Welcome to the Ruck Blog!

Hello and thanks for visiting our blog - here you will find interesting articles on what's happening in the world of point sale, visual merchandising and display innovation.


Monday, 2 January 2017

How To Install Wall Vinyl & What To Consider


Ready to install your digitally printed vinyl project?
Underestimating the installation side of your wall vinyl? Looks easy right?
Can you do it yourself? I mean the install guide sounds a piece of cake!
Kind of got it all sorted? Don’t need install support? But have you considered the following:
 
Installing looks easy right? Are you sure? With self adhesive wall graphics you only get once shot to get it on right!
Neat and tidy, do you have the right equipment? Is the graphic fit neatly around any fixtures?
Size? Will your graphic fit where you want it to go? Have you made sure writing or images don’t need cutting to make way for wall fittings?
Tears or creases? #DISASTER With experience this rarely happens but if you’ve not done it before?
All dry? Have you left enough time for the wall to completely dry after painting/plastering?
Level? Is it straight on the wall? Can you reach the top with just ladders? Is the wall itself level?
Lined up? Do you have pieces to line up? Have you ensured the print lines up? Is your wall straight to ensure your writing/imagery is where you need it to be?
Type of paint? Is your wall painted with gloss paint? Self adhesive graphics worst enemy right there have fun trying to get that to stay up :o
In the right place? Have you installed it above a hot appliance? Heat could potentially shrink & expand self adhesive vinyl depending on the material.
Ooopss? If you have an ooppss it could be expensive reprinting the graphic and means your time is taken up again.
Nice job? If it’s a full wall graphic who is going to help you get the bubbles out when applying it to the wall?
 

 


So, considering all of the above are you sure you want to do it yourself?
Experienced, competent and qualified Installers is what you need That can install vinyl not only from the ground but off ladders and using height access equipment
Ruck retail solutions to the rescue on your next vinyl installation project!
Very reliable; we install vinyl everyday and logistically plan our schedules to meet your deadlines
Issues? If you hire a ruck Installation crew you don’t need to worry we will handle them
Count on Ruck to deliver great results with our experienced installation team see our reviews:
Everywhere, installation crews available to cover all of the UK
Site Surveys, one off installs to national roll outs; RUCK RETAIL SOLUTIONS Installation crews at your service : 01606 550961
 

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Is your warehouse becoming crowded? Time to outsource?

Another side to our very busy installation business here at Ruck Ltd is we look after the storage, fulfilment and distribution of POS and fixtures. By outsourcing this it saves you time and money by having all the items in one place.
For one of our clients their field based reps can send orders direct to our warehouse ready for us to pick and deliver to their many UK outlets.

We have a 40,000sq.ft food ambient warehouse available for block stack storage. With folk lift trucks. We can also take in containers.


How could you benefit from having all your branded promotional merchandise In one place.
  • Less wastage
  • Secure warehouse
  • Records of all items in and out
  • Organised storage
  • We can complete fulfilment of FSDU in house
  • Experienced in Logistics
Please share if you know someone this could help! I know its sometime hard to find the space to store things for a POS/Fixture roll out so hopefully we can take this worry away.   Before fulfilment & after.
Some of the products we have worked with in the past:
  • POS including fridges, bar runners, uniforms, glasses, posters etc.
  • Store fixtures
  • Decorations.
  • Merchandise/ stock.
  • Food/drink products.
Or for more info Call 01606 550 961 or email details to Laura lj.lavin@ruck.ltd.uk
           
P.S We also have a qualified installation team! (All year we install vinyl's nationally in a supermarket chain and many other retailers)

Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Take the POS install quiz!

Our Installation crew are all trained face to face for each job and our installers have the relevant qualifications in place to ensure your installation is carried out safely with continuity.
 
Our installers hold qualification including CSCA Cards, Pasma, IPAF, SPA and many more.
 
If you have an installation query no matter how big or small we are always happy to help.
01606 550 961

Monday, 3 October 2016

Store Audits do you have all the info?

