Ok, I have decided to publish an occasional series looking at issues and observations I see and perceive in Retail IT Leadership. I am going to use the generic heading of ‘Shepherding Chaos’ which might give you an insight into my general philosophy and approach. You might also see the use of several sheep pictures,[…]
People are Individuals so just get on with it. Welcome to the first installment of my view, possibly my style, of Retail IT Leadership. I have often listened to and been involved in discussions regarding which role within an organisation should be contacted for a particular solution, marketing campaign or decision. I have also listened[…]
As I continue to explore a new career with Retail247 I find myself contemplating the sort of ‘self-help’ which can leave you feeling enthused or downright inadequate. It avers that the “only thing stopping you is you!”, “follow your dreams!” and “Anything is possible if you want it badly enough”. You may also hear the[…]
There are many factors that engender customer loyalty, product quality, location, availability etc. – but I wanted to relate one recent story that I thought relevant. My parents at 90 & 87 are still mobile and take themselves off on a daily basis to a variety of coffee shops and cafes. These establishments come in[…]
As I diligently laboured over a relatively complex ( for me, though I did write a macro ) spreadsheet over the last couple of days I have been reminded how many times during my career I have sat through detailed and comprehensive solution demonstrations only to hear the inevitable “but can I use Excel?” question.[…]
My thoughts this week have drifted towards IT Leadership and the current trend of referring to Bimodal IT (maybe I should get a hobby). I have always believed that IT serves two distinct purposes. ‘Keep the lights on’ provision of a guaranteed service and innovation to yield competitive advantage. I used to call it Business[…]
A quote that caught my eye recently was “Shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist”. Apart from the obvious response that “it depends where you shop”, I started to think about why is shopping so often seen as a therapeutic exercise. And when does shopping become a chore? What are the factors that determine whether it[…]
Continuing on the theme of customer service from last week, I’ve been thinking about three key elements of retail: the product, the service and the location. For pure plays read site accessibility and visibility for location. There is no doubting the importance of your product. If the quality of what you are selling is at[…]
A friend of Retail247, we’ll call him Jim, recently told me the story of how, returning from the US, he was fortunate to be upgraded to First Class. Being his first time (no, it wasn’t Virgin Airlines) the flight attendant was particularly helpful and welcoming. Early on she ascertained that our friend did not wish to[…]
Historically, shopping can loosely be described as impulsive. Decide you want something, go out and buy it, immediate gratification. In the dark days before on-line shopping, we were used to getting things the same day and at our convenience. Today, consumer expectation has taken a subtle shift. Although purchasing fundamentally remains a mix of the considered[…]
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