In today’s InternetRetailing newsletter, we’re considering some of the factors that promise to change the way retail happens in the UK. We’re arguing that the time for change is now – and that, indeed, now is always the time to respond and adapt to change. Change is always happening. The question is only how we respond to those changes.
Some are at the front of everyone’s mind: we chronicle the Brexit effect on three retail businesses that issued their figures this week.
Others come from leftfield. Who would have thought that Amazon Prime Day would become the sixth biggest shopping day in the UK in its first year – or that the rush for deals would benefit other traders as well as Amazon itself, as research from SimilarWeb suggests. Then, the small and unobtrusive delivery robots now taking to the streets of London present another potentially deep change in the way that retail happens. Are these the precursors to automated last mile delivery across the UK’s cities?
There’ll be countless other examples of small changes in retail that we haven’t covered here. For change is not always dramatic, and it doesn’t dominate the headlines in the way that Brexit has. In individual retail businesses, change is less dramatic. It’s a decision by a pureplay to expand the number of pick-up points its customers can use, in the way that Missguided has. Or it’s the well-timed decision launch of a new website just as your products hit the headlines, as Christy’s has. Change is something that retailers of all sizes embrace constantly. It’s the only way to keep up in a fast-moving market, after all.
Today’s guest comment comes from Saima Alibhai of Bronto Software, who asks why retailers are neglecting the browser.
Our research
The IRUK Top500 2016 and the first 2016 dimension reports, the first on Brand Engagement and the second on Mobile & Cross-channel, are now available to download. Visit the IRUK Top500 section of the website to find out more.
Our webinars
In the next InternetRetailing webinar we’ll be joined by Thomas Jeanjean, regional managing director, EMEA – mid-market, at Criteo, who will consider how to get the most out of mobile marketing. It’s a cross-device world: how to navigate mobile marketing’s next big opportunity is at 2pm on July 19. Click here to find out more and to register for the free event.
Click to visit the Internet Retailing webinars page to catch up on the latest webinars, which are also available to view again on the IRTV channel.
Event presentations and interviews
Catch up with presentations and other interviews from IRC 2015 on the event website now.