How do you keep track of your retail estate?
Do you know the layout and dimensions in all of your stores?
Do you know the sizes and how to access all your windows?
Could you be saving money by ordering the correct amounts and sizes?
Little things like are the appearance of the shelving putting customers off purchasing your products? Could a shelf branding update increase the ease of customers finding your products?
From a very reliable source working in a HQ of a UK supermarket chain I was once told a high percentage around 70% of POS sent straight to store never actually made it onto the shop floor due to things like:
  1. Being too big,
  2. Being too small
  3. Being unsuitable for existing racking or wrong fixtures included
  4. No Install Instructions/in store comms on the promotion
  5. Parts missing,
  6. Store staff not knowing where to place it
  7. Getting lost or arriving too early/late for allocated promotion time
  8. Being damaged on delivery/in the warehouse.
A site survey can prevent points 1, 2, 3 and 6 and having a installation team install your item can over come the other points and ensure your promotion is in place where and when you need it to be.

 So imagine spending on a roll out of lets say graphics which have an allocated time frame to co inside with your TV advert etc. and then getting to site to realise that without height equipment your installers cant reach where it needs to go aarrgghhhhhhhh!!!!!! This could mean paying installers twice, missing promotion deadline, having to hire expensive equipment last minute and potentially it not fitting and needing re-printing. Can you afford to risk it?
A building is unlikely to change its measurements so a site survey can be a really good investment in the long term.

We have just completed an entire audit for the second time on a well known supermarket chain:
Case study 1: Our auditors using a mobile reporting system recorded every fixture and item of point of sale in each of the retailers stores. Using a mobile reporting app provided by our client we transferred the information they required instantly. We created a schedule and completed the project a head of time.
They now know the exact layout of their stores and what kit to send to each.

Case Study 2: We were asked to measure all walls and windows for the installation of digitally printed vinyl. We not only gave measurements we also gave recommendations on what equipment would be required to install the items and any obstructions or access issues that may arise.

 Without the site survey, the bespoke sized graphics wouldn't of fit and without going to site it was impossible to tell which access equipment would be required to fit some of the windows.
 If you have 1 store or more and need a site survey please send a spec over to us at ruck and we will happily assist. LJ.LAVIN@RUCK.LTD.UK 01606 550 961

Monday, 26 September 2016

Looking for a pick, pack and distribution partner in the Northwest, UK? With a secure, food ambient warehouse?


We look after a well known brands on site POS; their field based reps send orders in to our warehouse ready for us to pick and deliver to their many outlets. We have a 40,000sq.ft food ambient warehouse available for block stack storage too.

Please share if you know someone this could help! I know its sometime hard to find the space to store things for a POS/Fixture roll out so hopefully we can take this worry away :)

Some of the products we have worked with in the past:

POS

Store fixtures

Merchandise

Bar POS including fridges, bar runners, uniforms, glasses, posters etc.

Food/drink products.

Or for more info Call 01606 550 961 or email details to Laura lj.lavin@ruck.ltd.uk

P.S We also have a qualified installation team! (Currently we are installing vinyl's nationally in a supermarket chain)

Monday, 12 September 2016

Looking for a pick, pack and distribution partner in the Northwest, UK? With a secure, food ambient warehouse?


We look after a well known brands on site POS; their field based reps send orders in to our warehouse ready for us to pick and deliver to their many outlets. We have a 40,000sq.ft food ambient warehouse available for block stack storage too.


Please share if you know someone this could help! I know its sometime hard to find the space to store things for a POS/Fixture roll out so we can take this worry away.

Some of the products we have worked with in the past:

  • POS
  • Store fixtures
  • Merchandise
  • Bar POS including fridges, bar runners, uniforms, glasses, posters etc.
  • Food/drink products.

Or for more info Call 01606 550 961 or email details to Laura lj.lavin@ruck.ltd.uk

P.S We also have a qualified installation team! (Currently we are installing vinyl's nationally in a supermarket chain)

Friday, 2 September 2016

10 Reasons To Include Window Vinyl In Your Advertising Campaign.

We live in an ever evolving era, where a camera is within reach 24 hours a day to most. It seems unheard of that one would not be on some sort of social media and the stats for the number of visual images uploaded daily speak for themselves. Having your brand and image in a prominent place, on a street level window front will enhance your campaign.

