nickshanagher

On the day that Tesco unveiled a great set of financial results I was with a south coast independent retailer who says the major competitors for his three local shops are two Tesco Express stores. At the same time he says his business is booming. If in Tesco's model it is always reassessing the top 100 lines and giving shoppers their favourites if they make the top 100, my friend says he serves his shoppers with what they want, including the "just-delisted" and me-toos at good prices that he has nimbly sourced. This seems to be a sustainable business model but may be not as easy to achieve as my friend makes out!

We are launching the 2009 Independent Achievers Academy tomorrow in London with a group of retailers and suppliers. The marketing team have come up with a great practical exercise to help us relive the Academy experience. At its heart, the IAA has a simple concept: set a goal, plan to hit it and celebrate the outcome. I hope to learn lots from participants and will pass this learning on to you.

In covering Marks & Spencer's results, some analysts have been questioning how much of the 2.5% VAT cut has been retained by the company. Sir Stuart Rose is adamant that it is passing on the full cut to its customers. However, with prices set to rise again in November, it will be interesting to see how retailers plan to manage the upwards transition.