Bottle Service Sparklers add a touch of real excitement to your customers

Quality hospitality is all about the pizzazz. The way that people feel inside a nightclub, bar or restaurant is what brings them back time and time again. The style and excitement that you provide as a venue is what gets people talking about you, and bringing their friends along.

Premium drinks are a great way to make your clients happy and to spend more with you. What better way to add to the premium drinks experience than with Bottle Service Sparklers?

This is a fantastic way to make a night out an event for your customers and have them delighted with the experience. Bottle service sparklers will-

• Wow your customers with something different
• Get more photos taken and shared on social media – increasing your visibility
• Increase the sale of bottles as people want to be seen

Gold Bottle Sparklers

Everyone loves to feel special. Your customers want to know that you have this in mind. Gold Bottle Sparklers are the ideal way to put some show and buzz into your delivery of a premium drink bottle. The people that are brought the drink feel on top of the world - and the rest of your venue want to feel the same way too.

It improves your premium bottle drink sales while adding a real excitement to the whole venue. It makes others sit up and take notice. It makes people want to “have what she’s having.”

The gold bottle sparklers are 100% safe around food and drink so you also use them with celebration cakes or for any other occasion. People love the way that they sparkle and shine. It is like having a mini light display all in one place.

Bottle Sparkler Clips

With any part of your business you want to ensure that safety is taken care of. The great Bottle Sparkler Clips will allow you to fit 1, 2 or 3 sparklers to a bottle in a safe and secure manner.

Your bar, restaurant or nightclub will be the talk of the town when you start to use Bottle Service Sparklers. Just imagine the look in your customers’ eyes when you bring out their premium drink and deliver it with a buzz of excitement.

That is the difference that Bottle Service Sparklers will bring to you. That is why you need to check them out now.

Have a happy retail Christmas! Beware of Boxing Day

It's that time of the year when many retailers are rushed off their feet. I know my traditional readership falls at this time because people are too busy. I wanted to take this opportunity to say Happy Christmas to all of those that follow me. I know that my readers consist of independent retailers and people who work for bigger companies. This short blog today is going to be about the current debate on Boxing Day opening.

I have worked in retail for a long time and I know how tough it can be at this time of the year. Often the most important people in a store only get a day off at Christmas as they are needed on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. This is far too much pressure with the pay to match.

I know of many good retail managers that will look after their people. Most workers will get some time off over Christmas or the New Year period if it can be worked properly. I completely sympathise with all of the people that are signing the petition to stop retailers from opening on Boxing Day. I can honestly see a huge amount of sense in it but in my eyes it does not solve a problem. There are so many people from different industries that have to work on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day at all timed of the day and night that it is impractical to take one part of one industry and exclude it. If the shops were not open then people would shop online and then the pickers and delivery staff would be working anyway. There are no real winners here.

Healthcare, hospitality and taxi drivers are some of the many people that work on these days. Retail staff cannot be made an exception.

So what can be done?

I have worked with many retailers who try to make this as fair as possible. In the places I have worked with in the past it was either done on a 'year-on, year-off' basis or worked that it was voluntary where possible. Some (particularly those with older contracts)  are rewarded with higher pay rates on these days and are happier to come in as a result. Take a look at what might work for you.

As I said, this is only a short blog and a chance to say 'Happy Christmas.' I think that there will only be one more blog before Christmas so if I don't see you again have a good one. Here's to a fantastic retail 2017.

Wedding Day Sparklers add a real buzz to your big day

Your wedding day is an event you want everyone to remember. The day can disappear in a flash so it is important to give those extra details that make your wedding day stand out in the memory of all your guests. The best weddings have that something extra that people look back on with great fondness.

There is no better way to make the day memorable than to give your guests sparklers. It lights up your wedding day and gives a memorable backdrop to the occasion. Sparklers add that touch of excitement that turn another wedding into a celebration.

Wedding Day Sparklers provide the best quality sparklers and more to add that special touch to your wedding celebration. See the faces of young and old alike light up as they watch the sparklers light up the dark. When you look back on your wedding photos, the sparklers will brighten the evening and bring those memories flooding back.

The amazing 20 inch sparklers will look great when they are captured on film, whether this is still photography or video. With most smartphones having time lapse technology you can use the two minute sparkle of these 20 inches for your guests to write a message in the night air. These make great gifts or can be used to send you off on your honeymoon.

