This page provides a listing of, and links to, some of the press commentary produced by members of the Institute for Retail Studies on various retail related topics.
May 2012
Tories accused of betrayal over controversial plans to scrap the names of famous Scots regiments - comment on regimental branding and the military in The Daily Record, 9th May by Paul Freathy
Upmarket sites causing pain for traditional thoroughfares – comment on Glasgow shop vacancies in The Herald, 3rd May by Leigh Sparks
April 2012
The Honest Truth – Supermarkets still sweep all before them – comment on supermarkets in The Sunday Post 29th April by Leigh Sparks
Charity shops ‘sitting ducks’ as thieves strike every day – comment in The Scotsman 26th April by Paul Freathy
No room for error in retail – comment on the Scotmid figures in The Herald, 25th April by Leigh Sparks
Analysis – the next retail figures will be more revealing – comment on Scottish retail sales in The Scotsman, 18th April by Leigh Sparks
Planners face court over retail park expansion nod – comment in The Edinburgh Evening News, 16th April 2012 by Leigh Sparks
Pressure at the pumps fuels rise in food prices – comment in The Scotsman, 4th April 2012, by Leigh Sparks
March 2012
Manufacturers cut content, but prices stay the same – comment in The Scotsman, 24th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Breath of Spring air needed to blow away consumer caution – comment in The Scotsman, 23rd March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Supermarket planning bid to help protect small stores – comment in The Edinburgh Evening News, 20th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
First name terms at Starbucks is just not our cup of tea – comment in The Scotsman, 17th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Analysis: Scotland isn’t so much worse off than other UK regions – comment in The Scotsman, 14th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Markets for baby cast-offs booming – comment in Scotland on Sunday, 4th March 2012, by Leigh Sparks
February 2012
Puppy love? Recession fails to hit spending on our pets – comment in The Scotsman, 25th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
High street gloom as falling sales set alarm bells ringing – comment in The Scotsman, 15th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Scots save pounds with bargain basement food shopping – comment in The Herald, 8th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
Party time as younger set seal deals in mould of Tupperware – comment in The Scotsman, 4th February 2012, by Leigh Sparks
January 2012
Decline of Scottish town centers: Bookies and charity shops outnumber stores on high streets – comment in The Daily Record, 19th January 2012, by Paul Freathy
December 2011
Scotland’s shops gamble on £12m an hour sales bonanza – comment in The Scotsman, 27th December 2011, by Leigh Sparks
New way to window shop – comment in The Scotsman, 24th December 2011, by Leigh Sparks
Scots spend £150m on last-minute shopping as stores slash prices – comment in The Daily Record, 24th December 2011, by Leigh Sparks
Beanz meanz falling sales, swallowed by “instant” food – comment in The Scotsman, 20th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Retailers are hoping shoppers will loosen up in the next week – analysis in The Scotsman 19th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Trouble in store; retailers fear Panic Saturday failed to fill tills – comment in Sunday Mail 18th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Changing times to drive a hard bargain – article in ChinaDaily (USA) 16th December 2011, by Leigh Sparks
High Street woe as retail sales suffer record slump – comment in The Scotsman, 14th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Britons are best in Europe for using smart phones – comment in The Scotsman, 14th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Will Christmas rescue the high street? – comment in The Sunday Herald, 11th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
How do you bring people back to town centres? – comment in The Scotsman, 8th December 2011 by Leigh Sparks
November 2011
Online shopping revolution may provide our local businesses with lifeline – comment in The Scotsman, 25th November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Will Xmas shoppers go the extra mile – comment in The Evening Times, 24th November 2011 by Jonathan Elms
Internet sales and high street footfall – interview on Reporting Scotland, 21st November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Guerrilla sales to tempt Scots Christmas shoppers – comment on new short term sales techniques in The Sunday Post, 20th November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Retail sales in Scotland – interview on Newsnight Scotland, 16th November 2011 by Steve Burt
