bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RESEARCH: HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE RETAILER?
Authors: Thorpe David
Published: February 2008

For many retailers, research is something they undertake because they have a vague feeling they ought to do so, rather than because they anticipate any concrete benefits. It is the kind of attitude which prompted large retail organisations, years ago when the magic of electronic data processing first appeared on the horizon, to order expensive computers and then use them for paying wages. In this paper Dr Thorpe outlines the ‘external’ areas from which retailers might be expected to benefit from research, such as site selection and logistics of supply, and then of the ‘internal’ areas — merchandising and labour management. This is a summarised version of a paper read at the GDI conference at Zurich.
HOW CUSTOMERS WANT TO SHOP
Authors: Mann HR
Published: February 2008

Local planning authorities in the UK have developed over the past few years a number of interesting techniques for examining and sometimes measuring the attitudes and opinions of shoppers. There is of course a statutory obligation for local planning authorities to consult the public during the preparation of town centre development plans; in addition there are pressure groups who have decided views about the move of retail developments away from traditional shopping locations. In this paper, the full version of which was given at the recent GDI conference at Zurich, H.R.Mann examines the situations arising from these two developments.
Do‐it‐Yourself or hire it out?
Authors: Pettitt Dan
Published: February 2008

One of the most controversial issues in the distribution world is whether companies should contract out the various elements of the distribution function or whether they should operate them on an ‘in‐house’ basis. Dan Pettitt, with long and substantial experience in the transport world, has seen it from both sides; as Chairman of SPD — an own account performer — and currently of the NFC, a professional distribution service company provider. Thus he describes himself as ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’; whilst being receptive to the ‘own account’ argument, he believes that the case for purchasing a total service from a separately controlled distribution service company, especially a professionally‐based transport company, grows stronger daily.
ANATOMY OF A MARKETING EXERCISE
Authors: Kendall Ray
Published: February 2008

The retailer may first become aware of a new product when the manufacturer's salesmen approach buyers with samples and promotion plans. Yet often two years or more of research and market investigation have gone into the development. SnackSoup, launched with massive television advertising by Cadbury's in January was somewhat unusual in this respect — development only took eleven months.
Keeping the fixtures filled
Authors: Giddings James I. , Harless Theodore J.
Published: February 2008

Retailers are rapidly coming to realise that sales lost through stock unavailability is a serious profit risk. Having the right merchandise to hand at the right time is a problem, especially in these times of shortages. In this article the merchandising methods of two hypothetical American stores, Alpha and Beta are discussed.
RETAIL LOGISTICS & THE SUBURBAN STORE
Authors: Rosenberg Leon
Published: February 2008

Professor Rosenberg argues that, in the US at least, the traditional department store, faced with rising expenses, is in danger of becoming the victim of the ‘wheel of retailing’ hypothesis. In order to survive, running costs may have to be cut by 10%; one way is to re‐appraise the role of physical distribution — or retail logistics as it is described in the States.
HUMAN DIMENSIONS IN RETAILING
Authors: de Somogyi Jan
Published: February 2008

The domination of people's working lives by machines, the deterioration of the environment, the inhumanity of conveyor‐belt production — all are factors which threaten the quality of life. Must retailing, with its tendency towards large‐scale operations, massive merchandising, and a diminishing reliance on personal service, slavishly follow the same pattern? Jan de Somogyi's contention is that this need not happen; his theme sets out how to combine the benefits of economies of scale with good personal communications and the policies in which each individual is important. It is an attempt to discuss one of the most crucial issues of our complex technological society through the eye of a retailer. This is a slightly abridged version of a paper originally read to the Manchester Statistical Society, which we are publishing (with their kind permission) in two parts. The second part to be published will discuss the question of social dimensions.
Creating a strategy for profitability
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

The formulation of a retail strategy involves defining the external areas, such as markets and competition; and internal sectors, which include finance, merchandising and logistics. The company must then decide on whether to adopt a market‐based or a competitive‐based strategy; it should then select an internal factor as the key base from which to mount its method of achieving the objective.
TRANSPORT PLANNING & TOTAL DISTRIBUTION
Authors: Griffith Hugh
Published: February 2008

The word “transport” suggests an image of juggernauts, diesel fumes and transport cafes. But for some time now there has been an increasing appreciation of the role of transport and its far‐reaching effects on overall company planning — not only in relation to costs but also in its impact on sales and marketing. But planning an effective transport system cannot be viewed in isolation; it must be regarded as part of the overall total distribution concept. Transport is by no means a negligible aspect of the economy; 01 the gross domestic product, currently running at £65,000m., somewhere betweeen 3% and 5% of this figure is accounted for by transport.
The use of operating ratios in retail management
Authors: Towsey Ralph G
Published: February 2008