The fantastic 36 inch sparklers last over three minutes so your guests can have a lot of fun with them. These are the longest lasting sparklers that you can find so you will only need one or two sparklers for each guest. They are smokeless so you don’t need to worry that they will cloud your photos or cause issues indoors.

All of the sparklers provided by http://weddingdaysparklers.com/ look great, so they fit in with the wedding theme. Too many sparklers are aimed at kids and do not have the class and sophistication needed to look at home in a wedding celebration. Wedding Day Sparklers understand what the bride and groom want.

Sparklers really add that ‘wow factor’ to photos and will make sure that everyone remembers your wedding day as fondly as you do. They bring photos to life and ensure that the fun lasts well into the evening.

The sparklers that Wedding Day Sparklers deliver are great value so you can be sure that they will fit into your budget when you are planning the big day. Check them out now.

Retailers need to solve an image problem to recruit top talent

Retail has an image problem with potential employees. Although working in retail can be interesting, rewarding and provide career progression it is seen as a dead end job taken only by those that can't get anything else by too many graduates. A high proportion of retail workers are 2nd income earners that go out to work in shops as a supplement to what the main earner brings in. But it doesn't have to be this way. The fact is that retail can provide good pay and conditions, career progression and a lifetime of learning.

What high quality potential new recruits want to see is where they can take their career and how quickly. This is even more important for the millennial generation (more of these in a moment) to be attracted to these roles.

Retailers have a duty to make their career progression more structured and promote this as widely as possible. The discount retailers, particularly Aldi and Lidl, have made great strides in recruiting people recently by offering a great salary and advertising it well. This has attracted good talent and these retailers will have a good chance of retaining that talent, even though they have a reputation for working people hard.

But what are other retailers doing? Where is the search for quality candidates? What can a retailer offer someone who graduates from a top university?

Many retailers need to look differently at how they position themselves in the recruitment market. They talk in similar tones to the likes of McDonalds in terms of camaraderie and fulfillment but the current group teaching the job market (towards the end of the millennial generation) want more from a career than that. The average millennial wants-

• To work for a company that shares the same values as them
• They are high users of technology and social media
• They want a challenge at work and need to be stimulated

Now the clever retailer will hear their recruitment to these needs and find the best talent. Millennials can be found online, on social media and want to be engaged by potential employers. As a retailer you might well need to up your game. The content that you put out there will really help you to connect with millennials and show that you understand their space. How you go about changing the perception of retailing as a career is going to be down to the way that you present the opportunities you have. Giving your team the chance to get involved with the social media marketing or to work in different areas of the business will give people more of a reason to consider working with you. It might make the difference when you are looking for talent to fill your next vacancy.

Does Black Friday actually exist?

Today is Black Friday. This is something that obviously started in the United States as the sales on the day after Thanksgiving. It makes sense there as it is something that is the equivalent to the UK sales that used to start in the New Year when I was a kid and now start on Boxing Day (or earlier.)

But rather than a genuine sale where retailers get rid of stock they couldn't sell in the run up to Christmas (or Thanksgiving in the US) these are marketing gimmicks that are used to shift goods at the right time. This leads me to ask the question-

Does Black Friday actually exist?

I mean this in the sincerest of senses. Black Friday as a day of sales does not really exist in the United Kingdom. What does exists is two forces that work together to make a great day to sell products for retailers but doesn't do a great deal for customers. We will have a look at the two forces below-

People only have a limited amount of money to spend on Christmas

Now I know that the sentence above might not feel true at times when you watch people leave stores with armfuls of goods day after day from the start of the Christmas season when Halloween finishes right through until closing time on 24th December.But once all the presents are bought for all the people they have to buy for then the vast majority of people stop.

So Black Friday is a great opportunity for retailers to get in there as soon as they can. If they become the first port of call for people when they are making their Christmas gift purchases then they stand a better chance of a bigger slice of the pie. If you leave your Christmas events until the week before the big day then you will end up missing out on all the consumers that bought on Black Friday.

The earlier you get people to spend their money with you then the less chance they have of spending it anywhere else. It makes sense in this way. But when you factor in the other force at play then you can quickly realise that this doesn't necessarily lead to bargains.

