This is the story of three young lads. An East End jewellery institution and a diamond watch: Trotters, an independent jewellers, run by 26-year-old Judd alongside his two schoolmates, Alex and Kalum. And their unique approach to selling is a world away from high street jewellers. But these likely lads have big plans for their small shop. Diamond Dealers & Cockney Geezers, Channel 4 2020
Trotters have the largest Instagram following of any UK jewellers. ibid.
A cult following with UK celebs. ibid.
Harrods: The most famous department store in the world. This iconic British landmark has been serving customers for more than 150 years. A giant of British retail, its very name has become a byword for excellence. But behind these exquisitely decorated walls there is a hidden history, from exotic purchases to some of the most expensive items in British retail … and even the odd bargain. But Harrods has also seen dark days. Inside ... s2e5: Harrods, Channel 5 2018
12,000 staff known as Harrodians … Throughout its history Harrods had been High Society’s favourite shop … For the first time in its history, Harrods had a foreign owner: Mohamed al-Fayed … ibid.
Harrods: the world’s most luxurious and famous department store. And at Christmas this Rolls-Royce of retail comes into its own. It’s where the super-rich and super-famous splash their cash. Inside Harrods at Christmas, Channel 5 2019
London’s West End: traditional Christmas shopping destination for millions. At its heart stands Regents Street. And at its heart is Hamley’s. The world’s oldest and largest toy store. But behind the celebrated window display there are hidden stories. Inside ... s2e4: Hamleys, Channel 5 2018
The store’s busiest time of all is in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Its annual parade, last held in 2017, has attracted crowds of more than 700,000. ibid.
‘The best free show in London.’ ibid.
Nandos: The company’s UK empire now stretches from Inverness all the way down to Plymouth … The chain now has over four million followers on Facebook alone … Inside ... s2e5: Nandos
This spicy Mozambiquian/Portuguese Peri Peri sauce was an instant hit. ibid.
Into this booking sector came Nandos which transformed itself into a restaurant. ibid.
The West End of London: at its heart Oxford Street. And at the heart of Oxford Street – Selfridges, one of the world’s premier department stores. Famed for its spectacular window displays, renowned for its unmistakable yellow bags, it’s the store that revolutionised high street retailing, selling a lifestyle as well as goods. Inside Selfridges s3e2, Channel 5 2019
It’s the second-largest store in the UK … Sixteen million customers each year. ibid.
It’s one of the oldest names in British shopping. The much-loved family store which has always been a cut above. It was the nation’s most popular supermarket. But many of its customers now shop elsewhere. 150 years old, Sainsbury’s recently announced some stores need to change. Inside Sainsbury’s aka Sainsbury: 150 Years on the High Street, Channel 5 2019
Merging with Asda was meant to solve their problems but the Regulator said no. So can the unthinkable now happen? ibid.
Shortly after the War they were right at the forefront of this shopping revolution. ibid.
In 1996 profits fell for the first time in 22 years. There was a grand makeover and yet more ordering changes. ibid.
Fortnum & Mason: for three centuries it’s been at the heart of high society, feeding royalty and once fuelling an empire. Peek through its windows and you get a glimpse into the rich history of Britain. Inside ... s3e3: Fortnum & Mason: The Queens’ Grocer
From scotch eggs to the most exclusive of teas … The Queen’s grocer … 181 Piccadilly – the London home of Fortnum & Mason since 1840. ibid.
Today’s range of hampers cost anything from £85 to more than £1,000. ibid.
It had a dedicated department for expeditions. ibid.
The setting: one of London’s poshest postcodes. The store: a British institution, renowned for luxury, glamour and designer fashion. A store so ingrained in our culture we’ve even given it a nickname. Inside ... s3e4: Harvey Nichols
A humble linen shop put itself at the heart of British fashion and became a world-renowned style emporium. ibid.
Sixteen stores across eight countries offering top-designer fashions from around the world. ibid.
John Lewis: A giant of the British high street with a retail reputation few can match. Famed for its wedding gift lists, and for creating the year’s most eagerly awaited TV ads. It’s a company with a unique history built on one man’s revolutionary idea. And on principles that survive to this day. Inside John Lewis: Profits & Problems, Channel 5 2019
Every member from cleaner to shop floor assistant to manager owns a share of the business. ibid.