In the March/April issue we published an article by Colin Paterson of British Home Stores in which he examined the use of ratios in financial analysis and questioned to what degree these ratios are meaningful. His article has prompted this follow‐up by Ralph Towsey, who suggests that some of these ratios can have an important significance within the retail management function as operational control information.
A Practical Look at Retail Planning
Authors: McAnally Patrick
Published: February 2008

The recent PTRC meeting at Warwick on “Retailing and Local Planning” was notable for the practicality of its approach and its determination to avoid suffocation by excessive concentration on gravity models. Useful contributions were made by a number of people concerned with various aspects of the development of retailing facilities. The conference is discussed here by Patrick McAnally, (Research Department, John Lewis Partnership) who acted as Chairman of the Programme Committee for the meeting.
PLANNING A DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
Authors: Mann Alan F
Published: February 2008

Of all the areas under the control of distribution management the structure of the distribution system is arguably the most important. The siting of depots has a major influence on costs and other factors, and a critical look at the depot situations can lead to a re‐appraisal of a network. Scientific methods have their place but management judgment is invaluable in order to produce practical and acceptable solutions. The second part of this feature, which takes the form of a case study, will be published in our next issue.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND EQUAL PAY
Authors: Pontarollo Enzo
Published: February 2008

The Equal Pay Act in the UK has had a limited effect on earnings, but the gap nonetheless is still substantial; in the distributive trades, no women gets on average more than two‐thirds of men's earnings, and among non‐manual workers, women get on average only half. Yet in other EEC countries, minimum earnings are the same for men and women. Enzo Pontarollo, contributing the second half of his major feature on hours, wages and earnings in EEC countries, suggests that this international comparison reinforces the proposition that distribution in Britain is a low‐pay sector (whatever definition of low pay is taken), and that this is true not only in relation to earnings in Britain, but also in relation to distributive workers in other EEC countries. The writer has spent a period of nine months or so discussing working conditions in large‐scale retailing with retail managements and trade unions in EEC countries. The project has been funded by the Italian retail group, La Rinascente.
PEOPLE & JOBS
Authors: Pearson Richard
Published: February 2008

Distribution has for years been handicapped by problems of high labour turnover and mobility. In this article, the second in a series arising from the study of manpower structure carried out by the Institute of Manpower Studies for the DITB, the flow of people both out of and into companies in the industry is considered. Sepcifically, information is presented on labour wastage, and sources and levels of recruitment for various occupations in the industry. The background to this study, which was completed in 1973, was originally outlined in this magazine (May 1973), and in our last issue (Sept/Oct), the main features of employment in the industry were examined. Prior to the main results the author looks at the statistics available nationally which in themselves highlight the need for improved information on manpower flows in distribution. A further article in the series will follow shortly.
AN APPROACH TO WAREHOUSE DESIGN
Authors: Morton R.J.
Published: February 2008

Warehousing is a waste of time and money. Goods that are in store are idle goods and the longer they stay in storage the more they cost. The less warehousing, then, the better. A few companies have managed to organise a retailing operation without own warehousing by direct scheduling from manufacturer or supplier to the retail outlet. However, for the vast majority a warehouse is necessary in order to provide a buffer between supply and demand, to take advantage of bulk purchasing and to guarantee a service level to the customer on a reasonable number of products. Clearly, a warehouse should be scientifically sited and designed. It is at the hub of a distribution network and as such must be a highly efficient unit if it is not to wreck the entire system. In previous articles (RDM Jan/Feb and May/June 1974), the authors considered the overall distribution network including the determination of the number of warehouses and their siting. They now consider warehouse design and, more particularly, how this design should be matched to the throughput.
STATUTORY WAGE REGULATION IN RETAILING
Authors: Williams Ivor
Published: February 2008

One of the last functions the Commission on Industrial Relations performed before it was wound up towards the end of last year was to produce a report on wage determination in the retail distribution sector. Because of the CIR's dissolution, the report received remarkably little publicity. This was a pity, since it was the culmination of some two years' work, in consultation with representatives from over 50 employers' associations, several trade unions and other spokesmen from the industry. In addition it contains the results of a postal survey of over 2,500 retail establishments and an earnings survey of 13,500 employees — a great deal of original data. Ivor Williams worked for the CIR and took a prominent part in the preparation of the report. In this article he examines the structure and effectiveness of retail wages councils, and in particular the report's recommendation that a revised form of wages council should be retained.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: BY COMPUTER OR MANUALLY? The experience of a Belgium supermarket group
Authors: Fourez F.
Published: February 2008

