WHAT’S THE ISSUE?
The changes forced on the retail industry go far beyond one-way systems and limited capacity in shops. Naturally, the online-shopping boom saw increased convenience through features like digital dressing rooms, as well as extending returns as uncertainty continued.
Covid has excelled these changes at an unprecedented speed – but what’s in store for the high street now? Are the days of shops gone for good, or is there a gap in the market for a hybrid, combining the convenience of online with the social aspect of in-store assistance?

MEET THE EXPERT:
Mark Pilkington is a retail and brand expert, entrepreneur, ‘motivationalist’ and Director of MarkPilkington.net, a consultancy which envisages what the future of the sector looks like and advises businesses in making decisions to adjust and prepare accordingly.
He’s also the author of ‘Sorry we’re closed – Why your High Street is Closing Down! And how to bring it back to life’ as well as ‘Retail Therapy: Why the retail industry is broken – and how to fix it’.
During his 30-year career, he joined the FTSE 100 corporation Courtaulds PLC – a lingerie brand - and developed the ‘Wonderbra’ which created a media storm in Europe and the US and went on to become a global best-seller.
During the launch of Amazon.com, Mark gained major media coverage by organizing a tennis match between Jeff Bezos and tennis star Anna Kournikova, who was the face of ‘Shock Absorber’ – a high technology sports bra that Mark also created. As a result Mark won two Queen’s Awards for Exports and was honoured with the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Mark is currently working with U-Mark, a Saudi company with businesses in sports retiling and household electronics.

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