For 150 years John Lewis has been providing shoppers with everything from fashion to furniture … [with] haberdashery and fabrics at the heart of its business. ibid.
This Christmas we’re inside John Lewis, one of the most loved brands in Britain. It’s famous Christmas advert is back to give us all some festive cheer. But that’s about the only familiar thing in 2020. Coronavirus has been devastating for the chain with stores closed to customers for months. As it pulls record losses, John Lewis is pulling out of key cities, closing flagship stores for good, with thousands of loyal staff facing redundancy. Inside John Lewis: Trouble at the Tills, Steph McGovern reporting, Channel 4 2020
Can it really compete with the online giants … Will John Lewis weather the toughest storm in its 156 year history? ibid.
Having too many stores now seems like a problem for John Lewis. Online has been more important than ever for all brands since the pandemic with shoppers confined to their homes … John Lewis’s online sales grew by 73% this year, helping to offset the impact of store closures. But they struggle to compete with the astonishing success of the big online giants. ibid.
Aldi: the German supermarket chain that swept the UK. But what are the secrets to its success? … Beat the big brands at their own game and become the budget store that attracts the biggest spenders. Inside Aldi: Britain’s Biggest Budget Supermarket, Channel 5 2020
There are now more than 800 Aldi stores across the UK; that’s expected to rise to 1,200 over the next 6 years. Every day more customers pour through its doors. ibid.
It all began in its own country on the eve of World War I … By the 1960s they had more than 300 stores across Germany … By the dawn of the ’90s the brothers were operating stores in the United States and 7 European countries … but there was one huge market still to crack. ibid.
Aldi’s methods were all about efficiency and cost-cutting. ibid.
By stocking fewer products, Aldi could operate in smaller buildings, with lower overheads, and by making most of those products own-brand, it could boost profits further. ibid.
This December in Britain Aldi is expected to take one billion pounds over the festive period alone. But how did the German discounter become a British festive favourite? It’s the story of amazing bargains, crazy products and things you can’t not want. Inside Aldi at Christmas, Channel 5 2019
Last December it smashed all records; sales shot up by 10% compared to the previous year. ibid.
It shops all the classics at some of the lowest prices around. ibid.
Asda: The supermarket mega-brand that rose high by taking prices low. They did it by changing the way we shopped. They’ve gone to war with their rivals and even the government itself. Inside Asda: Bigger, Better, Cheaper, Channel 5 2020
With more than 600 stores across the UK and a turnover topping £630 million, Asda is a retail giant. Britain’s third largest supermarket has been built on a premise: low prices and lots of them. ibid.
And put Asda on a collision course with major petrol retailers. ibid.
It opened the first superstore in a large retail space in Nottingham in the ’60s. ibid.
Asda was spoiling for another fight, and an adversary didn’t come much bigger than the publishing industry. ibid.
‘Our customers want to be able to buy their vitamins and over-the-counter medicines at low prices.’ ibid. iconoclast new MD
With Walmart’s backing, Asda over took over Sainsbury’s to become the UK’s second biggest supermarket. ibid.
It became a victim of the new breed of discounters. ibid.
I was once a shameless full-time dope fiend. Yeah, me Bob. The sweet mother’s son. Me and my crew robbed drugs stores. Drugstore Cowboy 1989 ***** starring Matt Dillon & Kelly Lynch & James Remar & James Le Gros & Heather Graham & William Burroughs et al, director Gus van Sant, opening remarks
After any kind of drug haul, everyone in the crew indulged. I laughed to myself as I pictured Blues and Dilaudid in such great amounts on the spoon that it would literally be overflowing. Upon entering my vein, the drug would start a warm itch that would surge along until the brain consumed it in a gentle explosion. It began in the back of the neck and rose rapidly until I felt such pleasure that the whole world sympathized and took on a soft, lofty appeal. Everything was grand then. Your worst enemy – he wasn’t so bad. The ants in the grass – they were just, you know, doin’ their thing. Everything took on the rosy hue of unlimited success. You could do no wrong, and as long as it lasted, life was beautiful. ibid.