Delhaize Freres is a Belgian supermarket group with 78 supermarkets and a large number of affiliated stores, selling grocery and a number of non‐food Tines including hardware and perfumery. M. Fourez, the technical director, here describes his company's experience on being confronted with the pressing question as to whether to computerise their inventory management or to do it manually. Their final view was that the use of computers did not offer a profitable solution to the problem, owing to the difficulty of including all categories of article in a limited number of easily usable models. But he adds that such a decision will depend on a company's own character, its own philosophy and its own markets; the final decision is an individual one for each company to take. This is a summary of a paper read at the CIES conference.
Carrefour at Caerphilly: THE SHOPPERS AND THE COMPETITION
Authors: Cox Roger
Published: February 2008

When the first real live hypermarket opened in this country in the autumn of 1972, it made retailing history by finding it necessary to launch TV commercials telling people to keep away because the roads were congested. Where do Carrefour's customers come from? And which retail organisations do they directly compete with? Two organisations — Donaldsons and the RORU — have published reports on these questions, and both are discussed here.
THE ROLE AND STRUCTURE OF DISTRIBUTION
Authors: de Somogyi Jan
Published: February 2008

By international standards, British retailers are relatively efficient. However, their performance could be threatened both by the present recession and by the growing complexity of central and local planning and regulations. Neither is the economic role of retailing in terms of marketing adequately understood by central and local government, nor its social role in the infra‐structure of community services. In this important paper, originally prepared for the Distributive Trades EDC, Jan de Somogyi recommends, amongst other things, that there should be a positive national policy towards retailing, and co‐ordination between government departments implementing it; that national strategies to restructure manufacturing industry must not be at the expense of efficient marketing; that the right kind of capital investment in retailing should be encouraged; and that development planning should be speeded up. This first part of the paper deals with marketing strategies; the second will discuss the social infra‐structure.
Learning to work with inflation
Authors: Highton Norman
Published: February 2008

It is no news to retailers that their margins have been effectively restricted by a combination of Price Code regulations and customer resistance. Indeed, escalating operating costs are now eating into margins so fast that it is doubtful if the average of remaining profits exceeds 50% of permitted net reference levels. The writer asserts that it is essential for retailers to consider alternatives to their former trading policies. An operating budget and a detailed cash flow projection are both essential. Problems are most likely to be met in achieving the budget of gross profit and in keeping full control of stocks and debtors; the writer suggests how these problems may best be tackled.
Building up an order processing system
Authors: Davis JN , Kirby RW
Published: February 2008

In the writers' view, an order processing system can best be built up by identifying the facilities required, and considering methods of order entry. They then discuss the advantages of telephone selling and describe how telephone sales operators can make full use of the order processing system to achieve maximum effectiveness.
THE ROLE AND STRUCTURE OF DISTRIBUTION
Authors: de Somogyi Jan
Published: February 2008

In our last issue we published the first half of this paper, originally prepared for the Distributive Trades EDC by Jan de Somogyi. The first section discussed marketing strategies; in this second part the writer is concerned with distribution as part of a social infra‐structure shaping the urban social landscape—an infra‐structure currently threatened by economic pressures. The need for a national, bi‐partisan policy towards retailing is stressed, and for an appreciation of its dual marketing and social functions; at national level there should be co‐ordination between government departments whose policies affect retailing; and at local and regional level there should be greater co‐ordination of decisions affecting retailing.
Co∼operation between merchant and accountant
Authors: Highton ACMA Norman A.
Published: February 2008

Two key figures in any retail organisation are the merchandising executive and the account, and the successful functioning of each of these is crucial to any business. Yet in superficial terms their motivations, their objectives and their methods of working may appear to be not only substantially different but perhaps even in conflict. Co‐operation between the two is essential if the business is to prosper; in this article Norman Highton offers suggestions as to how this might be brought about.
The day of the discounter
Authors: Watkin D.G. , Joseph M.E.
Published: February 2008

Discount food stores opened within days of each other in Welshpool and Porthcawl earlier this year. How have established retailers been affected in these two very difficult towns with their traditions of small independents (Welshpool) and larger supermarkets (Portcawl)? What has been the impact on shoppers from the surrounding countryside? Are the new stores nine‐day‐wonders or have they already attracted loyal customers? These are some of the questions investigated by the authors who are currently continuing their study of the effects of the discount stores on existing retail outlets in Welshpool and Porthcawl.
The role of warehousing
Authors: McKibbin Brian
Published: February 2008

