February 2014 - WBC Blog

The pop-up, workshop, workspace – cum café bar.

Out & About 27 Feb 2014 Bobby Stearns

I have this niggling suspicion that I’m no longer ‘down with the kids’. Of course the litmus test for that is probably anyone who still says ‘down with the kids’, despite the phrase being consigned to the scrapheap of coolness some gazillion iPhone models back. The workshop, workspace, cum café thing. When did this happen? I mean as a business model? Because it seems all the rage right now and I think I like it. Who needs a traditional office space when you can work surrounded by the raw beauty of over-fed hipsters? He said, removing his tongue from his cheek. Nonetheless, I took a wander down to Look Mum No Hands to find out how this cafe has become more than just a cafe.

FREE 15 minute 2014 Retail Trends Forecast video

Business Matters 21 Feb 2014 Bobby Stearns

With Retail School 2014 off to a flying start, we thought we'd ask Eve Reid, Director of the Metamorphosis Group to give us a 15 minutes insight into retail trends…

The best laid plans of mice and men

Cocobagh Project 14 Feb 2014 James Hayward

Jute factory Kolkata

The foundations for our new Cocobagh centre in Badhuria, West Bengal have been laid but we’ll be honest with you, it’s a frustratingly slow process and right now the project just doesn’t seem to be moving forward at a pace that will ever achieve anything. That building in the background is not our project building, the goat chewing on some grass in the paddock in front is where one day our centre will stand.

Tomorrow’s another day. We won’t be beaten!

Design trends forecast Autumn/Winter 2014/15

Retail Display 10 Feb 2014 Bobby Stearns

For those who missed this year’s Spring Fair International, here is a useful guide to the colour/interior design trend forecasting for 2014 as collated by Homebuildlife, Part of the WGSN Group. Given out by the Metamorphosis Group on the Gift Box stand, these are really useful guides to take note of for in-store retail display and merchandising inspiration. You’ll notice a lot of them come into play in our own retail display collections this year.

Congratulations to the Drinks Retailing Awards winners 2014

Business Matters / How to 5 Feb 2014 Bobby Stearns

Congratulations to all the winners at last night’s Drinks Retailing Awards 2014, in particular the customers WBC has been privileged over the years to supply: Lancaster Wine Company, Gordon & Macphail, Green Valley, Darts Farm Shop, The Sampler, Selfridges, Corks Out. And of course, the darling of the night, taking away both the coveted Independent Retailer of the Year award AND lifetime achievement – the eponymous Roberson Wines! We’ve been supplying wine boxes to Roberson Wines since 2006, so we’re really chuffed to see this independent wine merchant honoured for being what’s described as “the absolute pinnacle of wine retailing that sets the benchmark for the rest of the industry”.

For the full list of winner see below

10 steps to visual retail success #SpringFair2014

Business Matters / Retail Display 4 Feb 2014 Bobby Stearns

76% of shoppers never speak to sales assistant – that means good visual merchandising is not just important, it’s your life-line.

Merchandising experts, the Metamorphosis Group have been giving visitors to this year’s Spring Fair 2014, a masterclass in the TOP 10 steps to visual retail success, we of course had to drop by to blog it for you. These are just the basic points and for more detail, you’ll have to book yourself onto one of their one-day training courses! click here for full Retail School dates for 2104.

P.S. I’m blogging on the run, so please excuse any syntax, grammar, or spelling errors which I’ll clean up later!