What constitutes a sale item

You look at a product. the retailer tells you is used to be at a higher price and you think that you are getting a bargain. That's how it works, isn't it? But many retailers are playing games with consumer at this time of year. For an item to be described as being in a sale it has to have been sold at a higher price for a certain period of time somewhere in that company.

And that is where the games can start. If Company A lists a product for sale on their website at £50 in the summer for that qualifying period of time then they can cut the price for Black Friday and call it a sale. They may have had no intention of selling any at the higher price. The newly-quoted sale price might be exactly what they were always intended to sell it for, but because they have played the game they can call this a sale item and hook customers that might have normally walked past.

So as a consumer, check out the sale prices and see if they represent value to you. If you are a retailer then play straight with customers and stop the games.

Retailers need to be ready for the Christmas rush

This is the time of the year for retailers. I have worked in retail for a long time and Christmas saves many businesses that have struggled the rest of the year. I know of some companies, including some national U.K. retailers, that look to break even all year round and get all their annual profit in the next six weeks or so.

But it isn't about opening your doors as usual and hoping that more customers will walk through them. Retail doesn't work like that and even with plenty of empty units out there you will still face be a lot of competition. It isn't always easy to see where your competition is coming from nowadays either with the internet undercutting many traditional retailers. Here are the things you need to get right for a successful retail Christmas.

Stock

Having the right selection of products on your shelves as well as enough of them is vitally important. You need to do something to supplement what you already offer. People are looking for something completely different at this time of year so make sure that you are in a position to provide it. Look at your range and see how it can be adapted and added to for this time of year.

People shop differently at Christmas. They will be buying gifts for people and will take a guess at what they might want. The refund and exchange counters at the big stores are packed after the big event with people taking back gifts they didn't want. You need to cater to the demand of people who don't quite know what to get. Either have a gift selector on your website or make sure your team are ready to help here. This brings me on to the next part.

Your team

You may need extra bodies at this time of the year to cope with the rush and to keep up your service levels. Think about taking on Christmas temps to help you out. You can give them short term contracts to see you over the busy period. You may have extended opening hours (more on this later) so you may see your existing team spread a little thinly. Try to counter this with help.

Make sure your team are geared up for Christmas. It might seem like they will just cope with whatever you throw at them, but show that you care. It is a hectic time for most people so help them unwind and keep up the spirits. Your customers will notice.

Extra training may be needed if you are offering new products or services. Get your whole team involved in this to get the most from it. Retail is all about the experience you give your customers so make it the best possible.

Opening hours

Shops do open longer over Christmas. You may find that the rest of the retail units in your town or shopping centre open later for one or more days per week. Look at the number and type of extra customers this will bring in and make your opening decisions based on this. With out of town large shopping malls often open until 11pm or midnight and the supermarkets and online retailers open 24/7 you can't compete with everyone on this. Choose your battles wisely and extend your hours where it will help you the most.

It may be that opening earlier helps people in their way to work pick up things from you. It may be that you are more likely to attract extra trade by opening later. Work out what you need, get your team in all the right places and do what will work best for your customers. If you don't have an e-commerce website to sell all hours of the day and night then think about getting this sorted before next Christmas.

This is a hectic time of the year and it can come with a lot of stress. If you get things right before Christmas hits though you will be able to enjoy it more.

What's your favourite part about Christmas as a retailer? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you.

Retailers - what are you selling?

I browsed and shopped in a major shopping centre yesterday and something really struck me. Retailers seem more and more indifferent to their customers than ever and customers seem less and less bothered. The reason I say this? It's all linked to customer service - or the lack of it. So many places I shopped or observed had long queues, tills that could have been opened and staff in the shop floor. But none ventured to connect the three and put the extra staff on the tills to reduce the queues. In fact on more than one occasion there were team members chatting to each other (whether it was work related or not I couldn't say) while very near to the queues at the tills and did nothing to either halt their conversation nor to deal with said queues.

What is the problem? Is there a problem? Has retail moved into a new phase?

I think that there is a problem because the customer deserves better when there are resources available. I have worked for and with retailers for a very long time  and it has always been a huge focus on serving the customers waiting at the till. If every retailer develops the attitude that this isn't important at the same time then the customer loses out. But if only the slack retailers develop this attitude then the smart retailer can win.