Rambling warehouses whose mysterious contents were a tightly kept secret of the storeman and his acolytes are fortunately a thing of the past. Modern single storey warehouses now sprawl across the landscape at every strategically situated motorway intersection. Yet there is much more to designing a warehouse than simply choosing the best site or installing fork‐lift trucks. In this article Brian McKibbin focuses attention on some of the neglected areas of physical distribution where further economics may still be made. The article is based on a paper presented by Mr McKibbin at the “New Environment Conference on Physical Distribution” organised by the Warrington New Town Development Corporation recently.
PINPOINTING THE PROBLEM
Authors: Clay Michael
Published: February 2008

Sooner or later every manager is faced with finding the route out of a difficult dilemma; choosing the solution which will cure the company's ills — not complicate them. All too often, as Chesterton wrote “It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they can't see the problem.” In this article Michael Clay describes an American technique for analysing and solving problems which can be learned quickly and requires no prior knowledge of management.
Local delivery systems: VEHICLE SCHEDULING BY COMPUTER
Authors: Jones F.G.
Published: February 2008

Historically, the application of computers to distribution has been characterised by a number of mistakes and incorrect assumptions; it was not until 1971, in this writer's view, that it was put into perspective. His case is that the computer packages Roadnet and Transit are capable of producing vehicle schedules which offer attainable costs when implemented. This paper was originally presented at a seminar run by the Midlands Group of the Centre for PDM.
ENVIRONMENT vs ACCESS
Authors: Williams JK
Published: February 2008

As residents' associations lobby their local councils to ban lorries from their particular street, width barriers and weight restrictions sprout throughout suburbia. Will the residents be quite so pleased when the local store is unable to deliver in their area because the delivery van is too wide? Providing for the consumer's convenience, while protecting the environment, is a pressing problem tor today's planners. In this paper, originally presented at a seminar organised by the Midlands Group of the Centre for PDM, one local authority surveyor discusses some of the problems of transportation in an urban area.
Calculating the ‘constraints’
Authors: Perry T.G.
Published: February 2008

Business is nearly always a balancing act; making an improvement in one place very often has some detrimental effect elsewhere. Some ways of increasing sales volume may incur such considerable additional costs that they are not worthwhile, others are so uncertain as to be not worth the risk. Linear programming is a technique for helping to “optimize” these sort of decisions. The approach described in this article has been applied in a number of different types of retailing each with its own characteristics, but the examples chosen to illustrate the principles involved are all based on footwear retailing at various levels of complexity and detail.
Approaches to retail management:
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

As every householder knows to his cost, do‐it‐yourself methods are essential in these straitened times. The “hardware” shop stuffed with odd planks of wood, “pounds” of nails and drawers filled with every conceivable size of washer has been replaced by the streamlined “home improvements” supermarket. One such very successful chain is Texas Homecare, a division of Home Charm Ltd, who specialise in the “systems” approach selling complete plumbing, double‐glazing or furniture kits packed and ready for the customer to assemble at home. In the second of our company analyses (see RDM Sept/ Oct 1976) Dr. David Walters examines some of the factors which have helped to treble Home Charm's turnover in three years.
STOCKS: The prospects for retailing
Authors: Philpott W J
Published: February 2008

The forecast that average wages would rise by at least 10% by mid‐'77 and inflation would continue at 14% were two of the more depressing “prospects” put forward at a recent retailing seminar organised by stockbrokers, Philips and Drew. Speakers at the conference discussed share prospects in the retail sector for the benefit of an audience of potential investors—in the main representatives of insurance companies and pension funds. Financial analyst, Alun Jones, examined the outlook for the whole sector, while Kenneth Bishop, Finance Director, Debenhams; John Samuel, Director and Joint Secretary, Marks and Spencer; and Ian MacLaurin, Managing Director, Tesco Stores each looked at the prospects for their own companies. Below we summarise some of their conclusions.
CONTRACT WAREHOUSING
Authors: Hawkins G.E.
Published: February 2008

Debenhams expansion in recent months has been noteworthy; store extensions and modernisations presage significant future development. Present and anticipated expansion of turnover has posed distribution problems, so Debenhams approached Butler's Warehousing & Distribution for solutions.
Approaches to retail management:
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

Dixons' company policy is totally marketing oriented, with finance playing a supporting role. During 1975/76 total sales were over £126m, of which Dixons were £69m and Westons £57m, and the group has expanded tenfold since 1971. There are now over 400 stores, compared with only 180 in 1971. This fourth “Analysis” article examines organisation policy, product and market development, pricing and customer service, and management control and information.
RETAIL MARKETING IN THE USA, 1976
Authors: Ellsworth Theodore D.
Published: February 2008

Maintaining stock levels at an uneconomic point, an absence of merchandising skills at top management, using EDP without proper planning — all these are defects which Dr. Ellsworth sees at management level in his review of the performance of the American retail sector last year. He does not see much improvement in prospect this year.
SHOPPING TRENDS
Authors: McAfee H.G.
Published: February 2008

