Blog

The Tesco/Unilever spat over cost inflation is just the beginning. Today, the pound is around 17% below its referendum day value against the dollar. Who knows how the markets will rate the UK economy over the next few years but I don’t know anyone who expects the pound to regain that ground. Given that we import more than 60% of what we consume via retail (food and non-food combined), it is clear that we will be importing a material slice of inflation. So who will take the hit? Tesco have chosen to kick off this huge question in public but it not only impacts every player in grocery but across virtually every sector of the industry.

Politicians and economists have been warning of rising retail prices and that suggests that ultimately the public will have to pay. However, they are unlikely to appreciate the structure of the retail industry and the massive changes that were already taking place pre the Brexit vote. We have now had more than 24 consecutive months of retail price deflation in every sector. During this period, retailers’ cost growth has outpaced demand growth. The vast majority of retailers have been unable to pass these cost increases onto their customers because of competitive pressures. Very few will be able to make price increases stick here either.

Tesco and Unilever will come to an arrangement and share the hit. Tesco is too big for Unilever to ignore. Tesco needs branded product to differentiate itself from the private label discounters, and to underpin choice. And the customer? The most intensely competitive retail market we have ever seen will ensure that the lid on retail prices remains very firmly shut. Price promotions will continue to characterise trading and the industry will have to learn to live with lower margins for the foreseeable future.

** We advise leadership teams in and around retail – get in touch if you think we can help – admin@richardtalksretail.co.uk

This morning saw further progress from Tesco. The company is steadily moving away from the various self-inflicted disasters and getting its house in order. At the heart of this is re-establishing credibility and trust across its various stakeholders from suppliers through to customers and investors. Stores look better, less cluttered in terms of signage and POS, and with a cleaner proposition. This morning’s share price hike reflects the City’s unfolding relief that Tesco is turning round, and the company’s announcement of a target UK operating margin of 3.5% – 4.00% by 2020.

This margin aspiration is by far the most interesting element of today’s numbers in my view. Will it be delivered? As mentioned above, the stores look far better and with a clearer message. However, this is from a very low, confused base. There is a blandness about the stores and the offer, and it’s hard to see exactly what the Tesco of today really stands for. The business is caught in the middle, pressured from better priced value players below and more aspirational higher quality players above. The recent Aldi results were accompanied by a clear and unequivocal message – it will not allow the majors to close the price gap to the point where its further market share growth is impacted.

Going forward, Tesco needs to go further in developing a clear personality. Range editing has much further to go – it remains heavily over optioned in the vast majority of product categories. It needs to invest further in product quality, service and the general shopping experience, to put distance between it and the discounters. It needs to regain control of its own competitive agenda. Achieving all of this requires investment and in that context, Tesco’s margin target announcement looks optimistic.

After attracting massive media coverage for all the wrong reasons BHS is about to reappear as a  trading entity. The Al Mana Group is a Qatari holding company with diverse interests that include retailing and consumer brands. It has operated the BHS franchise in Qatar since 2000 and bought the international business, the website and customer database from the administrators. It also took on the bulk of the BHS management teams from the two divisions. The new BHS International is led by MD David Anderson, a veteran of the business and former M&S exec.

The online offer will kick off with an edited home range and will add clothing soon after. The offering will be an edited version of old BHS built around best sellers. Most of the key suppliers in both home and clothing have been retained, which is a significant vote of confidence in the new business. Management plan a subtle repositioning – targeting a slightly younger customer with better product, improved styling, better fabrics and lower or the same price points.

After the generally very bad treatment of staff from old BHS, it’s great to see new owners backing their belief in the brand by investing in a new incarnation of the business. But will it work? With knowledge from the inside track since 2000, Al Mana must know the brand inside out. The plan to focus solely on online for the UK is sensible and allows them to manage costs more tightly. My understanding is that the international business already performed reasonably well so there is a solid base to work from.

The UK market is entering the most turbulent, challenging moment in its history. A major determinant of success in this market will be how retailers deal with change – simply doing things in the old way wont work any more. Many are in denial and are already struggling. BHS International knows it has to focus only on those parts of old BHS that worked, and to edit and reposition the product offering. The market emerging will be tough but BHS has been able to choose the cards it holds going forward, and that will be a key advantage it can leverage.

** We advise leadership teams in and around retail – get in touch if you think we can help – admin@richardtalksretail.co.uk

Primark’s trading update yesterday made it clear that when currency hedging expires it will absorb the higher sourcing costs from the devalued pound. This is a welcome, realistic and clear message to the market. It made some headlines and attracted attention because it appears to be out of step with the concensus. However, in this post-referendum twilight zone where nothing is really what it appears to be, there is some delusional rhetoric flying around. I predict that very few retailers will be passing on their increased sourcing costs – they wont be able to.

This is the most price-promotional retail market I have seen in over 30 years. And it is not being driven by customers, but by retailers. Chronic oversupply is forcing most retailers to discount, whether they like it or not. We have now seen 24 months of price deflation in every sector of retail. Over the 37 weeks of 2016 to date, our Tracker shows an average 66% of UK retailers across every sector have been on sale. Those forecasting a Brexit inflation spike in our economy do not visit high streets – prices may indeed rise but not in the retail industry. At least not until there are enough casualties to rebalance supply and demand.

Primark has been canny getting its retaliation in first but in reality, the vast majority of players will follow them. Only those with the strongest brands and genuine price integrity will have the luxury of customers who readily accept paying more. The majority have educated their customers not to.

** We advise retailers on strategy and analytics. We also track promotional activity across the UK’s key retailers. Get in touch for details admin@richardtalksretail.co.uk

After the euphoria of last month’s BRC and ONS figures, the feel good Britain is booming post Brexit bandwagon will have lost some momentum, or at least it should have. Today’s BRC numbers for August are weak. The key point here though is that August 2015 was the second weakest month in a seriously underperforming year, making for a very undemanding comparative.

The fact that so far there has been very little direct post-referendum impact on the consumer economy makes the numbers much more difficult to read, which is why the underlying trends matter so much. And they are worryingly poor. Demand was already weakening before we voted. Apart from the odd blip (i.e. July), this softening is bound to continue even before any Brexit hit kicks in.

Figures for this current month will be particularly telling. First, because September is one of retail’s biggest sales months and second, because last year’s growth was strong – it delivered by far the best growth in H2 last year and represents a tough comparative. Thirdly, many Summer holidaymakers will be back and counting the cost of a weaker pound (and higher than budgeted spend). There will be some belt-tightening on the way and some may well begin this month.

I continue to believe that the key driver of demand and retailer performance is around the structure of the industry. These huge shifts are deep and mean permanent change. Understanding them is critical for leadership teams that hope to exercise some control over their destinies.

** We advise retailers on strategy and analytics. We also track promotional activity across the UK’s key retailers. Get in touch for details admin@richardtalksretail.co.uk