Lack of management presence

I see a real lack of management presence on the shop floors of UK retailers and it creates an issue. Wether this is a change in strategy or the fact that management teams have other priorities I don't know but I do see a large movement away from supervision and this leads to self-supervision. People will often make the decisions that makes life easier for them and not necessarily the customer. What I witnessed yesterday was people finding shop floor tasks easier than serving at the till and abandoning customers. With a management presence on these shop floors this wouldn't be allowed to happen.

I think that contrary to popular belief there is a need for middle management to look after the relationship between shop floor staff and their customers. This protects the company's bottom line far better than cutting costs.

Cost control isn't everything

There is a drive with many retailers to keep down the costs and reduce waste. While I applaud this general idea there is more to retail than this. If you cut one cost too much (particularly if it is staffing) then you lose the balance between price and service and your customers go elsewhere.

It all comes back to the initial question of "what are you selling?" I don't believe that a store is simply selling the stock on their shelves. They are selling emotions and thoughts-

• The feeling that tou have the latest fashions
• The feeling that you offer great value
• The feeling that you are on-trend
• The feeling that you only sell quality products

But this isn't enough without the customer service to back up the proposition. I queued for 10 minutes  yesterday to but two T-shirts from a quality and hugely popular clothing retailer yesterday because the staff on the shop floor didn't react to the queues. In fact I'd say that the store is proud of its queues because they rarely work hard to reduce them. I won't shop there again.

Do you have a pet hate when it comes to retail? What would you change instantly? Let me know I'm the comments below.

The Maxoflask Leather Wrapped Hip Flask is a classy and stylish way to have a little drink

I love the chance to bring you beautiful and stylish products in my blog. It is great to be able to share with you when I find something that can show off your individual style.

Today I bring you the Maxoflask Leather Wrapped Hip Flask. They are lightweight and discrete, as any good hip flask should be. But as these are made with quality materials and wrapped in leather so they are also incredibly stylish. You maybe don't want to advertise that you are having a discrete drink but if people do spot your hip flask they can't be anything but impressed! These hip flasks are the real deal.

The Maxoflask Leather Wrapped Hip Flasks have many great features-

•          Wrapped in leather for that great look
•          Perfect 8 oz size
•          Stylish contrasted stitching
•          Stainless Steel that is food-grade safe
•          It looks stylish
•          It provides you with a convenient and discrete drink
•          It has been designed to be leak proof as it is laser-welded
•          Approved by the FDA and free from BPA's
•          Offered with a great 30-Day money-back guarantee

All in all this is a well-crafted flask that ticks all the boxes when it comes to safety, style and convenience. You don't want it to be any other way.

This is a great idea for a gift for anyone that you know. It gives the connoisseur of whiskey, vodka, scotch or bourbon a little taste of luxury in their life. It is fantastic to give or receive a gift where a lot of thought has been put into it. A hip flask is the ideal way for someone to enjoy a little drink. It is so much more convenient and classy than carrying around a bottle.

The Maxoflask Leather Wrapped Hip Flask is a real quality item and can be enjoyed by anything me who wants to carry around a strong drink with them but don’t want to advertise the fact that they are drinking. It is a personal item that really adds that touch of class when you want to grab a little drink every now and again.

Get on over to this link and get your Maxoflask Leather Wrapped Hip Flask today. It is a superb gift whether it is for someone else or a nice little gift for yourself. Whoever you buy it for it will be treasured and well-used.

Herbasafe Hand Sanitizer is the natural way to sanitize your hands

The world is changing. The focus on using chemicals for everyday tasks that has been prevalent over the last 20 or 30 years is starting to be challenged. There are too many chemicals being used and there are many people that find they can't use products on their skin that contain harsh chemicals. Hand sanitizers have been developed to use chemicals or alcohol to cleanse and kill bacteria. But with people realising their skin conditions are caused or worsened by these chemicals then they are switched off to the products.

But what if there was an alternative? What if there was a natural way to sanitize your hands? What if we could find something better?

There is! It is the great product called HerbasafeAlcohol Free Natural Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer. This is an amazing product that can be used by those with sensitive skin so it is perfect for anyone and everyone. This hand sanitizer has been made with a blend of herbal ingredients and essential oils so it smells great and works as a barrier on your hand as well as look after your skin. You can use it multiple times a day and it won’t dry out your hands.