There are trends out of town centres and into town centres, trends towards economies of scale and trends towards the small, trends towards the motor car and towards pedestrianisation. Small wonder many retailers feel confused. But nobody, according to Mr McAfee, is in the business of just selling merchandise — they are selling excitement, style, entertainment, fun and leisure. This paper was originally delivered at a conference on shopping organised in Dublin by the Irish Planning Institute and the Irish Branch of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
An involvement with inventory
Authors: Powell Dave
Published: February 2008

All the evidence from retail companies who have invested in recent years in the computer field is that it is the inventory‐intensive businesses that can benefit the most. This article summarises what management's attitude should be to the potentialities of the computer, and includes three case studies of American companies. Gamma Telecommunications is a recently formed company which developed out of Gamma Associates, an established British consultancy specialising in minicomputers, and AW Consultants, an American company.
Approaches to retail management: Di OF BELGIUM
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

DI is a Belgian retail chain of drug stores based on American and French ideas. It was developed by its parent company — Delhaize Le Lion — with two objectives: there was a marketing opportunity available for exploitation in the personal care market. But equally important was the opportunity to offer Delhaize personnel the means for development. The company believes in its staff and DI now has the potential to reward ability and loyalty.
How to cost distributive training
Authors: JS Hart Stephen
Published: February 2008

Relatively little attempt has so far been made to assess the cost of training in retail organisations. But it is essential that an attempt be made to assess training as an investment, and to control the function so that the best possible return is obtained from it. Stephen Hart has devised a scheme which enables a complete statement of training costs to be made and which permits real comparisons between training in different departments.
Approaches to retail management
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

Currys, originally associated with cycles, claim now to be the largest consumer durable multiple in the UK. It has not been a good time for consumer durable retailers but nonetheless the company has done well with turnover more than doubled over the past five years. The market aimed at is wide; this has benefits but also accompanying problems.
The food industry and its problems
Authors: Hornby Derrick
Published: February 2008

The costs of feeding the nation are of various kinds — raw materials, labour, marketing and distribution. There is also the cost of government intervention, and membership of the EEC carries with it both advantages and disadvantages. This is a summary of an address by Derrick Hornby, President of the Food Manufacturers' Federation, at their recent annual conference.
THE CHANGING IMAGE OF DEPARTMENT STORES
Authors: McAnally Patrick
Published: February 2008

How have department stores fared over the last five years? Patrick McAnally suggests that there has been something of a renaissance, that a newer generation of store has developed alongside the old one. Some of the new ones include Fenwicks and John Lewis at Brent Cross, Debenhams in Stirling and Bentalls in Bracknell — stores which by any standards are as much part of the 1970s as the latest hypermarket.
AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF MERCHANDISE CONTROL
Authors: Custer Jim
Published: February 2008

It is of vital importance for retail organisations to understand the relationship between the cost of merchandise, the cost of sales space and trade margins.
Distributed processing at Birds Eye
Authors: Jones Tony
Published: February 2008

The recent arrival of the programmable microcomputer has been found fortuitous by Birds Eye, who are using it as part of their policy of distributed processing, and specifically as a facility for their salesforce. The device being used is the Data Recognition Dataport 5. At the moment the system is being used on a trial basis only, but it is hoped it will meet the administration and selling needs of salesmen, and improve communications and control with the central sales organisation.
The mechanics of distribution at BHS
Authors: Hawes A.C.S.
Published: February 2008

Here we have the opportunity to take a detailed look at the mechanics of distribution as A.C.S. Hawes, Director of BHS, describes the day‐to‐day organisation of their Atherstone Distribution Centre. He leads us through the decision to centralise their operations, their strategic plan, the organisation of the movement of goods, manning levels and the flow of goods through the centre. He discusses the pros and cons of this method and gives an appraisal: this paper, which had its first hearing at the Centre for Physical Distribution Management National Conference in 1978 is, considering its comprehensive scope, both balanced and concise.
A TALE OF TWO SUPERSTORES
Authors: Ogjenovic Danica
Published: February 2008

Two fascinating reports have recently been published on two large‐scale retail units — the Carrefour hypermarket at Eastleigh and the Asda at Coatbridge. Other than the fact that they are large‐scale and share the superstore “concept”, they could hardly be more different. At opposite ends of the country, one is town centre and the other edge of town; their catchment areas, and the car ownership rates involved, are both very different. In this feature we analyse the reports and look particularly at the impact on the surrounding shopping areas of the two superstores.
WINDSOR RE˜ROUTEING: Its implications for distribution
Authors: MacRae John
Published: February 2008