      1. Creates brand awareness, recognition & builds trust.
"I wonder which beer to choose" Image source link.
      2. Relatively inexpensive.

      3. Quick to roll out installation to several sites. Internal vinyls don’t require street permits to install and can be done come rain or shine.

      4. Maximum visual impact, first thing shoppers see when entering store, planting the seed.
"Look at me! Look at me" Image source link.

      5. Opportunity to reach customers outside the stores demographic; Advertising on the shop front reaches footfall from potential consumers that are just passing the store. Depending on you demographic there is opportunity to be in the back ground of one of the millions of images that gets uploaded to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , Snapchat etc daily. Potentially those images online will keep your campaign alive on social media long after the vinyls come down; reaching an endless potential.

      6. Quick to install and remove without causing any damage to windows.
Don't worry these are just vinyl! Image source left & right.

      7. Opportunity to increase social media followers and link physical store to online store.

      8. Increase customer shopping experience especially if its interactive.
Image source link.

      9. Increased sales with brand recognition.

     10. Great for localised advertising. Products that sell better in different areas can be focussed on. Create campaigns specific to regions.
Although this signage isn't a vinyl; the concept could be created with vinyl's. Imagine an in-store illusion of your choice..... Image source link.

Monday, 27 October 2014

Welcoming New Installations Manager Ian Ward

We have just welcomed our new installations manager Ian Ward to the Ruck team. To cope with our ever growing team of installers and increasing number of contracts.  Ian is a point of contact for not only our clients, but our installers while projects are in progress. Ian has worked in all areas of retail interior re-fits, where he has acquired in-depth knowledge from construction project management to point of sale and signage printing.
 
Ian has a full understanding of the best working methods within retail interior re-fits and with his experience he will be implementing this knowledge when training our installation team. He has managed projects on a vast scale, including a conception to completion project for Aston Martin and McLaren at Westfield Stratford in time for the Olympics. This experience gives him a clear understanding for schedule planning and managing our national outs.
 
Ian has meticulous installation standards and a proactive, can do attitude which makes overcoming any issues not a problem. His vast experience allows him to predict and plan for issues that could occur and ensure the necessary precautions are taken. Coming from a shop fitting background Ian has a great technical knowledge of products, methods and applications. Luckily for us his expertise is in retail fixtures and all formats of POS items. What a great find!
 
So if you are planning a re-fit or POS roll out and would like advise on what would work best for your requirements; Ian can assist you from an installation aspect.
 
Ian is a very active person and particularly enjoys Hockey and outdoor sports; Which is good as we know he won’t mind a bit of rain on site. Ian would like to see Ruck grow by incorporating his vast shop re-fit knowledge into training for our installers to increase their skill set to permanent shop re-fits.
 
“I see Ruck as a game changer, a passionate and innovative team who although small, think big!” Thanks Ian!
 
For national roll outs to one off jobs Ruck retail solutions can help with your signage and POS installation; call Laura 01606 550 961 for more info.

Friday, 1 August 2014

The A-Z of Point of Sale and Why We Need It

So What is Point of Sale?

Point of Sale or 'POS' surrounds us every day, without even realising it you are being influenced in every retailer you visit. POS (Point of Sale) or POP (Point of Purchase) is what drives sales and encourages your customers to spend more and become increasingly familiar with your brand.

It is important in today’s modern retail environment as online shopping is now taking an ever growing percentage of consumer spending. In the retail environment a POS display can be the push your customer needs to make their purchasing decision. 70% of in store purchases are made on impulse. The more you know your customers and tailor your POS to their interests the more likely they are to purchase your product. In this internet generation POS is a driving force for in store impulse purchases. POS is the last advertising point your customer will see before they make a purchase; this is your final chance to give them what they need to know.

How POS advertising can be implemented varies depending on budget and location and comes in many forms from posters to window graphics to FSDU (Free Standing Display Units) and Wayfinding signage. POS will capture your customer’s attention in the retail environment. The possibilities are endless and with a good design agency, working with Ruck Retail Solutions installation teams, your brand will come to life!