Predictions 2012: all eyes on the future -Retail – invited piece on the future for Scottish retailing 2012 in The Business Insider, November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Supermarket unit pricing fails to add up for shoppers – comment on report into unit pricing in The Scotsman, 17th November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Morrisons Buoyed by 2.4% rise in sales – comment on Morrisons performance in The Herald, 11th November 2011 by Leigh Sparks
October 2011
Galleries cash scheme is based on bold predictions – comment on funding for a possible extension to Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries in The Evening Times, 27th October 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Middle classes join the shoplifting surge – comment on UK shoplifting levels versus European levels in The Scotsman, 25th October 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Supermarkets accused of baffling customers with ‘feel-good’ offers – comments on supermarket pricing policies and tactics in The Scotsman, 19th October 2011 by Jonathan Elms
Unveiled: the very latest i(must have one)Phone – comments on the demand for the new iPhone in The Scotsman, 5th October by Leigh Sparks
Boom or bust festive shopping – comments on potential for Christmas shopping and short term lets in The Sunday Post, 2nd October 2011 by Leigh Sparks
September 2011
Look out for more own-brand offers – comments on price strategies in The Scotsman, 30th September 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Discount stores are right up your street – comments on the rise of discount stores in Scotland on Sunday, 25th September 2011 by Leigh Sparks
Deck the halls with pots of money – comments on Christmas starting in September in The Scotsman, 22nd September 2011 by Leigh Sparks (Christmas, already – ugh)
The perfect supermarket shop – comments on supermarket layouts in Men’s Health 7th September 2011 by Leigh Sparks
August 2011
Rising cost of food keeps Britain’s families on financial tightrope – comment in The Scotsman 3rd August 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on food inflation and consumer spending)
July 2011
City rivalries inflamed as new index puts Glasgow above capital for tourism value – comment in The Scotsman, 21st July 2011 by Paul Freathy (on city popularity and value in Scotland)
Closing Time: Scotland’s high streets are battling a “perfect storm” – comment in The Herald (Glasgow) 17th July 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the problems and opportunities facing Scotland’s high streets)
What’s happened to our high streets? Closures could be good for local shops – comment in the Sunday Post 3rd July 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the state and possibilities of British high streets)
June 2011
Shoppers mourn the death of good taste – comment in The Scotsman 25th June 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the demise of Habitat)
Doner nation: Scotland is takeaway capital – comment in The Scotsman 18th June 2011 by Paul Freathy (on the high proportion of fast food takeaways in Scotland)
May 2011
“Save our high streets”: retail chiefs demand action from SNP ministers – comment in Scotland on Sunday 22nd May 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the TCRF and high streets)
Does Scottish retail need a champion? – comment in Scotland on Sunday 22nd May 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on Mary Portas and the town centre)
A significant other in Walmart’s Asda marriage – letter to the Editor of Retail Week, 13th May 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the relative performance of Asda and Tesco since the Wal-Mart takeover)
April 2011
Discount venture will offer £150 suit for £8.53 – comment in The Herald (Glasgow) 16th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the new store Big Offers Discount Warehouse and the recession and price consumer mindset)
City tipped to weather high street storm – comment in the Dundee Evening Telegraph 13th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on Dundee’s retail resiliency in the current sales slump)
Summer of discontent on the cards, with many more store closures to come – comment in The Scotsman 12th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on disastrous retail sales)
Shopping will never be the same again – comment in The Scotsman 12th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on disastrous retail sales, the high street and Poundland)
Retailers sign up for £70m Glasgow shops complex – comment in The Times 11th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on the development and reputation of Glasgow retail)
Subtle change of direction in new campaign – comment in The Scotsman, 7th April 2011 by Leigh Sparks (on Marks and Spencer adverts)
Time to offer hope to town centres – article in The Scotsman 6th April 2011 by Ross Martin and Leigh Sparks (on town centres and their regeneration)
