ROSIE MURRAY-WEST, FINANCIAL MAIL ON SUNDAY, 8 January 2022:
With the country’s high streets facing another crisis as people work from home rather than travelling into town and city centres, it is hard to predict which stores and specific retail sectors, if any, will do well this year…
Overall consumer spending rose almost six per cent last year compared with 2019, with growth in spending on the home, pets and in local stores notable…
Companies that can deliver an ‘omnichannel experience’ – allowing people to shop online or in store and to click and collect purchases – will fare well in the new shopping normal. They include stores such as Next and Waterstones…
As inflation continues to rise, companies running stores that offer customers ‘good value’ should do well…
Not all investors are comfortable buying individual stocks, so buying an investment fund that holds shares in the retail sector – with a manager who understands the retail landscape – makes good sense…
Investment trust Fidelity Special Values has cycling retailer Halfords among its top 10 holdings. Halfords shares, Hollands says, still look cheap despite rising 32 per cent over the past year.
…or try property trusts that own sites
The commercial robustness of retail parks during the pandemic will not dissipate in the coming months…
Richard Williams, analyst at investment research company QuotedData, says these retail parks are ‘playing a key role in the boom in online retailing, providing an ideal hub for click-and-collect and online returns’.
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