The A- Z

A-frame: Typically used outside restaurants, these can be used with promotional posters and are easily re-located and modified. 

Aisle/Gondola Ends: Great for impulse purchases at the end of aisles and most commonly used in supermarkets. These increase brand awareness and impulse purchases. They have great visibility in store and are often used for special offers and promotional items.

Aisle Fins/Blinkers/Flags: Used to advertise product location on the shelves, highlight promotional offers and promote brand awareness. This is usually placed at eye line, capturing the attention of the shopper as they navigate around the store.

Augmented Reality: This is a modern way of integrating online shopping with bricks and mortar. By creating a downloadable app’ customers in store can walk around certain areas and have an interactive experience. Corresponding POS installed in store, usually floor graphics, posters and aisle fins can trigger a response in the app’. This modern integrated system enhances the customer experience by making the store ‘come to life’ and providing more product information. Ruck Retail Solutions have installed POS to support Augmented Reality for various well-known brands. It is important that the POS is installed to a high standard to enable the efficiency of the virtual experience. This leads to longer time in store, increased brand exposure and therefore the customer is more likely to purchase.

Banners: Can be easily installed in any location, moved and re-used. Cost effective and used to communicate brand messages, offers and promotions.

Bay/Aisle Headers: Used to present promotions to customers. These are located above shelving to promote the products below, which is important for keeping continuity within brand sections.

Bollards: Supermarkets use bollard covers to make an impact on shoppers on arrival to store. Great for in store offers, seasonal items, promotions and brand awareness.

Counter Top Displays: Mats, menu/pen holders are great for last minute impulse purchases. These are commonly installed in convenience stores.

Cyclone Boards & Display Posters: These can be moved anywhere in store and displays can be easily and cost efficiently changed regularly.

Decorations: Seasonal decorations increase the in store shopping experience for customers and help advertise seasonal items. Ruck have several major seasonal contracts for decorations and our fast and efficient installers can roll out nationwide within a short time scale to ensure you have placed your product displays to your schedule. They help get your customers in the seasonal spirit and increase sales.

Digital Display Screens: Great for constant updating of brand messages. Promotions and adverts can be equipped with cameras to identify customers and target accordingly i.e. male/female or age related marketing. They can be used with high end products as they can be made secure with alarms systems to prevent theft. Often interactive, integrating online shopping with the in store experience.

Dump Bins: Dump bins have traditionally been used to promote impulse items, typically small and low value or sale items. They can be moved in to high footfall areas like the tills and anywhere in and around the store. 

FSDUs (Free Standing Display Units): These are generally used to display light weight items like food, books, toys or games and can be moved easily around store. These give you the chance to give your customers more information and make your products stand out. Our very first contract 15 years ago was installing and merchandising FSDUs with gravy and stuffing products at key seasonal times in the meat aisles, which resulted in increased sales of 66%.

Floor Coverings: There is no better way to draw attention to your product than advertising on the wide open floors of the aisle. The customer’s eye line is directed to the change in floor covering and they can be lead down the aisle to specific product encouraging purchases. These are especially good for children’s items and can be used as activation points for Augmented Reality apps.

Frieze Headers: Usually above eye level and above shelf displays. They are used to advertise product types and specific items within stores. They are named after focal points in old buildings where they were typically made of plaster and sculptured.

Hanging Wires: These are used for category and section signage across large stores. They are used to hang signs from the ceiling above eye level. You will see them in most supermarkets and are generally used to label aisles and for product promotions.

Hoarding: Often used on building sites to hide the works happening inside. Covers large areas at customer level and makes a great impact for informing customers of a new store opening or refurbishment.

Light Boxes: Graphics are placed in light boxes that are illuminated, most commonly used for menus, beauty products and electrical promotions.

Posters: Communicate your product information in a cost effective and relevant way.

Shelf Strips/Enhancers: Increases brand awareness, conformity of shelf displays and price points.

