After two years of reacting to unprecedented events, retailers need to regain control of their agendas.

Sustainable consumerism isn't going away, and retail brands need to truly walk the walk.  It should come as no surprise that the concept of sustainability has been driven primarily by the consumer with more than a third being willing to pay more for sustainable products.

Although I’m sure all of us would love to look inside a crystal ball to see what the year ahead has in store for us, retailers should look to use 2022 to prepare themselves for the fact that change is just as inevitable as it is unpredictable.

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.

This Black Friday event will be the second since the pandemic, and quite what it will bring – online and instore - is unknown. One thing is certain though – retailers really do need to be ready for anything.

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?