With trade and travel restricted, and industries’ CO2 footprint under the microscope, what does “deglobalisation” mean for Global Sourcing?
If you believe in the mainstream news, we are reaching the end of globalisation and entering deglobalisation.
Special Edition: Post Covid-19 Omnichannel Retail
With consumer shopping behavior changing during Corona, the purpose of the retail store is shifting and brands are accelerating the omnichannel transformation
Our brand experts highlight the strategies some of the brands are pursuing: bringing the store experience into consumers’ homes and utilizing stores as fulfillment and delivery hubs improving stock utilization are some examples.
The “Next Normal”: Rethinking The Brand Business Model
The Brand Business Model for many established brands and retailers has sadly not been enough to deal with the Next Normal
It’s failed to stop many closures even before the pandemic, and Covid has only accelerated this trend.
“Online-Goes-Offline” – Never Waste a Good Crisis
Introducing an interesting new online-goes-offline case, one which could benefit from the changes in retail landscape accelerated by Covid-19
Covid-19 keeps changing the retail landscape, and will probably do so for a long time. In my previous post I wrote about this changing retail landscape and its effect on commercial, social and cultural life in our city centers.
Mind the knowledge gap in marketplace business
In a growing market, a detailed understanding of marketplace business is still rare. Here’s how to arm yourself with marketplace knowledge for success
During the first half of 2020, Zalando onboarded 180 new partners onto their marketplace. At the same time the GMV of their partner program increased 100% compared to the previous year.
Introducing The Store of the Future
We expand on the article series with ‘The Store of the Future’, a series exploring the evolution of store design.
We look at the concepts and techniques premium and luxury brands are using today, to stay ahead of the curve tomorrow.
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Post Covid: Best Read in Brand and Retail
22,144 readers, 3 new authors, updates from China, India and Europe, and 14 greatly diverse posts. It is great to be back with our best quarter ever. Thank you to all for contributing, reading and promoting. Post Covid, the best read in brand and retail.
We are living in-between most interesting times
As we wrap up our post-lockdown publishing, we realise the industry mood is somewhat in-between. In-between first and second lockdown. In-between a return to office or of stay at home office for good. In-between going on international travel or staying put. Slowly we start to see, in-between could be the new normal for some time to come.
Clothing Rental Subscriptions: Will Leasing Surpass Buying?
More and more industries are moving from buying to leasing subscription models. We discuss the pros and cons of leasing versus owning your wardrobe
What if someone told you that clothing rental subscriptions are the next big thing and will take a 20% market share in 15 years? Yes, at first thought we would have argued that clothing was already rented out in the years prior to the internet.
Post-Covid City Centres: Deserted Wastelands or Thriving Hubs?
Much has been said and written about the disaster the pandemic has brought to the global retail landscape. This post highlights challenges and opportunities for retail and social life in our post Covid-19 city centres.
By August 5th 2020, 50% more stores (3,140) in the UK were affected by retail bankruptcies than in the entire year 2019 (2,051 stores). The Guardian reports footfall drops of 40% in August 2020 vs. last year. And there are still 5 months to go.
Post Covid Brand Strategy – Best Practice Round-up
Post Covid Brand Strategy: Discover the latest insights and emerging best practices across the brand and retail industry, from e-commerce and digitalisation to low touch strategic sourcing and creative social distancing implementations.
This quarter saw us return to our regular publishing schedule after a Covid-19 induced break. Our contributors have since focused on sharing their insights on emerging best practices for the ‘new normal’ in a post Covid-19 brand industry.
Covid-19: Diversity & Inclusion Are Vital to Business Recovery
Diversity and inclusion are at risk of slipping off the radar at a time of crisis, but are essential for a company’s recovery, resilience, and innovation post Covid-19.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit companies around the world with severe disruption and daunting impacts like the loss of footfall and revenue, liquidity challenges or supply chains in disarray.
Retail Operations 2020: Time to Manage Outside of the Box
Barely 20 years ago all retail operations took place in high street store formats. Then cross channel happened, and now Covid-19, and efficient retail operations are utterly transformed.
In the early years of this century, brand retail operation felt like paradise. Store networks were growing globally and being an expanding head of retail was a fun job. Managing high street stores, factory outlets, concession stores and flagships, having CEOs promote direct to consumer growth, and even the CFO was happy. All that was needed for retail operation was easily organised and within the store ‘boxes’. But soon brand stores encountered mighty antagonists.
Strategic Sourcing: Low Touch Is the Post-Covid Best Practice
When airlines were grounded, strategic sourcing had to find new ways. We share five emerging best practices
Over the past decade, all sourcing discussions at the Textile Buying HQ, were about:
- Finding lower prices
- How to be more sustainable
- Exploring alternative production countries
After months of watching the Covid-19 pandemic shake the global economy and adapting our personal lifestyle and company practices to a low touch economy, it’s time to look ahead for new strategic sourcing practices: How will we organise sourcing and how will the pandemic impact the countries we source from? (more…)
Live Streaming E-Commerce: Best Practice Post-Covid Retail in China
To Western ears, TV home shopping may be reminiscent of dull and dated products marketed to mostly elderly consumers. But in China live streaming e-commerce has now become the hottest post-Covid retail trend.
It attracts a young audience, and most successful hosts are brand and retail CEOs.
India’s Reliance Juggernaut & Covid-19
What happens when India’s Reliance Industries’ ambitious trajectory meets the global Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the consumer market?
Digitalisation Is the Face Mask of Your Physical Retail Business
Introduce digital business processes in your retail stores to cope with the negative effects of Covid-19 on footfall. Continue reading for a few best practice examples!
Shop, Work, Meet & Eat in the Time of Corona: 5 Best Practices in Social Distancing
Social Distancing turns profitability into an even bigger challenge for businesses. These five best practice examples show how social distancing can go hand in hand with creativity and innovation.
Ecom Real Talk: 4 Ways Brands Can Benefit from Marketplace and Wholesale Business
Marketplace and wholesale business benefit from each other. Choose from four ways to overcome your budget limitations and become your own selling hero.
Post Covid Industry Best Practice in Retail & Online
The Covid-19 pandemic is devastating for those with pre-existing conditions. But it also mobilises the best in all others: unforeseen creativity, outstanding personal engagement, true loyalty and support among many more qualities.
There is no way around acknowledging that the situation is grim wherever you look and listen across the brand and retail industry, in parts even online. But if we pay close attention, we can also observe new brand industry best practice emerging.
