The future shape of the high street is often the subject of speculation. That speculation has a valuable role to play as it helps us to imagine a future that will be different from the one we occupy today, and that’s not easy to do. In today’s Internet Retailing newsletter we cover a report that looks further ahead than most – into how retail will operate in 50 years time.
The study, which brings together predictions both from small businesses and from science fiction author Alastair Reynolds, has some interesting points to make, from robot-operated shops to driverless logistics fleets, to an online high street. Of these predictions the online high street already seems a science fact – but what of robot-operated shops, not to mention production from the home rather than the factory? Find out more in the newsletter story below.
Today we also report on the here and now, covering Mothercare and Halfords as they focus on the near-term job of becoming truly seamless multichannel retailers. We also report on the latest news from Clarks and growing party supplies business Party Delights.
And our guest comment today comes from James Brooke, chief executive of Amplience, looking at how retailers must now take on the job of engaging consumers’ senses as part of the retail business.
Science fiction or soon to be science fact? We look to the future of retail
Mothercare starts to see results online from its turnaround programme
GUEST COMMENT James Brooke, chief executive of Amplience, considers how retailers can engage the senses
Party Delights kickstarts its international expansion with a German website
Halfords sees 21% boost to online sales
Collect your shoes from the corner shop: Clarks looks to its logistics
