JAMIE CARR: TFG growing in spite of turmoil
TFG’s results shine out as a rare beam of light in an ever more gloomy sector
Change has been a constant in the retail industry, from the markets of Babylonian antiquity to the first permanent retail shopfront in Trajan’s Forum in Rome. Markets continued to dominate until permanent shops supplanted them in the 17th century, and by the late 18th century the arrival of the grand arcades established shopping as a social activity. The 19th century gave us department stores and the arrival of mail-order catalogues, while the opening of the first mall outside Detroit in 1954 set the scene for one of the major trends of the 20th century. However, it is no stretch to argue that the biggest revolution the industry has seen is taking place online in the current era. Traditional retailers are struggling to survive the combination of rising rents and wages while fighting the threat of the likes of Amazon with its giant automated warehouses. Under the circumstances, TFG’s results shine out as a rare beam of light in an ever more gloomy sector, with turnover growing strong...
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