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3 weeks ago | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
Why smart retailers are reimagining their returns strategies – and reaping the rewards…Returns. They aren’t fun. In fact, for most retailers, they’re the elephant in the warehouse – a painful yet unavoidable part of doing business. And while they may seem like just another operational necessity, returns are anything but neutral. They’re expensive, time-consuming, and often fraught with complexity, especially in a retail landscape where consumer expectations are higher than ever.
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3 weeks ago | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
One of the most electric events on the global retail calendar is about to head to London once again. The Retail Technology Show 2025 lands at the ExCeL next week, promising two days of unmissable insights, innovation, and inspiration for every corner of the retail ecosystem.
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3 weeks ago | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
Retail leaders in the UK currently face a critical challenge – balancing efficiency, compliance, and employee satisfaction amid a myriad of labour shortages, shifting consumer expectations and post-Brexit workforce regulations. In the chaotic modern business world, those traditional workforce management approaches that once cut the mustard are no longer sustainable.
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1 month ago | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
In our latest episode of Retail Gazette’s Retail Unpacked podcast, we sit down with Phil Alltoft, commercial lead at Novuna, one of the UK’s leading financial services company. Leaning on Alltoft’s many years of customer-centric experience, we unpack one of retail’s biggest blind spots – customer acquisition costs (CAC).
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
Sustainability has evolved from a niche consideration to a core business strategy, especially in the retail sector. As consumers grow more aware of the environmental and social impacts of their purchases, businesses face pressure to show responsible practices. A 2023 McKinsey report revealed that 60 per cent of global consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, indicating a shift toward ethical consumption. As this demand expands, retailers have to adapt to stay competitive.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
In e-commerce, the sale is only half the battle. What happens after – the returns, retention, and loyalty journey – is where many brands either thrive or falter. According to Loop Returns’ 2024 Winter Benchmark Report, industries perform very differently across these metrics. For example, apparel brands achieve an average retention rate of 23.2%. But how do other verticals measure up, and what can they teach us about turning returns into opportunities?
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Dec 11, 2024 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
As the eCommerce sector braces for what will undoubtedly be a transformative 2025, retailers find themselves at a critical crossroads. The combination of technological innovation, shifting consumer expectations, and economic recalibration is shifting the landscape. To gain insight into what lies ahead, Retail Gazette speaks with James Brooke, CEO of Mapp – Global Marketing Cloud provider.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
There’s a universally familiar frustration in online shopping; the “missed package.” Whether it’s left on a doorstep, returned to the sorting facility, or – worst of all – lost in transit, failed deliveries are a significant source of irritation. Imagine a customer who finally carved out time from a hectic schedule to shop online, only to miss the delivery and embark on an endless loop of tracking down the parcel.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
Leaders within retail are under extreme pressure to deliver exemplary experiences for their employees. Those that do, find their people stay longer, are happier, engaged, more effective and delivering increased customer experience. In fact, LinkedIn’s Workforce Learning Report revealed that 93% of employees would stay at a company longer, and maintain higher engagement if they felt like their business was invested in them as individual contributors.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
retailgazette.co.uk | Kieran Howells
Brits are ordering more food than ever before to their doorsteps. In fact, the increase in market share for home deliveries is expected to see a continued annual uptick of around 8.4% year on year for the foreseeable – according to data from commercial kitchen firm Dephna. However, as this demand increases, consumers have high expectations for their food delivery experiences, and for improvement.
