The last couple of years has seen the supply chain hit hard, with challenges piling up. 

The retail industry is challenged by labour shortages across the board, from delivery drivers to warehouse staff, from store staff to IT specialists. And it’s a challenge faced everywhere from the UK to the US and Australia. But what can retailers realistically do to address the issue?

Making retail easier. Quite a neat new strapline if you ask us. But leaving marketing speak behind, what does that really mean? In this blog, Retail Directions’ MD, Andrew Gorecki, discusses the thinking behind our new strapline, considering why retail has become so complicated and how retailers can overcome complexity to make their lives easier.

Many retailers have experienced online sales booms during the pandemic as customers flocked online, denied the ability to shop in stores during lockdowns.

Many retailers have been impacted by the coronavirus, some quite severely. We have learned a few interesting lessons working in partnership with our clients through this difficult period – definitely worth sharing with the retail industry at large.

Ransomeware cyber-attacks alert. With the recent developments related to COVID-19, we are witnessing an increasing number of attempted cyber-attacks involving ransomware.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is severe. Specialty retailers have been particularly affected, with many forced to close their stores. Apart from online business, their income has dried out.

As seen in Power Retail (27 April 2020) ” The outbreak is one of the most unprecedented events in modern history. So, what does this mean for retail and will it survive after the virus has gone?

As seen on Power Retail. Power Retail’s Editor, Ally Feiam sat down with Andrew Gorecki, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Retail Directions, to discuss the benefits of finding the equilibrium for retailers, technological headaches and the power of the customer experience.

In 2018, you just can’t hide from the media frenzy around Artificial Intelligence. Statements like “CIOs must put AI on the fast track”, “the local business sector is well behind foreign competitors”, “totally unprepared”, “we have to catch up”, and “Elon Musk and tech heavies invest $1 billion in Artificial Intelligence” dominate the headlines. At the same time, just about every software application with semi-advanced algorithmic capabilities now claims to include AI.

Until a few years ago, Australia’s supermarkets enjoyed a century of trading nirvana, isolated from operationally excellent global competitors. The Coles-Woolworths-Metcash trio dictated their own rules to consumers. Prices were high and the product range limited, with a drift towards low-quality home brands, to keep stacking margins.