Nigel's Blog
Hi, I'm Nigel the Chief Executive of Retail Trust.
The coming year will be a time of growth and change for Retail Trust. The charity will be working more closely than ever with organisations in the retail sector as we cement ourselves as the charity committed to the well-being of employees in the retail industry.
Part of working more closely with the industry is communication. Technology allows me to communicate with you through this blog – spelling mistakes and all! So please feel free to email me on the Contact page with feedback, ideas, or just to swap stories about our blogs. Enjoy!
You can read my biography on our Trustees and Chief Executive page.
Nigel J L Rothband
Chief Executive
Read Nigel's Blog
22 April 2009 : World Record Attempt
On Thursday 14 May, we’re hoping to make a Guinness World Record for Retail Trust Week...
The ‘Most people folding t-shirts’ is a new record attempt, and we’re striving to get 500 people folding at the same time in the same place (in the atrium at Westfield Shopping Centre). So if you want to sign up to be part of a Guinness World Record attempt, contact Fundraising on our Contact page.
Retail Trust Week takes place from 11-17 May 2009.
21 April 2009 : Terrific Tesco
Well done to Sir Terry Leahy and his team at Tesco on the most fantastic set of results announced today.
I am sure we all have a view about supermarkets vs the High St and the local shop. My view, for what its worth, is that Tesco is an outstanding business. The world has changed, the High St. has changed and the internet (that is only 12 years old) will ensure the changes continue on the High St even more in the future.
Tesco is a mature business that continues to reinvent itself and push on with new initiatives. The rest follow.
Well done Terry and team.
Many Happy returns to our Patron, H M The Queen.
20 April 2009 : Full Day
I love days like today.
It all started with my executive team meeting this morning followed by one to ones with my team.
Well done to Barbara my PA, who has secured meetings with Sir Philip Green, Sir Stuart Rose and Harold Tillman over the next few weeks. Good work Barbara.
Then into London for a Twenty Club Committee meeting planning next season's speakers.
The evening ended at the Covent Garden Hotel and our London Forum dinner. We entertained CEOs from ASOS, House of Fraser, Austin Reed, Blue Inc, Disnet Stores, Harvey Nichols and M & Co. A fabulous evening and some facinating debate about the retail landscape and the future.
17 April 2009 : Win a Ford Ka
Thanks to the generosity of Harold Tillman we have a Ford Ka to win! Harold presented it to Retail Trust and we have launched a text competition for you to win the car.
All you have to do is Text Retail, then the name of the shop you trust the most, followed by your email and name to 88010.
Texts cost £1.50 + a standard network message (min. of 91p goes to Retail Trust).
Full terms and conditions can be found at www.retailtrust.org.uk
Text away and tell your mates!
Have a great weekend.
14 April 2009 : Collateral Creates Carnival Capers
Boxes of new Retail Trust Helpline material arrived at the office today. The new branding looks fantastic and will futher enhance our reputation as the key supplier of employee wellbeing services to the retail industry.
There was great excitement as each box was opened.
The next few weeks will be spent contacting each retailer to organise a swap over from the old branding to the new. It will also give us a chance to promote our offering to the 3 million employees, who we serve, in our industry.
12 April 2009 : Let's give Twitter a go!
Yes, I've done it!
Twitter account is open and I have got someone following me! I am following about 24 people at the moment. Let's see how it goes and how long it lasts!
10 April 2009 : Manchester Bomb Plot
The IRA blast in Manchester in 1996 injured 200 people and the thought of another such incident over the busy Easter trading period fills me with horror.
Manchester is a fantastic City (not that I am biased in any way) and if the alleged attack had taken place it could well have been Britain's worst terrorist attack .
My thoughts are with those that were affected by the police raids, particularly the staff at the Homebase store where two security guards were arrested by police with guns. A frightening experience is how one member of staff described it. If any staff want to speak to anyone, The Retail Trust Helpline 0808 801 0808 is there to help.
09 April 2009 : History Lesson
I have spent some time today catching up on some reading. A friend kindly sent me a leaflet written by his wife's uncle in 1963. Leonard Cohen, owned Henry's Stores in Manchester. It is entitled "A shopkeeper's Notes on his Trade". Bearing in mind my retail career started in the old Henry's building in Manchester in 1975. British Home Stores had aquired the building while the Arndale Centre was being built.
Mr. Cohen shows an amazing insight into our world and he made some facinating predictions: He talked about out of town shopping centres, the impact of the motor car and the growth of credit.
Most facinating of all were his thoughts on "The Future of Retailing" (Remember this is 1963) He talks about "....you may be able to do your shopping, if you wish, by telephone from a piped colour television catalogue from the store or warehouse............" now there's a good idea!
Many congratulations to Miri Newman, a member of our events team, who heard today that she has passed her Diploma in Event Management with distinction. Go Miri!
Happy Easter and have a great weekend.
08 April 2009 : Grants & Services Million Pound Giveaway
A huge thank you to the Grants & Services Committee who meet every 3 months to discuss and decide on what grants to give to those who need our help. This year we will give away over £1M in grants. The committee met today and we had a great meeting. Under the chairmanship of Jane Gurney-Reed the committee is changing and developing.
Soon, less time will be spent discussing each case and the committee will become more of a strategic development committee. I welcome and encourage this development as we have some of the finest brains in the country sitting round the table. They have so much to offer.
07 April 2009 : Third Sector Recognition
Third Sector, the magazine for Charities and the voluntary sector, ran a double page spread today. The heading was; Helplines, Soaring demand leads to smarter ways of working.
The exciting bit for me is that the five charity helplines covered were; National Debt Helpline, Samaritans, Shelter, Citizens Advice and the Retail Trust Helpline. Great company for us to keep and amazing for us to be compared with some of the "big names" in helplines. Exactly where we should be considering retail is the second biggest employer after the government.
The article talked about the work we had done to look at our operation and the fact we are becoming more efficient and effective. In addition it recognised the fact that we are now far more relevent to our industry and as a result getting more support.
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