Business Reporter

In tough economic times, a multi-service approach can cut costs and boost efficiency, whether your organisation is public or private sector When Servest Multi Service Group, the UK’s leading facilities services provider, began working with Leicestershire County Council in the 1990s, it provided cleaning services alone. Gradually more services were added, and two years ago [...]

All successful businesses need good people. When it comes to recruiting the right staff, training and getting the best out of them, the retail sector is ahead of the game At the end of last year the number of young people out of work in the UK hit 1m. The news came hot on the [...]

Working his way up from Saturday boy to chief executive of the health and beauty division of Alliance Boots has given Alex Gourlay a unique perspective of the business that he believes will help steer the company through uncertain times on the high street When Alex Gourlay started work as a Saturday boy in his [...]

Online offers endless space, but is e-commerce filling it effectively? Retailers must apply the same visual pizzazz to online windows as they do offline, or risk losing customers E-commerce is the fastest-evolving sales medium of our age. Ten years ago many in the retail industry were doubtful that shoppers would engage with the concept of [...]

Forget the pennies or even the pound coins. With several major players getting involved, contactless payment could soon be the way to spend The Brits are often mocked for their love of queuing, but retailers are all too aware that there is a tipping point. For two-fifths of us, it comes after just two minutes, [...]

Not all retailers have struggled during tough economic times – outlet stores are celebrating after a very happy Christmas With customers hungrier than ever for a bargain, outlet centres have posted some impressive Christmas figures. McArthurGlen, the designer outlet group which has seven UK centres, reported a sales and footfall increase of 11.6 per cent [...]

In-store CCTV, alarm systems and security personnel can help prevent theft from shops but what protection is available for online retailers when the perpetrators hide behind their PCs? The internet is an opportunity for retailers to widen their delivery channel, enabling a wider audience to view and, hopefully, purchase their products. Their customers require simplicity [...]

With more channels available than ever before, the always-connected consumer no longer thinks about the different strands of commerce. So what impact does that have on the way retailers approach it? Something inevitable is happening in the retail industry, which upon initial consideration may seem regressive. Originally we just had retail, and then came the [...]

Government-appointed retail expert Mary Portas has set her sights on bringing economic and community life back to our high streets Portas ’s independent review, unveiled in December last year, makes 28 recommendations on what can be done – by government, local authorities and business – to help high streets become more prosperous and diverse. And [...]

Pre-paid cards and tailored downloads are among the innovations helping independent high street retailers to participate in the multi-channel shopping revolution Gone are the days when shopping was limited to a weekly trip to the local supermarket or visit to a nearby retail park or mall. Nowadays, consumers can shop at anytime, anywhere, for almost [...]