Not just any food, 'Woolworths food'

Whilst on a recent trip to South Africa we were both amazed and stunned when we came across their local supermarket. Woolworths, although having unfortunately slipped away from the UK market recently, is alive and kicking in SA - though not as we know it over here!

From the outside it looks a little bit 'American-Whole-Foods-esk'. When you get inside however its quite another story.....it's M&S! Look, see what we mean?

Not quite sure exactly how this works but according to our SA friends it is the name under which M&S trade over there. If it isn't M&S it's amazing how identical the store is once inside.

Woolies may be down and out in the UK but it's simply amazing in SA.

The cross road that faces retail onboard our trains

Customer demands in todays World have grown expediently. We want more for less and we want it now. High street retailers have fought hard to keep their customers by improving their service and listening to their customers needs. With your neighbour doing exactly the same its a tough market place to stay ahead.

Onboard retailing however, doesn't have this extreme pressure as its not exactly easy to just step off and go next door! Has this therefore been the reason onboard retailing has fallen so far behind in so many areas?

Having worked on several projects in the past 18 months we have seen how many retail operations onboard still live in the shadow of the British Rail sandwich and although many are trying to make a difference, there seem to be many hurdles to overcome.

Firstly and most importantly, is sales. As a business model in its own right these operations struggle to make good profit if any at all. There are many reasons to this including logistical difficulties and product waste. However, if we look wider, a loss in sales is certainly down to customers buying before they get onboard. Retailers on train concourses have improved their game dramatically and are offering quality, freshness and range that onboard operations just can't match - if you think in a historic manner...

The second is awareness. As travelers we expect there to be a service onboard but do we ever really know what is on offer? Are we ever told? Do we ever buy something we really want or do we buy whatever there is and hope it will fuel us until we have a better opportunity? Without awareness there is no demand. Without demand there is no area for improvement.

The third is product. In todays World when others reveal traceability, nutritional and quality information it is hard to compare onboard with the high street in such ways. The quality of the food and beverage we eat and drink whilst on the move are ten fold compared to only a decade ago. Although a tough challenge in many ways, the ultimate aim must be to sell a 'handmade sandwich, made today' if we are ever going to compete with those around us.

But perhaps this is the reason that onboard retail has fallen so far behind - perhaps this isn't the train operators aim. It might just be that being 'OK' is good enough. Probably not the customers view though.

So does retail have a place onboard any more?

Many people have suggested that it should be removed to allow for government legislation and make way for more bums on seats. However, history has shown us (via First Great Western experiment in the-not-to-distance past) that this isn't a good idea, as customers like to have it onboard, even if they don't use it.

I think the answer is, yes, it does have a place onboard - but it has a lot of hard work to do. If it is going to be taken seriously by the customer as a food and beverage offer and if onboard retail is going to become a successful business model there are some big changes that need to happen.

The question is, who will be the first to make such a change?

Sammi's leaving to go back to Uni!

I’ve had an excellent year at The Yard Creative. My skills and knowledge have tripled due to some fantastic teaching, time and effort that has been put in to making my Placement a success. I feel the London experience at The Yard has helped me to grow as a person and inspired me to go on to produce exciting, innovative, customer focused design.

The Yard has given me some great opportunities this year and I’ve had the chance to get involved in some really exciting projects from every aspect start to finish. I’d just like to say a big thank you to Steve and all of the team and wish them all the best in the future.

A new Breed

The first Breed store has opened in Covent Garden's Thomas Neals Centre opposite its older brother Superdry. Pitched as a younger, more streetwise brand, the store has kept the urban feel of the arched space with concrete floors and a black backdrop.

All of this allows the bold, striking clothing to do its thing and battle it out against each other to grab your attention. The store has a good feel to it. With urban music setting the scene and good merchandising it is a nice experience.

But you feel that it's lacking something unique. Especially when you look at the website and see the quirky locations of the fashion shoot - you almost want that power generator bang smack in the middle of the store! At least then it would have that 'white piano' - that one thing that everyone remembers and uses to tell their friends about this fantastic new store.

Hopefully the brand continues to do well and we'll see if they start to have as much fun with their stores as they do with their clothing.

All tie'd up

At times like these its hard to open your first store. But that hasn't stopped the newest tie concept store to hit the streets of London!

Peckham Rye has been selling ties to the rich and famous for 4 years and now they have opened their new store on Newbury Street. Just off Carnaby street, the small store is simply but effective with friendly staff on-hand to help out.

Past customers include Busta Rhymes, Dizzee Rascal, Terrance Conran, Bond and now some of the staff here at The Yard Creative!

Go have a look and let us know what you think. We'll be adding it to our What's New tours for sure!

www.peckhamryelondon.com

What's this? - futuristic, driverless pods straight out of Basildon...

So what's this all about?

Fantabulous looking pods driving themselves around with their own little brains to help us get from A to B, quicker, easier and in a more environmentally-friendly manner - sounds too good to be true!

As it turns out these 'Personal rapid transport pods' are the latest innovation in the Science museum's celebration of 100 years of transport and are being installed at T5 as the new way to get from car parks to terminals. They work using a complex array of lazers, sensors and complex calculations to ensure they get you from A to B quickly and safely.


Yesterday saw the first of its 3 day appearance at the Science Museum as part of a celebration of 100 years of transport. The pod is the last of the innovations in the exhibition and demonstrates how a little bit of abstract thought can revolutionise the way we live our lives.

Congratulations to those chaps over in Basildon for creating a piece of history!

Can the Virtual become Physical?

We have seen many brands that originated in the physical world migrate and expand in to the virtual world of online and succeed - supermarkets, travel agents, insurance brokers, even banks.

Is it possible the other way round though? I can't think of anyone who has done this yet and succeeded.

But perhaps that's because society hasn't been ready for this flip back to a real-time, hands-on approach. Perhaps we're all too busy enjoying the wonders of global, instant access, to be ready to jump in the car and drive to town for a piece of retail therapy.

Yet trends shows us that everything goes round in circles. And just may be, now is the right time. With high street units empty and agents desperate to fill them, now could be the right time for a virtual repositioning and online to enter the real-time arena.

With the likes of ASOS posting profits of 93% growth today (well-done ASOS!) perhaps they could become tomorrows TopShop? Think about it. A brand that has turned the fashion industry upside down, changed how we buy our clothes and even encouraged men to buy from an online catalogue - why not?!

We're not saying they simply need to open a store and it will be good times all round. Quite the opposite. But what if they were to approach designing a store in the same innovative way as they launched there website. What if they were to totally change the way we buy in store, what then?

Could they, and others do it? It's a massive challenge, but we'd love to make it work!