Wall Graphics: A good graphic display can enhance the environment and transform a blank wall into an advertising space. At Ruck Retail Solutions we have installed wall graphics in offices and hospitality sites with company branding, slogans and images to encourage staff productivity and improve working environments and customer engagement.

Window Graphics: Why not demonstrate your products on your windows? This could be a leading factor on whether your customer comes in or chooses a competitor. Major brands all over the world use window vinyls, Contravision, and window stickers to communicate brand messages and increase awareness at point of entry. How they are installed is as equally important as the content displayed. All the major retailers use their windows to effectively showcase their products and brand.

Wayfinding:  Used to help people navigate around buildings and shops and to stop people from getting lost. This can be implemented with wall graphics, hanging wires, signage and floor graphics. Ruck Retail Solutions have installed Wayfinding signs in locations from offices to shopping centers.




POS on petrol pumps, chip and pin devices and tills can be a great way to gain brand awareness.  There is a chance the customer will be waiting at these locations so it gives them more time to focus on your advertising. The longer your customer is looking at your brand the more they will recognise it in the future.

Getting your brand right is important to you. So making your POS look professional can be the influence your customer needs to decide on their purchase. We take care and time to train all our installation teams to ensure POS is installed to the high standard you expect. Most importantly we understand how you want it to look and the majority of our contracts are rolled out nationally. Understanding your vision is where we pride ourselves. POS is what you need to drive in store and online sales. The more your brand is recognised the more it will grow!


Thursday, 10 April 2014

What Makes Good Customer Service Stand Out?

We all pride ourselves on offering good customer service - it is the expected minimum in business but what makes excellent customer service stand out?
 
Having recently fractured my hand and being housebound for a while I put in an order with Ocado and I have to say the customer service was impressive. They sent me an email saying who my driver would be and even what colour van to expect him in, he then rang me the next day to check if it was OK to come a little earlier.
 
Upon his arrival he welcomed me to their service as a new customer and proceeded to unpack my items for me in the kitchen. Everything was as I ordered with no substitutions and a clearly labelled receipt listed with 'use by' dates is really useful. The following day I received a phone call asking if I was happy with the service I'd received - to which I replied absolutely!
 
Online transactions are often impersonal and sketchy at best with communication. An automated yes we got your order thank you and it's on its way is about as much as you get, possibly a follow up with how do you like the products and please review it for us (so we can sell more).
 
What impressed me with Ocado is the human interaction - it didn't feel like I was doing business with an automated system. They made me feel like I mattered and that they were doing everything they could to make sure as a customer I am happy. That is good customer service. That is what creates repeat custom and is an absolute goldmine for businesses. Your client or customer should always feel like the most important part of any interaction with you.
 
It got me thinking about our own sales cycle and how it compares to my experience with Ocado. It's a very difference business of course but the principles remain the same. We've always prided ourselves on our high customer service levels and feel let down by other companies when we don't receive the same standards we offer.
 
 
 
 
 
Some of the key things we at Ruck Retail Solutions think are important:
 
Timely responses to enquiries - thanking the client for the enquiry and letting you know we are immediately working on your query and when to expect your quotation. Working to your deadlines is important to us so we take the time to find out when you need it back by.
 
A dedicated point of contact - project manager. Knowing exactly who is dealing with your project and being able to get in touch at any time.
 
Reassurance of progress - letting you know who your installers will be, that all risk assessments and method statements have been prepared and communicated, and jobs that require booking in have been confirmed gives our clients confidence that everything is being taken care of on their behalf.
 
Real time reporting - allowing our clients to see exactly what is happening on site should any unexpected issues arise.
 
Job completion reports - showing you that your job has been installed to your satisfaction and signed off on site by the relevant person, along with photographs of how impressive your displays look.
 
Follow up - we always keep in touch to make sure you are happy with your client's feedback from our installations. 
 
Keeping in touch - we value our relationships and will keep in touch to see how things are going - even if it's just to say hello and ask if there is anything we can help you with. Regular meetings with you to take on board feedback and see what we can do to improve our services.
 
If you would like to add your thoughts on what contributes to a good customer service journey please add your comments below - we'd love to hear from you as we are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience.

