By Cherayar Thomas
Managing Consultant

‘Retail is detail’ - to what extent has it become a self fulfilling prophecy in many major high street retailers?  The ‘detail’ in these retailers is apparent in their internal structures and processes and the huge array of products they offer.  The combination of increasing competition, demand for constant innovation and the ease with which suppliers can be sourced have all driven significant growth in ranges and products offered by retailers, which in turn has led to a creeping growth in organisation structure.  And with vast organisation structures comes bureaucracy and overlap of roles and responsibilities.  In this context, ‘detail’ is complexity: complexity in the range and complexity in the organisation structure.  The result is not only the absence of a clear message to the consumer but a heavy organisation structure, unable to deliver effective competitive responses.  Slowly, however, competitive pressures are beginning to pinch and the dinosaurs of retail are starting to react…