Should the physical distribution industry pay for improvements to the local environment? Just when the Dykes Act seemed to be dead, a High Court decision last December dismissed an appeal against Berkshire CC's order banning heavy lorries without permits on amenity grounds from a 40sq mile area to the east, south and west of Windsor. Whether other county councils will follow suit probably depends on the outcome of a Court of Appeal hearing later this year.
Pilfering: prevention, not cure
Authors: Woolley William A.
Published: February 2008

This detailed and practical paper featured in the International Warehousing conference held in Marseilles last year. The programme centres around the by now familiar problem of reducing physical distribution costs, and William Woolley here gives a comprehensive itemisation of security checks and precautions necessary within the distribution network. No detail is too small; no point can be accepted as too obvious to mention; the costs are too high to leave anything unsaid. Moreover, Mr Woolley makes the point that the warehouse is not just a fortress to be defended against intruders: it is being eaten away from within, by its own employees.
FELLOW TRAVELLERS? RETAILING AND MANUFACTURING REQUIREMENTS IN DISTRIBUTION
Authors: McLaren D
Published: February 2008

In 1978, the International Association of Chain Stores held its fifth conference on warehousing and all aspects of centralised distribution, and this paper formed one of the contributions to this vexed subject. The author examines the complexities of the delivery and packaging problem, and confronts the logistics involved with both breadth of vision and yet an eye for detail. He juggles the variables, the retailers' and the manufacturer's requirements, the unknown quantities involved in trying to assess the implications of experimenting in the distribution and packaging field, and tries to promote unity in an area which all too often involves a conflict of interests.
Electronic funds transfer
Authors: Evans Simon
Published: February 2008

With the development of POS systems, electronic funds transfer, whereby the customer would have her account immediately debited at the point of sale, has become a very real possibility. There are plans in England for a payment system, although no European country has yet started a serious POS funds transfer system. It may be taken as a generalisation that development in POS systems will come earlier in the group of countries oriented towards cheques and credit cards than in those countries oriented towards giro transfers and cash payments. Simon Evans presented this paper at the Information Studies Conference on ‘Data communications for retail management’ in London in March.
Women in retailing
Authors: Ognjenovic Danica
Published: February 2008

Women have always worked: whether unrecognised, at home, or more recently, as part of the paid work‐force. Their contribution to the economy has always been significant, if unsung. But how far can women go within our present work‐structure; how do they fit into the existing career patterns; do they really have equal opportunity? Retailing has been one of the areas of employment where women have traditionally predominated — in numbers, at least. So what has the female work‐force done for retailing, and what are the retailers doing for the women themselves? At a time when many people are talking of a crisis of management, and looking at the pool of female labour as a largely untapped source of new talent, what part are women playing in retailing today, and what are the limitations placed on them, and why?
Credit Cards
Authors: Hayles Ingrid
Published: February 2008

The British consumer may still like to hang on to his cash and may still harbour vaguely puritanical suspicions about credit cards, but there are indications that old habits, though they die hard, are nevertheless dying. In this article, Ingrid Hayles explains the benefits which the own‐brand credit card offers to even the smaller retailer in terms of customer loyalty and increased ‘add on’ sales, and all for a surprisingly low cost.
Urban distribution problems and opportunities in the UK
Authors: Foulkes Martin
Published: February 2008

This paper featured in the one‐day conference held in London in May '79. The conference, entitled ‘Urban distribution — strategy for the future’ and organised by the National Materials Handling Centre, had two objectives: to bring about a greater awareness of the causes of problems in delivering goods to our major cities and to emphasise the need for closer liaison at local level between the planning authority and shops and transport operators, in order to better pursue solutions to such problems. The call for co‐operation is one of the key points of this particular paper; the need to make the distribution operation more efficient whilst keeping town and city habitable. The solutions offered are practical and take the path of steady progress, the measures recommended being fairly well tried already. However, the need for experiment is reiterated.
Food industry trends and developments
Authors: Walzer Edgar B
Published: February 2008

The need to anticipate the state of the market for the next few decades calls for excellent judgement rather than clairvoyance (although that would help too) and an ability to read the signs of the times. The buzz has already gone round that we are heading for a post industrial revolution, and even the tabloids have to take the threat of an energy crisis seriously now. So where does this leave the retailer and his diminishing returns? In this paper we turn to the experience of the Americans. They too are learning to live with recession, and it seems that some people are even making a fast buck out of it — how fast, in terms of how long these new retail operations will last, is another question brought into play. But certainly, the analysis of a faltering economy and the changing face of the consumer are of great interest. This paper was presented at the CIES Congress in Montreal.
Plotting retail strategy
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