Monday, 6 January 2014

Which Retailers Had A Good Christmas?


Most of the big department stores have done well this Christmas with the exception of Debenhams having issued lower than forecast sales over the festive period followed by the departure of chief financial officer, Simon Herrick.
 
John Lewis was up by 6.9% from the previous year on like for like sales, with a 60% increase in click and collect helping those figures. House of Fraser also reported strong sales.
 
Next are the big winners having issued outstanding profits on both their directory and in store sales. Resisting the pre Christmas discount route many other retailers took has paid off. Their profits for the first time have just overtaken M&S despite being half the size.  It is predicting full year profits to be between £684m and £700m by the end of January with positive January discount sales continuing their success.

M&S hasn't done as well as expected on clothing sales having gone into discounting items before Christmas. Their profits are down on last year in clothing and household, however food sales remain strong.
 
Overall it has been better than expected trading  during Christmas and retail spending has been good for most retailers for both online and in store sales.
 
Pound shops have done very well and large expansion plans are in place for many of the discount retailers and supermarkets.  
 
Retailers that have done badly are having to implement further discounts as they go into the next two trading quarters to recover from slow Christmas sales. However Next shareholders will be very happy to learn that a surplus of £300 million in the business will mean Next will be issuing one off dividends of 50p, costing the business £75 million. They are being cautious with forecasts for the next year but overall it's looking like they will continue on the run of success and share prices have increased reflecting this.
 
 
Happy New Year to you from everyone at
Ruck Retail Solutions!
 
 
 



Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Top 10 Christmas Adverts of 2013

It's that time of year when the retailers release their Christmas adverts. We always look forward to seeing what our favourite retailers will come up with, especially the ones we work with throughout the year to install their promotional displays. We've chosen five retailer and five supermarket adverts that are memorable for various reasons.
 
M&S has outdone itself this year with a story book fantasy adventure for Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, entering a magical world as Alice in Wonderland and exiting as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. The 'Magic & Sparkle' advert, featuring Helen Bonham-Carter as the Wicked Witch of the West, looks like a tantalising trailer for an epic adventure!
 

 
 
The Debenhams 'Wishes made Fabulous' advert takes us on a vaguely nostalgic journey through London, capturing Christmas in the capital whilst reminding us of the wide range of brands available in the department store.
 
 
 
 
The John Lewis 'Bare and the Hare' advert is like a Disney animation, seeing two best friends journey through the woods to Christmas celebrations. The theme is all about the gift of giving, with a rather touching moment where the hare leaves a thoughtful present for his bear friend in hibernation so he can join him for the party on Christmas day. There are already several spoofs of this on you tube.
 
 
 
 
Harrods 'Everything You Want, Anywhere You Want' advert is like an old black and white film. Set on a railway platform with a glamorous young woman disembarking from a steam train after arriving back from her London shopping trip. She's counting out her parcels from Harrods with the help of a dashing young gentleman who gallantly finds a lost little present.
 
 
 
 
Boots sees a misunderstood 'hoodie' teenager dashing through the snow looking rather shady like he could be up to no good, but as it turns out he's actually leaving gifts anonymously for all his nearest and dearest. It remains unclear how he obtained these gifts at this stage, we'd like to think it was paper round funded, although seemingly that didn't stretch to affording wrapping paper.
 

 
 
The supermarkets have a mix of reinforcing their heritage, family values and financial value, all competing as usual for the big Christmas shop.
 
Asda is focusing on their price guarantee offer this year with snowmen in colourful scarves depicting the four major supermarkets. It's a wonderfully simple ad' and really gets across their '10% better off' assurance with the bigger and better smiling ASDA snowman, suitably attired in a green hat and scarf.  
 

 
 
Tesco chose to show the meaning of family at Christmas as if through video camera footage, starting with a young family (with granny in tow) in the seventies and progressing through the eighties and nineties to 2013 (minus the gran but with baby bump). It's quite emotive at the beginning as it does remind those of a certain generation how Christmas was when we were kids.
 