There are so many great features of Herbasafe Alcohol Free Natural Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer that mean you should try it-

·         Made with aloe – leaving the hands feeling soft and moisturised

·         Comes in handy pack that is convenient for work, home or travel

·         The great botanical and lemony smell

·         All natural ingredients to look after you and the earth

Herbasafe Alcohol Free Natural Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer is a great product that has no alcohol in it and is specially formulated to ensure that it doesn’t cause an irritant to your skin. This is a wonderful alternative to other hand sanitizers because it is natural – so you know what is going on to your skin. When you use other hand sanitizers then you can’t possible understand the chemicals that you might be using. The alcohol alone in other hand sanitizers causes your skin to dry out. With Herbasafe Alcohol Free Natural Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer your skin is protected and cared for at the same time.

Try it out today. You will love the way it makes your hands feel as well as the fact that it protects you. It is all natural so, naturally, you will love the way it makes you feel!

Zoose Paint Products are revolutionizing the way you paint

We've all been there. You are just about to start painting and you already have visions of the mess that awaits at the end of the task. You can see the floor covered in newspaper or dust sheets and these themselves splattered with paint. The dread that you might get paint on the carpet or floor.

Then there is the pain involved with sealing and re-opening your paint can. Have you sealed it fully? Will it still be usable next time you need it? What are the chances of injuring yourself when getting that lid back off?

It's a common picture for all of us who decorate.

But it doesn't have to be like this. The world of painting is about to change forever. Let me introduce Zoose Paint Products. They have come up with two fantastic products that will change the way you paint forever.

Firstly we have the Zoose Paint Can Coaster. This is a great idea that has been developed after years of decorating professionally. This works for the professional decorator, the artist or anyone that decorates at home. It is an ingenious coaster that catches drops of paint around the can. It is a high quality product that keeps the area free from paint. When you are painting, the last thing you want is to have to concentrate on spillages all the time. You have enough to focus on getting the painting right. This great device will help you to keep your focus in the right place. You can paint away and know that the Zoose Paint Can Coaster is keeping your floors paint-free and provides protection for all surfaces from countertops to floor surfaces.

The second great product is the Zoose Paint Can Lid. This is something that changes the way you store paint. The lid is high quality transparent plastic and does away for the reliance on the original lid. You don't have to force the existing lid back on and you don't have to pry it back off again. This is where injuries can occur as you try to get back into the can. Because the lids are transparent you can easily see the exact color. If you need to quickly get into your paint to touch up a wall then the Zoose Paint Can Lid makes that task a breeze.

All of these products are washable and reusable so you buy great quality that you can use time and time again.

Every now and again something comes along that really changes the way we do something. Zoose Paint Products have just made painting so much easier.

An easy-to-use solution to all your ID card design and printing needs

At ‘My Time In Retail’ I help the independent retailer to find solutions that help their business run more smoothly. Today I take a look at a solution for the small business, organization or club to produce ID cards, membership cards or loyalty cards. The solution that you have been looking for to develop and produce high quality cards like these is http://www.idcardworkshop.com

This is a great piece of software that enables you to design and print cards for all of your needs-

• ID cards
• Membership cards
• Visitor cards
• Employee badges

And much more.

Imagine the ability to get these great-looking badges for all of the people who work for you so that you can all look like one team.

Think about how your customers will feel with a professional-looking membership or loyalty card to show that they are an important part of your company.

The software is easy to use and also has a feature to store and manage the content you have used, so you don’t have to start all over again every time you have a new card to print. The images and words that you use on one card can be easily transferred to another, saving you precious time.

Independent retail is about the friendly and personal service that you can offer to your loyal customers. www.idcardworkshop.com enable you to wow your customers with professional badges for use by your team or your customer is a great way to step up to the mark and enhance that feeling. But independent retailers can sometime struggle against the might of the big boys. To be able to meet them on their own terms with name badges and ID cards that look every bit as good (if not better) than what the competition offer then you can really stand out from the crowd.

The software includes the ability to make badges in different sizes so it fits all your badge-making needs. You can make membership or loyalty cards or your customers, name badges for your staff or any other badge you need all from the same piece of software.

You can upload and use the images you want so your cards and badges will look just the way you want them to.

All in all this is a great solution to a longstanding problem and www.idcardworkshop.com gives you all of the answers you need. Try it today!

