EDITORIAL The Works hit by cyber attack, Moonpig on the shift online, the ONS on supply chain issues, and retail veteran David Kohn on the role of the physical store in a more online world

In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter we’re delighted to welcome our new guest columnist, the veteran retailer David Kohn, who in his first column today considers the new role of physical stores, at a time when online has grown fast. David, who until recently was customer and ecommerce director of Heal’s, and whose experience also includes commercial and digital leadership roles at WHSmith, Waterstones, Borders and Snow+Rock Group, has a wealth of experience that he’ll be sharing with InternetRetailing readers over the coming year.

Today we’re also reporting as a new ONS report shows the scale of stock shortages in the run up to last Christmas, amid factors including Covid-19 and Brexit. The ONS data shows retailers stocking up well ahead of Christmas 2020 in a way that just didn’t happen in 2021. The report says survey comments suggest both Brexit and Covid-19 played a part.

In today’s guest comment, Gavin Harrison of Element Logic looks at how warehouse automation and robotics can help retailers deal with labour shortages.

Today we report as a cyber security incident closes some of The Works’ stores, and delays both deliveries to store and online fulfilment.

We also report as Moonpig says it sees its customers continuing to buy online even post-pandemic and is now expanding its capacity on the assumption that more shoppers now want to buy online.

And Secret Sales has expanded to the Netherlands and Belgium in the first stage of a planned expansion further across Europe.