Editorial Comment

SKY BREAKS WITH TRADITION TO ENTER BRICKS & MORTAR RETAILING

Sky is opening retail shops across the UK – a fi rst for the

business in its 30-year history – in a move that will bring the brand’s customer service o ering, pay TV, mobile and broadband products to the high street under one roof.

The fi rst few shops are to set to launch in 2020, with plans to open additional outlets in 2021.

Sky said the shops are a departure from traditional stores and in the long-term will o er a new social hub for shoppers. A focus on the customer experience in-store will see themed spaces across an open-plan layout with features such as a dedicated ‘Customer Hub’ complete with seating areas and an ‘Access All Areas’ stage which will host various interactive experiences for customers and will also be used to show entertainment content and leading products.

Shoppers can experience Sky Q technology, including entertainment content from Sky and established partners such as Netfl ix and Disney and new partnerships with fi tness app Fiit and karaoke app ROXi.

The fi rm has also struck a deal with technology repair chain iSmash, providing customers with professional repair and support for their smart devices in a number of stores.

Sky’s Stephen van Rooyen, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive O cer, UK & Europe, said: “Our new Sky shops are a great way for us to showcase the amazing benefi ts and customer service we have to o er new and existing customers. We’re proud to see our shops opening at a challenging time for the UK high street, and alongside our partners at iSmash, we’ll bring service, innovation and convenience all in one place, under one roof, at a time when keeping people connected has never been more important.”

CIH CHOOSES NEW CEO

Buying group CIH has announced that former Samsung

divisional VP Guy Kinnell is to replace retiring CEO Stuart Cook when he leaves the business next year.

Kinnell has been temporarily appointed to the role of Deputy CEO and will work closely with Cook over the coming year to ensure a smooth operational transition and minimum disruption for the business.

Cook will scale down to three days per week from September this year, with the aim of taking full retirement in September 2021.

‘TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION’ BUT FUTURE OF PHYSICAL RETAIL MAY BE LOCAL HIGH STREETS

The growth in online shopping

during the coronavirus pandemic has seen 15% of UK retailers create roles specifi cally to cater to an increase in digital sales and boost online capacity.

But while a survey conducted by Barclays Corporate Banking reveals that more than a quarter of senior retail executives think the pandemic has accelerated a ‘technological revolution’ in retail, an emerging development is the shift towards a more localised retail model.

The UK is the world’s third largest market for e-commerce, and a substantial number of businesses have invested further in technology under lockdown, according to the research. A third of retailers have had website upgrades, 32% have started to accept new payment methods and 26% have embraced data analytics for the fi rst time.

Meanwhile, on the ground, 39% responding to the Barclay’s survey said they had experienced supply chain disruption during lockdown, and 27% are moving to suppliers based closer-by as a result.

It shines a light on the phrase “Think globally, act locally”, introduced in 1915 by the Scottish planner and conservationist Patrick Geddes and commonly used as a marketing tool.

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail and Wholesale for Barclays Corporate Banking, pointed out that 28% of retail businesses surveyed plan to do more to support local communities, while a fi fth believe the future of retail is in local high streets rather than city centres.

“With homeworking set to continue for many people, in parallel with concern about public transport and busy shopping areas, the research shows a move towards more localised business operations,” Johnson said.

“We could also see the number of urban outlets fall further in the longer term, with one in fi ve of respondents telling us they see the future of the physical retail industry on local high streets rather than in city centres.”

As a concluding note, it is pleasing to know that amongst those surveyed, confi dence is high, with home improvement/DIY fi rms most upbeat about growth – always good news for electrical retailers – and 94% of retail industry bosses optimistic about growth opportunities in the next year.

AO OPENS FIFTH WAREHOUSE

Online electricals retailer AO is opening its third distribution warehouse

in four months as it continues to expand its logistics network. The new facility is the retailer’s biggest to date, adding over 275,000 sq ft of distribution space to its portfolio with the new premises at G-Park in Stokeon-Trent.

In recent months AO has acquired over half-a-million sq ft of new warehousing space across Cheshire and Sta ordshire to ensure it has the capacity to manage growing customer demand while allowing colleagues to work socially distanced and safely during the pandemic.

The facility at G-Park is AO’s fi fth and will create 120 new jobs in a range of roles. AO is in the process of a nationwide recruitment drive for over 650 jobs.