 
 
 
Sainsbury's have several adverts from the one below detailing various family escapades in putting up the tree, to Jamie Oliver food recipes. Their theme is all around the 'Moments that make Christmas' captured very well in the 'Homecoming' advert, where mum and two kids are singing a Christmas carol for the camera when soldier dad walks in and surprises them all.
 
 
 
 
Morrisons 'Go on - it's Christmas' advert has Ant and Dec tucking into a decadent Christmas dinner whilst gazing in the general direction of a little singing ginger bread man in uniform. He is then joined by an army of miniature bakers prancing up and down the table, reminding us all of the indulgences to come over the Christmas period.
 
 
 
 
The Co-operative 'Everything Your Need For Christmas' advert has chosen to focus on the heritage of the brand with their 'Here for you for life' motto and shows a woman blissfully walking from a store through an energetic snowy street scene and serenely into her party full of Christmas goodies.
 
 
 
 
The M&S advert nailed it though and remains our personal favourite for the retailers. For supermarkets we enjoyed the ASDA snowmen for its simple yet effective message. We have enjoyed working with all of our retailers this year, ensuring Christmas and other seasonal events are also a magical experience in store as well as on the Television.
 
 
 

Friday, 18 October 2013

Retail Predictions for Christmas 2013

Things are looking up for Christmas 2013 if the recent reports in the news are to be believed with some forecasters predicting that this year will be the best Christmas for retailers since 2007.
 
Market Research Company Verdict has predicted that consumers will be spending £2 billion more than they did in 2012. That's welcome and happy reading for the retail sector. These figures show expected growth of up to £88.4 billion this quarter of which £36.4 billion is likely to be on grocery and £52 billion on non food items.
 
Sales are already up by 0.6% this September compared to August which was lower than anticipated due to the weather. According to the Office for National Statistics sales are up by 2.2% compared to September last year.
 
All of this is good news as strength in consumer spending is generally a reflection of the wider economy. With house prices on the up it's looking like consumer confidence is returning despite the USA problems with the debt ceiling and government shutdown shaking confidence in world markets.
 
Some of the reasons Verdict have given for this upward trend in spending is more job creation, a baby boom recession, PPI refunds and the Post Office float. Although wages remain low, which has reflected in the fall of food sales in supermarkets.
 
It is thought that many sales will be left to the last minute with Monday 23rd December expected to be the busiest shopping day. Online sales are increasing as more people shop around for bargains and take advantage of click and collect services, allowing for greater confidence in online shopping as it cuts out the risk of last minute missed deliveries.
 
As a result of the recession baby boom Christmas spending is going to be big for childrens items. With John Lewis M.D, Andy Street, expecting them to have the best Christmas ever here is the John Lewis top 5 best selling toy predictions for Christmas 2013:
 
The Mini Kitchen (£50) ~ LEGO Creator Winter Village Cottage (£89.99) ~ Furby Boom (£59.99) ~ John Lewis Spy Watch and Pen set (£15) ~ Doc Mcstuffins Doctors Set (£19.99)
 
As our Christmas roll outs are about to start it's our busiest year yet! We're seeing retailers investing in making the most of the anticipated consumer spending with wonderfully creative displays which we'll be installing up and down the UK in the coming weeks.
 
 
 
 


Friday, 27 September 2013

Menswear - Now The Biggest Growth Area in Retail!



Men's apparel has led retail growth in the last couple of years and is expected to grow faster than other categories such as electronics or music.

In the UK this market has grown by 12 per cent in the past five years and is worth £10.4bn, according to the study by Mintel.

The market research group believes the market will maintain this growth and rise by 11 per cent between 2012 and 2017. (source)


Online shopping appeals to men and many retailers are now waking up to the fact that department stores and shopping centres are designed specifically with women in mind and quite off putting for the male shopper. As Ben Lerer, founder of men's lifestyle website, Thrillist says “Men don’t hate fashion, they just hate shopping the way it’s designed for women,” and he has a good point.
“The young generation of guys love to shop, they love to talk about the brands they like and they really care about how they look.”


Online shopping seems to suit the way men shop and has accounted for a lot of the growth, although women's online sales still double those of men. However men's online sales are growing at a faster rate than women's with the growth gap set to increase.

