retailworld
18-07-2009, 20:32
Two articles I stumbled across before, both from the Telegraph:
City in thrall to teenage kicks
SIMON Fox, the chief executive of HMV, the music and DVD retailer, is open to all kinds of advice it seems.
Fox recently held a store walkaround for City analysts, but he might not have expected the presence of one young buck.
Elliott Brough – the 15-year old son of Schroders fund manager Andy Brough – was more than happy to give the retail veteran a few top tips.
The layout of the store was young Eliott's chief complaint, a charge Fox gladly told Brough Jr was already being dealt with. The HMV chief might have considered he got off lightly.
Next it was off to Asos, the online fashion retailer. Lining up in front of the retailer's executives, Elliott got to the point. "I've never heard of you and neither have my friends," was all that needed to be said.
This all in the same week that Matthew Robson, a 15-year old intern, made waves at Morgan Stanley after writing a piece of research on how his friends used new media.
It seems as though teenagers are the new financial gurus.
Perhaps it makes sense. Many City shareholders and analysts have hardly covered themselves in glory in recent years. Maybe it is time to hand over to the new guard.
WH Smith cleans up in times of austerity
THE legendary cost-cutting techniques of Kate Swann, the chief executive of high-street retailer WH Smith, have reached a new level – floor level.
Ms Swann is now demanding that staff sweep floors and clean stores as part of their general duties, having cut back on contract cleaners.
In some cases, professional cleaners that were once used by the stores every day have been reduced to once a week.
Smith's has 560 high-street stores and another 400 at travel hubs. While the smaller stores have traditionally been cleaned by staff, the larger ones have largely relied on contract cleaners. Not any more.
"We have got a mixture of contract cleaners and WH Smith employees to maintain the high standards of cleanliness in our stores," a WH Smith flak said.
But does the new policy extend to Ms Swann's office? "As with all WH Smith stores, all head office support functions are constantly reviewed to ensure the greatest level of efficiency and that includes cleaning," the spokesperson said.
City in thrall to teenage kicks
SIMON Fox, the chief executive of HMV, the music and DVD retailer, is open to all kinds of advice it seems.
Fox recently held a store walkaround for City analysts, but he might not have expected the presence of one young buck.
Elliott Brough – the 15-year old son of Schroders fund manager Andy Brough – was more than happy to give the retail veteran a few top tips.
The layout of the store was young Eliott's chief complaint, a charge Fox gladly told Brough Jr was already being dealt with. The HMV chief might have considered he got off lightly.
Next it was off to Asos, the online fashion retailer. Lining up in front of the retailer's executives, Elliott got to the point. "I've never heard of you and neither have my friends," was all that needed to be said.
This all in the same week that Matthew Robson, a 15-year old intern, made waves at Morgan Stanley after writing a piece of research on how his friends used new media.
It seems as though teenagers are the new financial gurus.
Perhaps it makes sense. Many City shareholders and analysts have hardly covered themselves in glory in recent years. Maybe it is time to hand over to the new guard.
WH Smith cleans up in times of austerity
THE legendary cost-cutting techniques of Kate Swann, the chief executive of high-street retailer WH Smith, have reached a new level – floor level.
Ms Swann is now demanding that staff sweep floors and clean stores as part of their general duties, having cut back on contract cleaners.
In some cases, professional cleaners that were once used by the stores every day have been reduced to once a week.
Smith's has 560 high-street stores and another 400 at travel hubs. While the smaller stores have traditionally been cleaned by staff, the larger ones have largely relied on contract cleaners. Not any more.
"We have got a mixture of contract cleaners and WH Smith employees to maintain the high standards of cleanliness in our stores," a WH Smith flak said.
But does the new policy extend to Ms Swann's office? "As with all WH Smith stores, all head office support functions are constantly reviewed to ensure the greatest level of efficiency and that includes cleaning," the spokesperson said.