All Columnists articles – Page 18

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2016-03-04T00:00:00Z

    I love chocolate as much as the next person actually probably more so, and my absolute favourite is Cadbury Dairy Milk. However, I am not a big fan of what they are doing to it ie launching more and more obscure varieties. They must have done their research but even ...

  • Analysis

    David Charman - chairman CWA

    2016-03-04T00:00:00Z

    The 2016 rates valuation is something the whole industry is worried about, but not, it seems, the hand car washers. Yet again so many of them will not be listed or if they are, no proper investigation will have taken place to ensure that they pay their correct rates. It’s ...

  • Analysis

    Brian Madderson - chairman PRA

    2016-03-04T00:00:00Z

    I would not place a bet on the next movement of Brent Crude having listened to many hours of detailed presentations from some of the most experienced analysts in the industry during International Petroleum Week there are just too many variables. What is irrefutable is that OECD stocks have risen ...

  • Analysis

    Merril Boulton:Top 50 - a decade on

    2016-03-04T00:00:00Z

    Another successful Top 50 Indies dinner took place last month, and as we reach a milestone 10 years of the report, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the launch of the listing, which was first published in 2006. As you can imagine, it makes for very ...

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2016-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Our esteemed editor Merril Boulton loves a Sherbet Lemon and Bassett’s are her favourite, so she was delighted with the news that brand owner Mondelez is promoting ’adult candy’ via a major relaunch. She’s hoping her favourites will then be more widely available. Whenever I see them in a shop, ...

  • Analysis

    Peter Harding - retail consultant

    2016-02-01T00:00:00Z

    This year will see many changes in the provision of point-of-sale systems in the UK. Torex/Micros/Oracle seems to have passed the mantle for sales to other parties and several have taken partnerships with Oracle for the supply of systems at various different levels. But a word of caution when seeking ...

  • Analysis

    Merril Boulton: MRH - from bust to boom

    2016-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Big news that the owners of MRH have sold the business to US private equity company Lone Star (see News page 4). While details about the deal were scarce as we went to press, it’s an amazing story for the owners, particularly Graham Peacock and Susan Tobell, who were part ...

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

    Happy New Year to you all. Can you believe that we’ve already had 15 years of the 21st century? Every time I think of the 21st century, I’m transported back to my school days when we all imagined that by now, some of us would be living on the moon. ...

  • Analysis

    Merril Boulton: Ignorance is key for Fair Fuel campaign

    2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

    Happy New Year to you all. Made me smile to see the supermarkets getting a slating over their pricing strategies for a change, instead of always the traditional fuel retailing fraternity. As we kicked off 2016, the RAC’s first report of the year slammed the big four supermarkets’ fuel pricing ...

  • Analysis

    Kevin Eastwood - Executive director BOSS

    2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

    The police and other law enforcement bodies face continuing pressure to prioritise resources in the face of austerity measures. BOSS has been working hard to maintain and build on existing relationships to ensure maximum benefit for members, recognising that it’s important to do more than just report a crime. This ...

  • Analysis

    James Lowman - ACS chief executive

    2016-01-12T00:00:00Z

    In the summer of 2015, ACS launched one of its biggest ever campaigns in opposition to changes to Sunday Trading regulations announced by the Chancellor in his July Budget. We lobbied hard to ensure that the issue was front-of-mind for MPs, and as a result of the campaigning work, a ...

  • Analysis

    Brian Madderson - chairman RMIP

    2015-11-30T00:00:00Z

    This has been a turbulent and exciting year for petrol retailers with the independent sector powering ahead to represent nearly 70% of all UK forecourts. The decision by the remaining oil majors to continue divesting their retail assets has enabled a few of the larger independent groups to grow quickly ...

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2015-11-04T00:00:00Z

    he news that Christmas will be cheaper for consumers this year means only one thing to retailers fierce competition. A survey for VoucherCodes.co.uk, done by YouGov, found that average household spending on food, presents and decorations would be £796.05 this year. It sounds a lot but it’s actually 3% down ...

  • Analysis

    Peter Harding - retail consultant

    2015-11-04T00:00:00Z

    The latest Apple event came and went launching the new Iphone 6s, new Apple TV new ios 9 and OSx El Capitan and, of course, the Ipad Pro. Having done some work with CBE on the mobile solution, I was keen to see what the Ipad Pro brought to the ...

  • Analysis

    Chris Hunt - UKPIA director general

    2015-11-04T00:00:00Z

    Petroleum products are an essential energy resource and they will continue to be for years to come. Our sector produces these vital products and confidence in the safety of our operations is paramount. Our industry does involve potential risks that are greater than those in many other sectors and for ...

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

    Having spent over two weeks recently with a really annoying cough and cold, I’ve had first-hand contact with the cold and flu remedies category. During my illness I consumed, in no particular order: vitamin C, vitamin D3, Day Nurse, Night Nurse, paracetamol, Sudafed, Covonia lozenges, Jakeman’s throat sweets and liquorice ...

  • Analysis

    Kevin Eastwood - Executive director BOSS

    2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

    At a recent meeting with the Attorney General, the country’s senior law officer, BOSS was praised for the work it does in tackling forecourt crime. It was also welcoming to hear from Home Office Minister for Policing, Mike Penning MP, that he’s grateful for the positive way that BOSS is ...

  • Analysis

    James Lowman - ACS chief executive

    2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

    At the start of September, we launched our fourth annual Local Shop Report and it was great to see so many of you in Manchester to be among the first to get the information. One of the chapters looks at employment in our sector, and this year we reached 400,000 ...

  • Analysis

    Shop Talk - Tracy West

    2015-09-16T00:00:00Z

    How pro-active are you at providing what your shoppers want? I ask because I spoke to a convenience store retailer recently who told me he had just started stocking low-salt and low-sugar lines. But the interesting bit was that he was not responding to demand, he was trying to create ...

  • Analysis

    David Charman - chairman CWA

    2015-09-16T00:00:00Z

    As the summer months continue with the better weather, the excellent car wash sales of 2015 have continued. I was reminded recently by a personal event that there has been a dramatic increase in some of the costs incurred by our business, such as water and refuse. Water is, of ...