It's not just online retailers that are taking advantage of the boom in menswear, luxury brand menswear is a growth area and bricks and mortar flagship stores are opening all over the world's fashion centres. Here in the UK Dolce and Gabbana have opened their second men's only flagship on Bond Street, London and Alexander McQueen have opened up a men's only tailors in Savile Row, London. Whereas before these high end luxury fashion brands had menswear as an addition to the women's wear ranges they are now recognising the potential new growth market and investing accordingly with designer brands like Gucci, Dior, and Ralph Lauren all opening men's stores across the globe.

As retailers respond to men's shopping habits and recognise this growing market in the young and affluent professional we shall see more choice for men on the high street follow too. We look forward to installing more men's wear displays in this rapidly expanding market!
 
 

 

Thursday, 22 August 2013

A New Retail Experience - The Leisure & Community Led Shopping Environment


There's a shift in retail environments happening and Tesco is leading the way by looking at alternative uses of their huge supermarkets, having discovered that shoppers prefer smaller supermarkets and more frequently shop online they are now left with space to develop in their Extra stores.

Tesco opened their first new concept Extra Store in Watford, one of the biggest stores in their estate, on the 12th August bringing in new shopping and eating experiences. As well as developing the home ware and new look boutique clothing areas Tesco are also set to open family friendly restaurant Giraffe in 12 stores across the Tesco estate, having recently bought the chain for £49 million. Alongside Girraffe Tesco are offering the artisan coffee experience Harris and Hoole within stores and a deli style bakery experience with the Euphorium Bakery, The Bakery Project. They are also looking at offering cookery classes, baby gyms and yoga classes free of charge, and being more community led with some of the uses of space. It's almost like they are becoming the new town centres!

UK Managing Director, Chris Bush commented: 'We’ve spoken a lot about our vision to create compelling retail destinations in our larger stores; places where customers come to spend time and meet their friends and family. Watford is the first store where many of our innovations and ideas have come together and it’s great to see it all under one roof. Watford represents a fundamental change in the way that people are doing their shopping. More and more of our customers are shopping for leisure; they want to browse for clothes, eat a meal or grab a cup of coffee, as well as do their weekly shop. It offers us a glimpse into what stores of the future might look like and we’re really excited to be sharing that with our customers.'
 
 
 

Meanwhile Mary Portas has recently been discussing how retail has to change on the High Street and become more community focused, much in the same vein as Tesco's concept, offering a hub for the community in the empty shops around the retailers. The aim is to keep our town centres alive by attracting shoppers with crèches, health clinics and other service based businesses, as part of her on-going mission to save the High Street.
 
“We have been obsessed with high streets being retail. In the future we know that cannot be the case. I would imagine about 30 per cent needs to be the case,”
“We need a new vision, we need to trial new ideas and we need to give opportunities to new businesses. Those could be businesses that are about well-being, health and sports.” said Mary Portas.

So it looks like the future of retail in bricks and mortar terms has to embrace the community and attract people in for experiences whether that be eating, drinking, socialising, exercising, and accessing services alongside retail environments. An evolution of sorts with Tesco trail blazing the way in reaction to consumer trends and needs.
 
As people move away from the everything under one big brand huge aircraft hanger style supermarkets and frequent independents for the shopping experience, Tesco responds in kind offering a similar experience in-store but with prices that cannot be matched by smaller retailers. Harris and Hoole has for example come under much criticism for masquerading under its original small indie coffee chain roots when actually having since partly been bought out with 49% reportedly now owned by Tesco. It's now out there with the chain being developed within the Tesco Extra stores themselves.
 
 

So as supermarkets invest in smaller convenience stores with new openings they are left with what to do with the larger parts of their estates..and smaller more personal shopping experiences are offered under one roof.

We can only wait and see if shoppers will respond well to these new concept stores, there's certainly been a lot of thought and investment in refurbishment and I do think they will be successful. Whether the High Street will evolve in the way Mary Portas and No. 10 want is another matter, perhaps these new stores will be yet another prohibitor of the revival of the great British High Street.