Julie Oxberry’s Post

Despite an acceleration in store closures in 2023, is there room for optimism in 2024? Take a look at PwC UK's latest analysis and see where opportunities might lie for retailers, leisure and service operators in locations across Great Britain. #IndustryinFocus

July marks Independent Retailer Month, a time to celebrate and support our local independent retailers. These businesses are the backbone of our communities, driving positive social and economic impact locally, nationally, and globally. We celebrate and support this initiative with a focus on innovation and resilience in property management and real estate. Adapting to Change By integrating cutting-edge technologies and adaptive strategies, we keep our services ahead of the curve. We thrive on innovation, responding to constant change with bold, new ideas. Sustainability Our commitment to sustainable practices and forward-thinking initiatives creates lasting value for clients and communities alike. Building Partnerships Collaboration with tenants and clients ensures solutions that meet evolving needs and exceed expectations. Join us in celebrating Independent Retailer Month by supporting local businesses and embracing the spirit of innovation and resilience. Together, we can create sustainable growth and enrich our communities. #IndependentRetailerMonth #ShopLocal #PropertyManagement #InnovationResilience

A bit of a mixed bag this week in my edit of the retail headlines….   Here's what caught my eye:   Family behind Ann Summers explores potential sale options B&Q owner Kingfisher plc narrows profit forecast amid flat sales Marks and Spencer to cut prices overseas to boost growth Tesco to open over 150 Express stores in next 3 years Former Asda CEO Allan Leighton returns as chair to lead recovery effort Halfords CEO calls for apprenticeship levy reform as sales and profits stall AO ups forecast as 'Morecambe and Wise summer' delivers sales and profit rise Sosandar sales drop 27% but profits improve as full-price strategy pays off Frasers acquires South African sporting goods leader Holdsport Frasers Group faces FTSE 100 demotion as shares fall amid boohoo boardroom battle Pets at Home cuts profit expectation amid 'subdued market' conditions John Lewis Partnership worried about minimum wage increase Very losses deepen as first quarter sales fall in challenging environment Pets at Home boss refuses to rule out job cuts and price rises Supermarket loyalty schemes do offer genuine savings, CMA confirms Dr. Martens plc swings to first-half loss Morrisons shifts to in-store fulfilment with Ocado tech Waitrose & Partners opens first convenience store in six years Hopes pinned on key festive period as November footfall declines Kingfisher and M&S eye Homebase stores   My story of the week: The Competition and Markets Authority declaring that supermarket loyalty schemes offer genuine savings no doubt comes as a much needed relief to many in that community - it's also good news for public confidence ahead of Decembers BIG food month.  #retail #shoppingcentres #marketing #brand

With an increase in unit numbers, independent department stores have shown incredible resilience over recent years while national chains are increasingly disappearing from the high street. Drapers explores how they are stepping up their offerings to attract the next generation of consumers. Find out more below. #departmentstores #independent #highstreet #retailnews

Have you heard? CSP Daily News just released their list of the Top Convenience Stores for 2024 and EG America made the list at #5! CSP’s list provides a ‘deep dive’ into the c-store landscape, detailing the largest chains in the convenience store industry and the biggest M&A stories of the past year. Read on to learn why EG America made the list: https://lnkd.in/gXdKT2qU

Forecasting a shift in retailer priorities: Author: Stephen Goderski, Partner at PKF Littlejohn Advisory Retail sales are typically used as an indicator of economic growth. An increase in retail sales signifies an expanding economy with an increased appetite for consumer spending, where the inverse signals the opposite. In the modern-day consumer market, however, it’s not that simple anymore. According to statistics released by the Insolvency Service in the 12 months leading to June 2024, just shy of 4,000 businesses within the wholesale and retail trade sector became insolvent, second in volume only to the construction sector. Considering the UK is home to over 300,000 retailers1, the percentage may not seem particularly high. The problem is more the brands that are disappearing from the High Street like Ted Baker and the Body Shop that recently entered administration, and the pressure on businesses like Boots, Costa and Clinton Cards who have been forced to close significant numbers of their stores to balance the books. While it is the larger, more high-profile retailers that capture the headlines, real pain is also being felt among the hundreds of smaller, lesser-known retailers who fail and who often have less financial headroom to turn their businesses around: https://lnkd.in/djcempVj #retail #insolvencies #news #PR #advertising #b2b #bannerad #magazine #newsletter #emailcampaigns #eat #drink #sleep #hotel #hospitality #bars #restaurants #digitalmarketingandadvertising 

It's great to see well-known high street retailer Holland & Barrett bucking the recent trend of store closures, with it's plans to open 50 new stores in 2025. They are quite rightly riding the wave of increased consumer interest in health & wellbeing. This is a great example of customer research & insights being used to a business's advantage and it's fantastic to see! Are you ready to talk about how market research can be a game-changer for your business? It's not just about data; it's about insights that fuel growth and innovation. Get in contact with us today. DM us or email us at office@striveinsight.com #MarketResearch #MRX #StriveTogether #CustomerInsights #InsightsFuelGrowth

Dynamic pricing is so often confused with surge pricing and therefore gets a bad press. But price is undoubtedly a lever that retailers and hospitality companies should be utilising more intelligently so we will invariably see more of this activity in the future. Here's my piece for ComputerWeekly.com about the changing landscape of dynamic pricing in retail and hospitality featuring the likes of VusionGroup, Smartway, Revionics, an Aptos Company, Pricing HUB and Nibble. #dynamicpricing #notsurgepricing https://lnkd.in/dpSBMi2F

Learn how menu changes and store updates are paving the way for future growth.

Bestway To Launch Another New Hybrid C-Store Format Bestway is preparing to launch its first Best-one and Bargain Booze hybrid store format next month. The move follows the group’s introduction of the ‘Costcutter with a Bargain Booze’ store model in 2022 and its first ‘Costcutter with a Wine Rack’ concept at the end of last year. Bestway Wholesale’s Managing Director Dawood Pervez told trade magazine The Grocer that the latest conjoined format will be top-up and impulse-led, with a Bargain Booze off-licence range sited within it. He said: “We want to provide retailers the ability to enhance their overall store offering to become more appealing to shoppers and unlock additional sales, by bringing together the best in convenience and the best in alcohol.” The first store will be located in Bristol and be company-owned, with a second site already planned. Bestway’s Retail Director Jamie Davison told The Grocer that several independents are interested in the concept, including Costcutter retailers. “We’re looking to get the pilot store up and running, take learnings, then we will look to accelerate it,” said Davison. NamNews Implications: * Given the responsiveness of retail… * …these Bestway initiatives can prove themselves (or otherwise) rapidly. * Therefore anticipate roll-out of ideas that work… * …and adjust strategies accordingly. #Bestway #CStore