Dramatic increases in costs in recent years, especially in occupany and labour, have compelled retailers to examine their strategy for the future with increasing urgency. In general the decisions which make up this strategy have been in terms both of product mix and market location — normally with changes in the mix occurring before those in the location. The second part of this paper will follow in the next issue.
Retail productivity in the UK:
Authors: Cook DE
Published: February 2008

It is reasonable to conclude that there has been an increase in retail productivity but the rate of change has varied greatly between different types of business. This is the principal conclusion arrived at by the writer of this special feature; his findings should be of major interest to the retail trade as a whole.
A volatile year for Irish grocers
Authors: Parker A.J.
Published: February 2008

The grocery trade in Ireland over the past year or so has been in a state of considerable upheaval. Albert Gubay's Three Guys has now been taken over entirely by Tesco, who are clearly planning to make an impact on the country's trade. In addition Quinnsworth has purchased the Five Star supermarket chain, thus increasing the number of their outlets from 42 to 70. And — to the benefit of the consumer — the price war has been hotting up.
“The Big Store”
Authors: Ognjenovic Danica
Published: February 2008

Time was when the lot of the department store was not a happy one. Its glorious past contrasted unhappily with its demise, and until recently, it seemed that the department store had only one fate: to comply with the laws of gravity. However, the results of an URPI workshop, “Planning for Department Stores” seemed to note the beginning of a recovery. The response to this apparently unprecedented move — a workshop about department stores and their particular planning needs — was very well attended and the results were optimistic. The main points of the conference concerned the problems of attracting a department store into town centres, something of importance to local authorities who are facing pressure for these stores from public attitude surveys. Of course, the department stores themselves are equally concerned with finding suitable sites. A report on the findings and papers held at the workshop have been published by the Unit for Retail Planning Information (URPI UIO), Victoria House, 26 Queen Victoria Street, Reading RG1 1TG, Price £6.40 to members and £10.90 to non‐members.
Plotting retail strategy
Authors: Walters David
Published: February 2008

The first part of this feature (RDM September/October) looked at the decisions which make up retailer's strategy for the future, and in particular at product mix and market location. In this second part Dr Walters moves into areas that require more of a diversification approach, and cites examples of moves by various well‐known European retail companies.
Scanning for marketing information
Authors: McCurry Donald R
Published: February 2008

Donald McCurry's primary concern is with the use of scanning as a source of marketing information — information which can affect the products the retailer should buy and stock, questions of shelf allocation, shelf position and product position, and how to display and merchandise goods. Another interesting aspect of his comments is his analysis of the misuse of the system. He outlines the retailer's responsibilities in these areas, where information can be lost at the check‐out, thereby limiting the potential which scanning information has to offer. This is a further paper from the CIES conference (EDP: focus on store operation) and what follows is a selection of those points most directly relevant to the retailer.
ENERGY COSTS: Their future impact on the industry
Authors: Morrell James
Published: February 2008

It is unlikely that oil production will rise by more than 2% a year over the next decade, according to James Morrell. In the short term, this means that the world energy crisis is urgent and costs will rise, unless immediate practical measures are taken. However, Britain is fortunate compared with other countries in having a diversified supply of raw fuel and in fairly abundant form.
The need for a
Authors: Ognjenovic Danica
Published: February 2008

Also from the ICSC 5th Annual Conference came this discussion of the changes that are going to happen to the shopping centre in the near future. It seems that the consumer and his/her growing needs are becoming an irrestible force for the developer. The following report outlines some of the ways in which the shopping mall may respond to these pressures.
Sell more and sell better with good design
Authors: Calcott David
Published: February 2008

The designer needs to have an accurate picture of what the retailer is selling today — and intends to sell tomorrow. He's going to have to know, as well, whether there is likely to be a seasonal change in the size and shape of goods carried. And the designer will probably set his sights on a much broader brief than the retailer originally intended. These are some of the thoughts in David Calcott's address to the one‐day conference “Tomorrow's Interiors”, held in London in March.
The Food Retail Scene
Authors: Wicks MJ
Published: February 2008

The relationship between retailer and supplier, the impact of data processing and data transmission on the distribution and stock‐ordering function, the particular needs and developments associated with the superstore; all these points are discussed here by the author. He concludes that the 80s is the decade when the challenge of finding more cost effective distribution must be met, and when retailer and supplier have to move together towards a common aim. This paper and the three which follow were all presented at the one‐day conference, arranged by Supermarketing and Food Processing, “Physical Distribution in the 80s”, held in London in February.
The retailer speaks to the customer
Authors: Neill Roger
Published: February 2008

