Harness the power of data. Embrace the future of retail.
In a sector that works at breakneck speed, our team brings decades of experience to help you navigate the complexities of compliance and keep pace with the ever-changing regulatory regimes. But more than that, we always bring a practical, commercial mindset, helping you seize opportunities now – and far into the future.
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Four Themes Shaping Digital Retail >
How we help clients >
Product Distribution – A Digital Picture
Piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of product distribution online and offline is not easy. Add in the raft of regulatory requirements creates a challenging picture to mesh together. To help you understand the digital retail market, we have created our interactive tool to help visualise key issues in getting your product to market. Click on each of the tabs below to find out more. If you would like to discuss the below, please get in touch.
Download a PDF version of the map >
Four Themes Shaping Digital Retail
- Evolving routes to market
Reshape your IT infrastructure for smoother, more efficient supply chains, distribution and purchasing journeys. Some recent examples of our work include:
- ASDA: Advised on the website development for the Asda Mobile offering, an Asda branded MVNO arrangement.
- BOOHOO GROUP: Acting for Boohoo on the property, construction and IT documents involving numerous stakeholders on the £150m automation project at PLT's 6150sq ft logistics hub in Sheffield.
- MICROSOFT: Assisting their UK authorisation for credit brokerage in order to enable it to offer PayPal Credit.
- PZ CUSSONS: Advised on an agreement to pilot a direct sales programme to consumers for its Carex products, including ranging, fulfilment, pricing.
- VISION EXPRESS: Advised on the deployment of improvements to online services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic including the embedding of LiveChat functionality.
Our specialists in this area are: Michael Lowry, William James, James Whittaker
- Securing and harnessing your data
Transform data management from a compliance nightmare, into your most powerful source of consumer insight. Our 18-strong team pairs legal knowledge with commercial real-world acumen. Some recent examples of our work include:
- BOOHOO GROUP: Supporting Boohoo Group throughout their growth from 2018 on all data protection and marketing issues that arise in the business including auditing data protection compliance throughout the business, developing a strategy for cookie management and embedding data protection practices.
- MAJOR SUPERMARKET: Advising on the use of AI and automated decision making to improve data sharing across functions and the supermarket group, to maximise revenue. Included advising on use of financial data.
- ONLINE RETAILER: Supporting an online retailer following a cyber-attack on their website affecting payment card data. Advise included managing the engagement and scoping of IT forensic reviews, ICO reporting and managing customer complaints.
- BRITISH BRAND: We supported a British brands group in responding to the CMA's Digital Advertising Market Study which is tangentially relevant insofar as online advertising is seen as a very important channel to reaching consumers.
Our specialists in this area are: Ross McKenzie, Rona Bar-Isaac
- Reshaping your workforce
Attract talent. Enhance agility. Build diversity and employee satisfaction. Through flexible working and innovative people policies. Some recent examples of our work include:
- LARGE RETAILER: We advised a large retail business on its management of a multi-site proposal to change terms and conditions, including dealing with trade union resistance. This was essential to get the business in the right shape for its digital growth journey
- INTERNATIONAL RETAILER: We have been working closely with a large international digital fashion retailer to secure the right talent for UK based roles. The talent pool for bespoke digital roles is small and the market is competitive. This sometimes means the right talent is not UK based. We have been providing immigration support for the recruitment of overseas talent which was critical for digital expansion.
Our specialists in this area are: Rebecca Kitson, Shakeel Dad
- High Street 2.0
Strengthen brand relationships and deepen your understanding of customers, with richer integration between online and in store. Some recent examples of our work include:
- BRITISH LAND: Acting for British Land on the management of a number of shopping centres, including Meadowhall (on which we have acted for over 30 years, since its original construction). This has included various reconfigurations of the centre as shopping habits have changed, including an increase and diversification in complementary leisure to support the primary retail offer.
- ASDA: Acting for Asda on all aspects of their real estate portfolio across the UK from acquisitions and disposals to asset management. In recent years, this has seem Asda rolling out tie-ups with the likes of Costa and B&Q as they look for different ways to use excess space in stores.
Our specialists in this area are: Paul O'Kane, William Boss, Alison Newton, Joe Maitland
How we help clients…
- In-depth experience helping retail giants working online and the supply chain that makes the digital world tick, including Boohoo Group, Asda, Microsoft, Vision Express and PZ Cussons.
- Breadth of knowledge across all steps in the online journey – from payment processing and data security to employment and 5G.
- A commercial mindset that’s genuinely excited by the possibilities for digital retail – and what that means for the high street.
- Collaboration and communication with regular meetings and a 'dashboard mentality', so we can provide the most effective support, wherever it’s needed.
Key contact & further resources
Now available: Retail & Consumer Horizon Scanner 2024
The retail and consumer sector is showing resilience despite global economic uncertainty, but what opportunities and challenges might lie ahead? Explore 70+ issues that should impact your decision making in 2024 with our latest edition of the R&C Horizon Scanner.
ACCESS THE 2024 HORIZON SCANNER