Welcome to the last In-Store Insights of 2018.
Unbelievable, isn’t it, how quickly 12 months can fly
past? As ever, the world of retail doesn’t disappoint
when it comes to hitting the headlines, as we look
back over a rollercoaster year and look forward to –
who knows what?!
Talking of looking back this year, we have launched our
Reilly Archives, which offer some fascinating insights
into the P-O-P industry from the 1950s to the 1990s,
and our Shopper Snapshot service, providing bespoke
insights to find out more about shopper habits.
Healthy habits certainly seem to be making their
presence felt in-store. Shopper focus on healthy eating
is matched by a passion for sports and exercise, which
is reflected in rising sales in this category. Find out more
about the shape of our sports stores on page 5.
Meanwhile, our focus on all things digital continues, as
we disseminate our recent research to discover more
about how retailers are using digital screens. With big
opportunities to exploit new capabilities, our report on
page 13 asks: just how switched on are our retailers?
And while Christmas is the big news in the retail
calendar, it seems that Halloween is also one to watch.
The spooky season is becoming more and more popular
in the UK, with sales of fancy dress, accessories,
pumpkins and party food booming. On page 19, we
check out which retailers are offering up treats, and
which are missing a trick.
It’s no secret that traditional store formats are becoming
somewhat tired, and retailers are constantly seeking
new ways to inspire shoppers. In our era of ‘everything
now’, could the concept of ‘come to me retail’ really
work? Taking retail outlets directly to the people may
sound out there, but it’s already happening as our
report on page 27 explores.
And finally, these are uncertain times with the economy
not sky rocketing and footfall is in decline. The mighty
Roald Dahl once said: “Lukewarm is no good.” How
right he was. We must all be the best we can be, at all
times. As a trade association, it’s our role to celebrate
the power of physical retail, from experiential to leisure
to product demonstration, using the work the industry
is doing to put the discipline of shopper marketing
firmly on the map. With this in mind, we’ll be launching
our POSitivity report in 2019. Here, we’ll focus on best
practice, trends, analysis and good news stories from
the dynamic and diverse world of physical retail. We’ll
be asking for your input, too, so look out for more
updates in the coming weeks and months.
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