Look great in this stylish Harley T-shirt from Folk Shirts

At ‘My Time In Retail’ I like to highlight products and companies from time to time that stand out in the crowded marketplace. Today I take a look at something that will allow the Harley lover the opportunity to share their love of the Harley with the world.

The Harley fan is always someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. But what if that sleeve was attached to a fantastic Harley Davidson T-shirt? Well now it can be with the great t-shirts available from Folk Shirts, which can be found on Amazon.

You want to look great? You want to show your love for all things Harley? You want to look stylish and cool?

Well look no further than Folk Shirts – find them on Amazon.

It is a fantastic thing to be able to let the world know your true colours through the medium of your clothing. It unites Harley fanatics and creates a bond that this tribe will never lose. Harley lovers want everyone they meet to now that they just love their Harley and they want to meet as many fellow Harley enthusiasts as they possibly can.

These T-shirts are really well made and the highest standards are applied to their production. The features of the Harley T-shirt are-

·         Made from 100% Cotton

·         Machine wash cold with like colors, dry in low heat

·         This is an original Brand Name Folk Shirts T-shirt

·         Great for all Harley Lovers

·         Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem

So you are buying real quality that will last a long time so you can look great week after week, year after year. When you buy clothing you want it to look right even after it has been washed many times. The T-shirts from Folk Shirts will keep their quality because of the production values that have gone into this great Harley T-shirt.

Folk Shirts say it all with their tagline for this T-shirt-

“Wanna be seen as a badass Harley lover without saying a word? You know what to do right now!”

It takes your Harley love to a new level because you can be seen to be Harley and be seen to look great without opening your mouth. These are limited edition T-shirts that won’t be around forever. Once you have yours then tell all the other Harley lovers in your life. These T-shirts are available for men, women and children.

Why Romantic Love Dies...Or Thrives - You really can affect how this works in your life

What is love? It is a question that has been asked through the ages in literature and in song. The answers are manifold and are not always easy to bring to mind. What are the answers to some of the eternal questions-

Where does romantic live come from? How does it disappear? Why are people unfaithful? Is your measure of live the same as that of someone else?

This book answers all of those questions and more-

Why Romantic Love Dies... Or Thrives : Controversial Principles To Overcome Falling Out Of Love And Empower Your Romantic Relationship

Frederick Norman Tate writes with a fluency and authority that really brings this subject to life. It is true that there has been so much conjecture about love and the places it plays in our lives.

This book takes conventional thinking and turns it on its head. For centuries love has been viewed as irrational and something that happens by chance. It is easy to think of it in this way because we don't have enough knowledge in this area. Tate shows that this isn't strictly true.

There are small things that can mean the difference between being a success in romance or being a failure in romance. These small things can have a massive impact on your life. By understanding this you can make a difference to your life.

There are small changes that you can easily make to be more attractive to others. Tate takes the reader through this and answers in part the question of -

How can I make myself more attractive to a potential partner?

This is interesting stuff because there has been no attempt to do this before. This book breaks boundaries in the way that it debunks common thinking. There is belief that this can't be done. Tate speaks clearly and gives you a pathway to look at improving your own romantic life. It covers topics such as-

•         Infidelity
•          Flirting
•          Sex life
•          A relationship test

Look at this book as a guide to curing you of romantic failures and enhancing the romantic successes that you have. It will allow you to see the world through a different lens, one that can help you to be a success in romance. Make sure that you get the most from your love life by getting the lowdown on how to make it better. These are ideas that you can't find anywhere else.

Get the book today and you will get one step ahead of the rest and become the most successful you have ever been in romance.

How will the EU referendum affect Britain's High Streets?

There has been much debate about our role in the EU and the upcoming referendum when the country decides whether we stay or leave.

There has been much scaremongering from both sides and it will continue up to and beyond the referendum. The latest has been the Prime Minister with a warning on businesses and jobs-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35769809

So how does this affect retail? What impact will it have on the High Street? Let's take a look.

EU grants

One of the overlooked areas when it has come to the debate has been the handouts that councils have been able to access for regeneration. Some depressed areas have spent you'd money well and turned terrible High Streets in to great shopping destinations. Leaving the EU would revive direct access to these grants and the U.K. Government would need to provide a replacement. If we are net contributors to the EU as we have been told by the 'Leave' campaign then this money could still be found to continue what has been good work in some areas.

