Whatâs good and not so good about the UK retail sector?
Hereâs a list from Lincoln Universityâs Prof Martin Hingley, speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference:
What we do wellâŠ
- We have a world-beating, efficient distribution system that delivers to our customers
- We have rigorous quality standards which we export around the world
- We have tremendous choice, variety, range and convenience â look at wine alone.
- The UK boasts a vibrant artisanal food culture, which has been rejuvenated in recent years.
- Our online presence is both innovative and safe. One of the impediments to the growth of online in other parts of the world is security.
- Intense competition has delivered a good food offer from the shopperâs perspective.
Could do betterâŠ
- We have a âbig playerâ infrastructure, but itâs a blunt instrument built for hypermarkets, when most are moving away from that and building smaller stores.
- We have stable retailer-supplier relationships, but they can fray at the edges when price competition intensifies.
- The perceived (visual) quality of our produce feeds waste â we donât eat enough âuglyâ food
- Too much choice can be a turn-off. Do we need a tandoori topped chicken pizza and a 50,000-line choice?
- Our fantastic specialist products are not matched by cohesive/effective marketing and distribution.
- We have âhigh business-taxing local authorities who hate shoppers in carsâ
- Thereâs too much self-service and we could learn a lot from others on customer care.
- Cut-throat pricing is a race to the bottom which kills off national assets (âlook at milkâ)
- There is a poor perception of retail and food chain sectors as a career and a demonising of the migrant workers they rely on.
- We donât understand, or sell to, the full range of UK cultures and groups.