Welcome to the last InternetRetailing newsletter of 2021, in which we’re reporting on the final run up to Christmas 2021 in our Peak 2021 coverage, while looking ahead at what’s to come in 2022.
Currys in particular brought us up-to-date on how its customers now want to buy. Its half-year figures gave a useful pre-Christmas insight into changing shopping habits – and how it is responding to those changes.
This has been a year of ecommerce-led change at Julian Charles. The linen and bedding retail brand, acquired by SKG Capital in 2020, has since transformed its business through a digital-first strategy and says that 20% of sales are now online – up from 9% in 2019.
Our look ahead to 2022 starts with our annual series exploring some of the predictions the industry is making about the coming year. How technology – from AI to unified commerce – will be used in retail is explored in today’s piece.
We also have the latest Brexit update for retailers on how the rules are set to change for 2022.
And in today’s guest comment, Antonio Negro of Making Science has suggestions for retail brands on using social commerce to get ahead in 2022.
The first newsletter of 2022 will be on January 6. Until then we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
