Describes the importance of plastic payment cards at the point of sale (POS) and the evolution of the credit card in general and affinity cards in particular. Suggests reasons for both the growth of plastic card payments (the cashless society) and the threats to affinity cards (the interchange...

Concessionaires (shops within shops) have long been a feature of the department store; more recently they have emerged as having a role to play within the superstore retailing concept. In this article Steve Worthington examines the use by two major retailers, Tesco and Debenhams, of...

In RDM November/December 1984 (p 15), Steve Worthington examined the use that major retailers make of concessionaires. This article reverses the process and asks — what do the concessionaires get out of it? Why do they seek to become concessionaires and what are the pros and cons of operating...

The growth in retailer‐sourced direct mail between 1984 and 1985 was 26 per cent. However, our contributor claims that retailers could still do a great deal more in terms of direct marketing. The secret, he claims, lies in the imaginative use of retailer credit cards. They offer a perfect...

In a recent issue Steve Worthington discussed the relationship between the use of credit cards and direct marketing. He follows up the theme in this article with a description of the Style card, operated by the Scottish retailer, Goldbergs of Glasgow. It is a “shopping” card — that is, it...

Credit cards are in the news again. In 1986 there was a rise of 14% in the amount of outstanding consumer credit, more than three times the rise in prices and double the rise in earning. Credit advanced in March 1987 was at a record level of £3.2bn. And retailer credit cards are doing excellent...

One of the features of the current renaissance and rejuvenation of Glasgow, is that it has recently seen the opening of two speciality shopping centres, The Briggait and Princes Square. Speciality shopping is concerned with raising the status of shopping from a chore to a recreation and leisure...

Despite some outward signs of strength, all may not be as well with Australian retailing as appears on the surface. Our contributor, Steve Worthington, has just returned from a six month stay in Australia. He suggests that the dominance of the sector by Coles Myer, an over reliance on price as a...

The long‐awaited report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission into the supply of credit card services came out at the end of August. Although its deals primarily with bank credit cards, nonetheless it has important implications for retailer credit cards — for example, will retailers start...

In June the author visited Hungary for a two week period under the British Council's Cultural Exchange Programme to review the current state of the Co‐operative Movement in Hungary. What he describes as one of his most “interesting and rewarding visits” was to the Skala group head office...