Hi Reader,

Transformation could be considered a risky adventure for any business, but especially in the highly competitive and fast-moving retail industry. So, I'd like to ask... Are you finding that your retail transformation initiatives are not delivering the anticipated results, or perhaps progress has slowed to a crawl?

You're not alone. Many retailers find themselves in a similar predicament, especially as ever-evolving aspects like channel mix, consumer behaviour, new technologies and economic factors continue to add to the market complexity. Initiatives that started with a 'bang' often lose momentum, and from within, it's not always clear why, nor that it's happening. It’s therefore crucial to regularly assess the health of your transformation programme, and regularly recalibrate your approach towards a successful change.

That’s where my brand new Transformation Tune-Up service comes in. It’s designed to provide a comprehensive audit of your ongoing transformation initiatives. We’ll dive deep into your current strategies, business challenges, and transformative solutions to identify any gaps or areas for improvement. Together, we’ll refine your approach, remove barriers, and maximise the likelihood of success for your transformation efforts. It's like a health check for your transformation programme, ensuring everything is running smoothly and ensuring you're set up for success as much as possible.

If transformation is a risky venture, don't you want to do all you can to increase the chances of success?

Reach out and let's find time to discuss how to refine your transformation initiatives and capabilities. Let’s drive your retail transformation forward, together.

Retail transformation news headlines

🐶 Petco have launched an app to help pet owners track key info for their pets and make easy purchases. The app can store details about pet nutrition, wellness, vaccinations and even grooming details. This is a great example of creating a helpful tool for customers that embeds the brand within the customers' life - especially for an emotionally important topic like pets!

💋 Health and beauty retailer Boots, are opening a beauty-only destination store in London's hottest location, the new Battersea Power Station. The beauty studio will feature skin-specialist pharmacists and qualified dermatologists on hand to offer advice to consumers. This continues the focus that Boots is putting on their beauty categories over recent years and recognises that customers are shopping in different ways by category.

🤝 Shein are looking to experiment with an in-store proposition across the USA. The Chinese fast fashion retailer are partnering with the Sparc Group - a JV between the Authentic Brands Group and the Simon Property Group. Forever 21 are also part of the group which may suggest a starting footprint across their 500+ US stores. As part of the deal, Sparc Group will take a small share of Shein and Forever 21 ranges will be featured on Shein.

🚨 Australian supermarket Coles have reported that stock losses from suspected theft have increased by 20%. In response, they're deploying more uniformed and non-uniformed security guards and increased cameras. In particular, AI-powered vision systems at self-checkout will be checking that customers are honestly scanning items at checkout.

📦 New Look are trialling returns kiosks in 10 stores as they hope to receive better data about returns. Customers will be able to make free ecommerce returns in-store, and the kiosks also reduce workload for store colleagues. One of the aims is to understand the reasons for return, with the theory that customers felt awkward giving the real reason for return when discussing with a store colleague face-to-face.

🚁 Walmart and Wing are partnering to start offering drone deliveries from 2 stores in Texas to offer 30-minute deliveries. This is an evolution of Walmart's current drone delivery operations which have already chalked up 10,000 deliveries to customers. As discussed on the recent podcast (episode 248), the technology is still very much in the development stage.

🚜 Tractor Supply is inviting small businesses to apply to be a supplier to local stores. These small businesses add a major element of localisation and store uniqueness. They're also a great way to connect a particular store and the team members to the local community. Other retailers are also looking to diversify their supply base, including Walmart, Target and Dollar General.

🪚 And finally, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be working with Lidl to promote DIY tools - perhaps the most unexpected of influencer/retailer partnerships! Whilst the T-800 does sound like a power tool, maybe they're hoping that consumers will be saying "hasta-la-vista" to their unfinished home renovation projects. As a DIY enthusiast myself, maybe I need to get down there now... I'll be back (sorry - couldn't resist!).

New podcast episode: Boost chances to successfully transform - #253

In a world where digital technologies and changing consumer behaviour have made transformation business-critical, it’s vital to avoid small delays and unseen challenges that can snowball into larger issues. Join me and explore the importance of assessing your transformation to help overcome the challenges that block transformation efforts. I'm introducing my new Retail Transformation Tune-Up service and I encourage you to reflect on how you can optimise your transformation strategies and approach.

Take a listen to episode 253 of the Retail Transformation Show podcast and:

• Understand the critical business problems that often block transformation efforts, from an inadequate understanding of the business problems to cultural resistance to change.
• Learn why it’s important to audit and assess the transformation to identify unnoticed issues, foresee pitfalls, and provide recommendations for course correction.
• Discover the ‘Retail Transformation Tune-Up’ – a comprehensive service designed to optimise your strategies and approach and maximise your chances of success.

Check out these recent episodes too:

​#252: The rise of resale and recommerce​

​#251: Unleashing the power of retail community​

​#250: Becoming fit for the future​

Have a great rest of the week.

Oliver