Global and British Retail Trends
and their Impacts on Town
Centres
Steve Gilman OBE
My Career
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75-76 Bank Clerk, Police Cadet, Barman
76-80 MFI Trainee, Asst, Store, Area Mgr
80-83 Dodge City –B&Q Store Mgr
83-84 Brown Bear Store Mgr
84-96 B&Q Store, District, Regional Mgr
96-98 B&Q Director of Operations UK
98-00 B&Q Director of International Dev
00-05 B&Q International Director
05-08 CEO B&Q Asia/Kingfisher Management
Board Member
What's changing?- The Speed of Change
Amazon reports its first
profitable year
Mark Zuckerberg starts
FaceMash at Harvard
which becomes Facebook
launches
blazes a trail by launching
a mobile commerce site
First Internet Retailer
Conference and
Exhibition
Google Checkout
launches
Apple launches iTunes
store
2000
2003
2002
Google
AdWords
Pay Per
Click
system
starts
Dotcom
Bust
The world
does NOT
collapse
due to
Y2K bugs
2005
2004
2006
Google acquires YouTube
Credit card companies
create PCI DSS:
Payment Card Industry
Data Security Standard
PayPal is acquired by
eBay
Google AdWords surpass
$21 billion
Apple launches iPhone
with full web browsing
and downloadable apps,
advancing ecommerce
Western Union sends final
telegraph message, which
heralds the demise of the
Telegraph machine
Blizzard Entertainment
launches World of
Warcraft, a MMORPG
starts social news
service
Twitter starts enabling
microblogging with SMS
tweets
launches first social
commerce application in
Facebook
Microsoft introduces Bing
begins developing social
network games
Amazon and
Overstock.com lose New
York online sales tax
battle
2007
2009
launches
launches
2001
US Broadband Internet
users reach 200 million
2008
Amazon launches
TextBuyIt to enable SMS
product searches, price
checks and purchases
Magento open source
eCommerce release by
Varien
Google introduces
Android, the mobile
operating system
Groupon offers deal-ofthe-day group buying
2010
bought by Oracle
Internet retailers focus
on extending social
shopping inside social
networks, especially
Facebook
iPad launches
iPad 2 !
KEY CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING
1) Consumers have a much wider choice where and how to buy
2) Women and Older Consumers are increasingly important
3) High Streets need to become easier to access and more “Entertaining”
4) Improved Environment in which to shop, e.g. Covered pavements etc
5) Innovative Retailers need to be encouraged into High Streets
6) Customers want Education as well as Shopping Experience
WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED
BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
1) “Leveling the Playing Field between E Retailers and Physical Stores
2) Retail Rate levels on High Street and Out of Town Stores
3) Valuing Town Centres contribution to the “Big Society”
4) Simplyfing Planning Permission, whilst maintaining safeguards
What Needs to be Considered by
Local Government
1) Creating Partnerships between Local Authorities, Retailers and Consumers
for what they want from “Their” High Street
2) Embrace Change in Retail Channels and develop Strategy yo include High
Street, Out of Town and E Commerce – Free WIFI
3) Make High Streets More Accessible for Customers on Public Transport,
Road initiatives and Car parking initiatives
4) Make High Streets more desirable to Shop in, Pedesrianisation and
Weather Proof Verandahs etc
5) Develop High Street Plans which incorporate Sustainability for Retail
Business and the Environment
6) Market Town Centres to New and Innovative Retailers
7) Develop “Event Lead” Initiatives to encourage High Street usage for All
Age Groups but on different days