Google “retail is dead” and you’re faced with sifting through 26,800,000 search results. As a strategist working with retailers day-in day-out this is either a very bad thing or a very good thing, depending on which way you look at it.
Dead
Google “retail is dead” and you’re faced with sifting through 26,800,000 search results.
As a strategist working with retailers day-in day-out this is either a very bad thing or a very good thing, depending on which way you look at it.
It’s difficult to deny the headlines. The past twelve months have seen the controversial demise of BHS; poor profit results from John Lewis, Dixons Carphone, and Mothercare; Toys R Us axing a quarter of its UK stores; and The Economist predicting that Britain, in the wake of Brexit, is set to become the world’s third slowest growing retail market next year.
Just last week, House of Fraser had its credit rating downgraded by Moody’s once again, placing the department store chain’s financial stability alongside the states of Belarus and El Salvador. On reading news of the downgrade, one shrewd commenter at thetimes.co.uk asked “Who would invent HOF now?”. A question that cuts to the heart of the issue.
With this never ending trail of bad news it would be easy to think that retail is dead. But I believe there’s a different story to tell.
Alive
As well as the annual John Lewis blockbuster, December brings with it something else to look forward to: The Fast Track 100. A league table, published by The Sunday Times, that ranks the 100 British companies with the fastest-growing sales over the last three years.
And this year, 32 of the hundred companies were in retail.
A third of the fastest growing UK businesses are from a “dead” industry. A stat that’s especially impressive given that retail as a whole only represents about a tenth of the UK’s economic output.
The list includes a mix of online-only businesses, like Cult Beauty and End Clothing, as well as retailers with real-life shops, like Watchfinder and Skinnydip. There are brands you’ve almost certainly seen advertised, like Missguided and Victorian Plumbing, and those that might not be on your radar - like Gymshark or Wool Warehouse.
Apart from their relative youth and the fact that many remain founder-led, there is very little that ties these retailers together. They’re from a variety of industries, have wildly different audiences, and employ a range of different operating models.
So, what secret sauce have these fast-growing players used to defy the “challenging conditions” that have beset their older high-street siblings?
I think part of their success lies in being specialist.
Yarn
Wedding dresses, bathrooms, niche beauty products, protein powders, men’s streetwear, yarn… the fastest growing retailers in the UK are all specialist players - focusing on an individual category or customer base.
They’re the butcher, the baker and the candlestick makers of the modern age.
In a world where every retailer has got Amazon flashing its headlights in their rear-view mirror, being a specialist unlocks a number of sustainable advantages that the giant retail generalists will have trouble competing with.
I’m hopeful that these brilliant brands will grow to become significant players. There may not be the consumer demand to create businesses as large as Tesco or M&S, but that’s probably a good thing.And the exciting thing for a retail consultant is that there are plenty of “legacy” specialist retailers in the UK that are ripe for revitalisation.
One such retailer, Moss Bros, asked Portas to help them conquer the fast-growing Prom market. This was quite a challenge: how could we convince 16 year-old-guys to part ways with high street brands they loved and choose Moss, a specialist retailer they didn’t know.
After speaking with a lot of guys, we soon realised our audience was desperate to get their Prom suit “right” but were anxious and intimidated about the shopping experience.
As a specialist authority on suiting, it was clear that Moss could provide the expert guidance to demystify the category and make them feel confident. It just needed the right tone of voice to cut through and connect.
Cue the Promfather. A character that expertly doled out advice as ‘the only fixer you’ll need for a prom night to remember’. Spots like ‘How to be a Man. Accessorise.’ and ‘Size Matters. How to test the fit.’ connected the audience’s questions with Moss’ specialist expertise.
This playful campaign framed Moss’ specialist expertise in a new way and was the most successful non-discounted campaign run by the retailer in its history.
So, there you have it. When faced with an onslaught of generalists competing hard on price and convenience, seek out what makes you a specialist.
Richard is the lead strategist at Portas and has led projects for clients including Mercedes-Benz, Westfield, Sainsbury’s Argos & Habitat.
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