published by PatelMiller 26th January 2018 If you are struggling to really get your head around A.I. then you…
Enhanced Automation And Why Our Skies Won’t Be Filled With Drones
Mention automation in the supply chain and for many of us this conjures up an Orwellian vision of a future…
In Pictures: IBM Think 2018 Day 1
We’re in fabulous Las Vegas for the inaugural IBM Think 2018. A truly huge spectacular conference with 30,000 delegates from…
The Future Economic Factors Affecting The Retail Industry
The retail landscape is evolving thanks to the rise of several economic trends, many of which involve technological innovations. Because…
These People Sleep In Their Offices
The 18th World Retail Congress took place last week in Madrid; Retail Reflections’ Andrew Busby was there to find out…
A Modern Day Arkwright
A Retail Journey Back To The Future I thought I knew retail; maybe you thought you did too? Time for a…
Embrace Change – And Do It Now
An evening with IBM and Retail Reflections We are living through the biggest period of disruption and change ever to…
Inside The Mind Of The Consumer
Psychology is a fascinating science of mind and behaviour Whenever I meet someone for the first time, the first reaction…
4 Tech Trends at IBM Think 2018
What do the following have in common? Data Security Artificial Intelligence Quantum Computing Cloud Blockchain Watson Well, a strong clue…
In Pictures: IBM Think 2018 Day 2
Day 2 of IBM Think 2018 began fast and ended loud! Check out our pictures from day 2.
Five Things We Learnt At Retail Week Live
That retail extravaganza, otherwise known as Retail Week Live, once again took place at the Intercontinental O2 in London last week.…
The Rise Of Multi-Brand Stores
Guest blog from Guardian, Telegraph & Huffington Post writer Chris Smith who argues the case for multi-brand fascias. With the…
So You Think You Know Your Customer?
Think again! Do you remember the excitement you felt when you acquired your first car? Were you bursting with pride…
Bungled Bunnings – A Case For Review
The news today that Wesfarmers, owners of Bunnings, is to close up to 1 in 6 of its 240 Homebase…
NRF 2018 In Pictures
NRF 2018 was bigger and better than ever and around every corner was something new to see. So here it…
Star of NRF 2018
Ahead of this year’s NRF, Retail Reflections announced our ‘Star of NRF 2018’ award; this was an award which would…
NRF: 6 Trends To Look For In 2018
The narrative has shifted – Artificial Intelligence will provide the platform upon which retail can grow & thrive Andrew Busby Trend 1: Blend…
NRF Roundup: 6 Trends To Look For In 2018
Day One If you believe the headlines, Mark Twain may have written retail’s epitaph: “The reports of my death are…
NRF Day 3: Saving The Best Till Last
Day 3 was – perhaps fittingly – book-ended by the one technology which everyone was talking about at NRF 2018:…
NRF Day 2: Meet The Future Of Retail
We met the future of retail today – well sort of….. Many would have us believe that the future of…
NRF Day One: Retail Rallying Cry
If you believe the headlines, Mark Twain may have written retail’s epitaph: The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated…
NRF 2018 – A Look Ahead
Only days away, Retail’s BIG Show – National Retail Federation (NRF) in New York is nearly upon us. Retail Reflections…
The 3 I’s Of Customer Experience
It’s that time of year, they seem to keep coming each and every day. No doubt you’ve read your fair…
Why You Need A Happy Workforce
They say that money can’t buy happiness, however the odd £million in the bank sure goes a long way! But what…
One Bad Apple?
Our customers’ trust means everything to us. We will never stop working to earn and maintain it Apple December 2017…
Why Brand Loyalty Is A Myth
Think of your shopping habits compared with 10 years ago. Are they any different today? Chances are they are. And…
2018: An Alternative Look
It’s that time of year again – ‘tis the season to be merry, deck the halls with boughs of holly…
Everyone’s Welcome
The date is 22nd September 2014 – one that will go down in history as one of the darkest in…
Black Friday Blues
Twas the Friday after Thanksgiving and all around one could hear the sound of clicks and tills. For this wasn’t…
To Buy Or Not To Buy
Harnessing The Power Of Emotions When it comes to purchasing, we make many decisions every day whilst wrestling with information overload…
Energising Retail
The 12th InternetRetailing & eDelivery Conference took place last week in London; billed as ‘Energising Retail’ Retail Reflections’ Founder Andrew…
30 Million Bubbles
Retail Ireland Summit 2017 took place this week at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin; I was fortunate enough to be…
It’s Not Big…..It’s MASSIVE!
If you’re thinking of attending Europe’s biggest digital media & marketing show next year take a tip from me –…
If You Want To Understand Your Customer: Get Inside Their Heads
Strong customer-brand relationships matter; marketers know that the modern consumer not only has high expectations when it comes to product, pricing and service but…
Toastie Wars: Customer Experience & Consumer Expectation
Why Both Are Critical To Success – And How a Modest Toastie Inspired This Blog! In my job as a…
Why Brands Fail
American Fashion In The UK: Wrong Fit? Last week American Eagle announced that after only three years it was pulling out…
Meet My Friends: Personalisation & Customer Experience
Much is written about personalization and customer experience – the two are natural bedfellows – and if we believe much of…
Six Retail Characteristics That Define Success
First published in Retail Week July 21st 2017 To succeed in the demanding world of the consumer customer experience is…
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Bob Dylan couldn’t have put it better when he wrote those lyrics back in 1964. And the times certainly are…
Crack it with Cognitive
First published in Retail Week 10th May 2017 Think of that last significant purchase you made. New laptop? A holiday?…
The End of Shopping Malls?
Taken from Brave New World Radio Show with John Harrison: For most of us, online shopping has already changed our…
A Fabulously British Affair
This Jack Wills store relies not on technology, but on brilliant retail theatre. Take one medieval market town in Surrey,…
Meet My Friends
Meet my two best friends ‘Personalisation’ & ‘Customer Experience’ Much is written about personalisation and customer experience – the two…
The Store is Dead, Long Live the Store
Never has the High Street been more competitive, never has it been so dynamic and demanding and most importantly, never…
Retail & Racing
It was Brands Hatch, the famous motor racing circuit in Kent, a few years ago and I had qualified my…