With the advent of TV advertising for Milton Keynes Shopping Centre we are beginning to see a new departure from the oldstyle emphasis on price cuts. The promise of fun more than cheapness is what Milton Keynes is trying to sell. In this article the author maps out the way the consumer has changed over the years and the way advertising will have to reflect a changed shopping environment to meet those demands. The important factor to publicise will be the value of the whole store, rather than just the benefits of cut‐price merchandise. What the author is doing is pointing out the direction for retailing in the future, if it is to keep up with the growing needs of the consumer. This is an edited version of a paper presented at the Oyez IBC conference, “Retailing in the Eighties” in London recently.
A touch of glass
Authors: Ognjenovic Danica
Published: February 2008

Central Milton Keynes may be a fitting title for the shopping development which lies in the midst of this new town; unlike many shopping centre projects which claim to be central to a community or to improve facilities and the environment, but which in fact do nothing of the sort, Central Milton Keynes provides interest, shops (including two of the largest department stores outside Birmingham and London), a pleasant environment and some eating facilities and a pub, too. RDM spoke to David Harbord, Dip Arch (Nott'm) RIBA, from the Development Corporation.
Electronic funds transfer: the consumer implications
Authors: Mitchell Jeremy
Published: February 2008

Electronic funds transfer, as a practical means of payment, has still not yet resolved basic problems in its application, and there is much uncertainty as to when it will actually take off in this country. Jeremy Mitchell of the National Consumer Council takes a highly sceptical view of its viability as a payment system; he is particularly concerned that the banks have not consulted the Council abouts its implications nor, so far as he knows, other consumer organisations. His doubts are grouped around the headings of privacy, errors, payment procedures, and costs and benefits; these were the main points he dealt with in an address at the EPOS 80 Congress in June.
Vehicle development to improve fuel economy and fuel flexibility
Authors: Butson John
Published: February 2008

The declared aim of this paper is to explore the possible effects of the need for energy conservation (and in particular the need for economy in the use of oil‐based fuels) on road vehicle development in the UK over the next few decades. In the absence of the author, his colleague, R J Francis, also of Harwell, presented this paper at the conference held by the Institute of Management Services in London, September 1980. He stressed the fact that the views here are those of ETSU, and may not necessarily be regarded in any way as “government policy”. ETSU is the Energy Technology Support Unit, which is based at Harwell, and was established in 1974 to formulate and manage research, development and demonstration programmes in the technology of renewable energy sources and conservation under contract to the Department of Energy. There are approximately 45 professional staff at ETSU (mainly scientists and engineers) working in three main areas: strategic planning of research and development, management of R&D on the renewable energy sources, and research, development and demonstration in energy conservation. When introducing this paper, Richard Francis said that it set out to establish the need for conservation in general, as well as to explain how this is to be achieved in practice. This subject, he commented, leads on to the special task of improving fuel economy and achieving wider fuel flexibility within road transport, which itself has wide implications for road vehicle technology. This paper reviews all the more realistic alternatives, and then attempts to identify those which seem most promising and also to quantify the impact they might have in reducing our dependence on oil‐based fuels.
Mothercare's mail order warehouse picking system — Its systems design and performance
Authors: McKibbin Brian N
Published: February 2008

In the mid‐1970s Mothercare decided to establish a new distribution centre and mail order warehouse; a number of alternative order picking systems were considered for the company's world‐wide mail order operation. This article examines the various alternatives and describes the system which was finally selected — a carousel storage and selection arrangement. Current performance statistics of the system are provided which are related to Mothercare's sales volumes.
Getting legal advice at low cost
Authors: Vann John C.
Published: February 2008

Seeking legal advice today can be extremely costly, and Legal Aid is generally only available to the least well‐off members of society. But a special legal advisory service has been set up aimed at employers or groups of individuals. Our correspondent explains.
The effect of the recession on the retail trade
Authors: Simmons Gordon
Published: February 2008

Decline in consumer demand and severe pressure on costs are — not surprisingly — the two aspects of the recession which, according to a survey by Gordon Simmons Research, are hitting retailers most hard. In the immediate future, the overall pattern indicates an increase in store investment and improvement to compensate for the slowing down in recent years. And of course there will be growing emphasis on larger units, and the continued growth of credit. This article is based on personal interviews conducted by GSR executives, during November and December 1980, with top management in 12 major retail organisations (listed at the end of this article). These retailers, although few in number, represent a high proportion of retail turnover because of the concentration of the trade. They cover a wide cross‐section of retailing: supermarkets, department stores, electrical goods outlets, variety stores, men's and women's fashion. The survey examined these retailers' reactions to the recession, the effect of the economic climate on their policies, and likely retail developments in the 1980s.