Alison Coleman

The Cotswold Company opens first retail park showroom "The Cotswold Company has opened its first showroom in a retail park at Portfield Retail Park in Chichester. The premium furniture and homeware brand said the opening will give it the opportunity to test a larger format to its usual showrooms while still retaining the characterful feel. The Cotswold Company stores are designed to replicate various spaces within the home with fully styled room settings, dropped ceilings and faux window installations." by Angela Beevers at The Retail Bulletin The Cotswold Company | B Corp™ Ralph Tucker #retailnews #storeopening #thecotswoldcompany https://lnkd.in/eh_yEv4a

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How much choice should you offer your customer? Are we better offering as much variation as possible or specialising in certain areas and doing each of them more thoroughly? As I travel around the world visiting #optical stores, I see a little of every approach. Some stores respond to their interpretation of what their audience is asking for. That makes sense but then what about the people who don't see what they want in your store and just go elsewhere? Some stores try to be all things to all men but what then is the reason a consumer will choose your store over another........ it may well come down to price and good luck beating the internet discounters. In my opinion, the most successful stores in the current economically challenging atmosphere are those that emit a very clear message about who they are and what they offer. It might be that they only carry #independenteyewear. It might be that they are heavily implicated in community matters. It might revolve around their medical skill set. Either way, a clear message is paramount to make the consumer decision to choose you (or not choose you) a simple one. If you are not a good fit then there is little point in the customer coming to you and wasting your time and theirs anyway. Select one brand that fits the market segment that you are trying to talk to and go deep into that brand. Learn their story so that you can share it with your patients. Understand why, in your opinion, that brand is a better choice than its competitors. Your customer will thank you for clear, concise reasons and it will make their purchase so much easier. At #Ahmedabad market in #India, I came across this beautiful sweet stall. The selection was mouth-watering and the stall holder had a tale for every breath-taking bowl. I was captivated by the confectionary and the fascinating flavours that the stories suggested. I left fully laden with sweets that I didn't know I wanted! #eyewear #sunglasses #designereyewear

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🗞 What’s been happening this week? ·      March offered glimmers of hope for retailers (+2.8% YoY, Office for National Statistics), with warmer weather and longer evenings encouraging households to spend on DIY & Gardening and Clothing & Footwear. Electricals is rebounding, as consumers upgrade to AI devices. Delighted to have contributed thoughts on Friday to The Times, Global’s LBC, The Sun and others. ·      Consumer confidence plummeted in April to the lowest level since 2023, as households braced a wave of bill increases and trade war uncertainty (GfK - An NIQ Company). ·      Marks and Spencer boss Stuart Machin thanked customers and colleagues after experiencing a cyber incident, seeing contactless payments and online paused this week. Great to share thoughts with The Guardian’s Sarah Butler and The Telegraph’s Hannah Boland – link to post in comments below. ·      The UK government is reviewing the Low Value Import scheme, which allows tariff-free entry of goods under £135. The move aims to counteract a surge in low-cost imports, especially from China, following global trade tensions. Major retailers support the review, warning of threats to UK high streets from the likes of SHEIN and Temu. ·      DHL Express suspended deliveries to the US over $800 (£603) due to increased customs red tape from new US tariffs. This is impacting retailers such as Sabina Savage and Henry Poole & Co.. Trade body Walpole, covering luxury brands such as Burberry and McQueen, told The Times’ Isabella Fish and Emma Taggart that British luxury brands are being “doubly penalised as their most important clients in the US can’t get their goods sent to them”. ·      Asda will open 25 new convenience stores in the second half of 2025, stepping up its local presence after launching just 12 last year. The expansion follows leadership changes and aims to counter falling market share, with 470 Co-op and EG Group sites acquired to support the growth strategy. ·      The Entertainer extended its Tesco partnership to 2,010 Express stores, following its rollout in 861 Tesco supermarkets. ·      Alteria Capital, owner of Bensons for Beds, is preparing a bid for Poundland & Dealz, which parent Pepco Group has put up for sale. Pepco, advised by Teneo, cited UK retail pressures and tax changes. Poundland saw a 7.3% sales drop in Q4 2024. ·      Matalan raised £25m from key investors to fund store upgrades, new openings, supply chain improvements, and a new ecommerce app. The investment supports its digital and loyalty strategy. This is just a selection of news this week. If you want to hear more, subscribe to our free weekly podcast below, covering all major retail news every Monday at 6am ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eZNDVfZ7 ____________________________________ ⤴ Follow me for weekly retail, consumer and economic insights. ____________________________________

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Since last Christmas, 12 of the suppliers we’ve worked with have either ceased trading or told me they can no longer continue. These are not faceless companies. These are hard-working people who have poured their hearts, savings, and souls into building something special. They’ve created products their families are proud of, and that customers have loved. And yet, the fight has become too much. This is the hidden story of small businesses right now. Quiet closures. Dreams ending. Communities losing the makers, growers, and creators that make everything so great. But you can help keep small businesses alive. Here are some simple ways to make a difference: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Choose local first – even swapping one weekly shop item for a local maker helps. 🛜 Share their work – a repost, a tag, a recommendation costs nothing but means everything. ✍️ Write a review – that five minutes could boost their visibility online for months. 🎁 Gift differently – birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries… give a gift that supports a family, not just a corporation. 🗣️ Talk about them – word of mouth is still the strongest marketing there is. Every small step you take adds up. Every pound spent with a small business sends ripples through families, jobs, and communities. Let’s not lose more of the people who make our towns, villages, and valleys vibrant. Small businesses are more than products .. they are the heartbeat of our communities.

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A few weeks ago I shared a view that I believed the future of bathroom design isn’t about matching finishes, it’s about blending. The response confirmed something important: this isn’t just a trend, it’s a frustration the industry has been feeling for a while. Customers are overwhelmed by micro-differences in brass, bronze and gunmetal. Designers tell us they’re tired of compromises, choosing products based on finish availability rather than design intent. And manufacturers? Many are still trying to solve a modern problem with an old rulebook. What’s becoming clear is that perfect matches aren’t what create great bathrooms. Cohesion does. When an enclosure complements the tiles, the lighting, the furniture - the room feels intentional, calm and considered. And importantly, it gives designers back their freedom. At DRENCH Showers we’re already seeing designers all over the UK and Ireland embracing blending our shower doors to the room palette rather than trying to match it to the brassware. It shifts the focus away from “is this the same brass?” to “does this work in the space?” That’s a far more interesting question - and one that I think will define the next chapter of bathroom design. The best rooms don’t shout. They feel right. Manufactured in the U.K 🇬🇧 Happy Christmas everyone 🎄 �� West One Bathrooms

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