Retail businesses

There has been some depressing statistics about the job situation over the next ten years recently anyway. It remains to be seen what a Brexit would mean to our retail industry and the future of our High Street but it doesn't appear that it will spark a massive change. The country is more than capable of quickly agreeing new trade deals with our current EU trading partners to keep open the lines of business. Therefore any worries about trade becoming more expensive should be allayed quite quickly.

Jobs

There has been longstanding fears for job security in times of large level immigration. These fears are global at the moment with the exodus from Africa and the plight of people in Syria and the surrounding area. Leaving the EU won't diminish our responsibility to take in refugees but will give us control back over the one area of immigration that we can't do anything about as it stands - EU immigration. Because of the free movement of people within the EU we have people from all over the continent working in our country. In terms of culture and diversity it is a great thing. In terms of job security for British nationals it may have held back youth employment. I say may because it is difficult to put exact numbers in it. Only a Brexit will give us the chance to see what this will look like.

I don't have any strong feelings at the moment whether in or out is the right thing for the UK, but as time goes by and I listen to what has to be said then I will definitely be voting. Please make sure that you also take part in this important decision-making process.

Gap under fire for shuffling profits

Tesco cuts back it's 24 hour operation - what can retailers of all shapes and sizes learn from this?

A story caught my eye in the news this morning. It is regarding the fact that Tesco is paring back it's 24 hour operation in a large chunk of their stores. The reason quoted in the article is the fact that online shopping is eroding their in-store customer base.

I can see that an upturn in online shopping (with a similar downturn in customers physically visiting their stores) can have an effect on how long you need to keep the doors open. I know that big retailers have been backwards and forwards will having their stores replenished overnight or not. But this is more like a complete change in strategy for Tesco rather than a tweaking of a few opening hours.

The 1990's through to the last couple of years have been all about expansion got the big retailers, particularly the supermarkets. They bought up land, drove into new markets and employed more and more (often part-time) staff. The recent scandals and the competition from the discounters has put Tesco on the back foot. It has also given them an opportunity to assess where they are and where they want to be. 

Expansion for the sake of it means nothing.

If it's not an area that makes money then why bother with it?

And that brings me to your business. I'll ask the exact same question-

If it's not an area that makes money then why bother with it?

It's time to assess all aspects of the retail business that you work in and decide whether they are all pulling their weight. Your business needs to be as efficient as it can be. Unless an area generates footfall that you need. The National Lottery is an example of this. The income it generates is poor but it drives people through the door that may buy other things.

The best way to do this is to break down your business into different areas and attribute costs to each of these areas. This can be staffing costs, materials, energy use or whatever resources this part of the business consumes. Then measure this against the income it brings in. You will soon generate a list of the performance of every aspect of your business. From there you can see the top performers and those that aren't quite doing so well. Assess the likely impact of removing some parts of your business and moving the resources into others.

• Does this work?
• Will it being more income?
• More profit?

It is by analysing everything that you do that can make the difference between profit and loss. Don't wait for a major event to hit you like Tesco. Act now.

Retail needs to take the lead on pay - there are too many followers and cost-cutters

In light of a story that has appeared in the news today about wealth, I'm looking at leadership on the issue of pay.

Oxfam report that the richest 1% now has as much wealth as the other 99% combined. This is a moral issue that affects every business, and I believe that it is a leadership issue. Every business has the moral obligation to look after the people that work for them. It's not just pay (which a lot of companies need to go much further on) but working conditions, time off, work-life balance and benefits.

At this moment in time, the UK economy is hugely skewed towards business - particularly big business. Media stories regularly show big business not paying their fair share of tax. The minimum wage has served it's purpose and needs to be replaced by the living wage. The taxpayer is subsidising people with a family to work for these companies through working tax credit.

It's time to take a lead.

Unfortunately many retailers are culprits when it comes to poor pay. The minimum wage seems to be the standard wage for national and multinational retailers. It really isn't good enough. Employees are being squeezed and customers are being squeezed in search of extra profits. Billion pound plus profits for shareholders and company owners while paying frontline employees the barest of minimum wage will be counterproductive in the long run. Having demotivated employees that don't give the same service as customers experienced in the past will lead to declining sales. The bottom line is about far more than just cutting costs.

If you are an independent retailer then look at what you pay end how you incentivise your team. If you work for a larger retailer then it's part of your commitment to your colleagues that you raise the issue if low pay in the correct forums.