Field Notes
Notes from the floor.
Practical thinking on selling, leading and running great retail — short, useful reads from people who've actually done the job.
The Packaging Rulebook that Lands on Small Shops in August
In 4 weeks the EU's new packaging law switches on, and there's no exemption for small shops. Here's the trap hiding in one word: "producer."
Stop Worrying About AI. Start Using It.
Forget the hype. Forget the fear. The real question is practical: Where can AI actually move the needle for my business? The answer is clearer than you might think.
The €3 Parcel Charge, and Why Your Shop Should Care
The EU just put a €3 charge on the cheap parcels flooding in from Shein and Temu. It's not the wall some shops are hoping for, but it changes your sales pitch.
The Screen Is Not the Solution
If your operations are messy, digitising them just makes a bigger mess. Digital transformation is not about screens, interfaces or new programmes. It is about what happens on the shopfloor because of them.
The "Cancel Button" the EU Just Made Mandatory
Last Friday the EU made the "cancel" button mandatory for every online shop. Amazon, AliExpress and few others have had it for years. Here's why catching up is good news for honest sellers and a 4% headache for everyone who relied on friction.
The Promotion That Changes Everything
Most retail managers get promoted because they were exceptional at doing the job. But the moment you step into management, the skills that got you promoted are no longer the skills that will make you successful. The hardest part is letting go of your identity as the expert and embracing your role as the enabler. And that's where the new success lies.
Pay Just Went Public, Ready or Not...
The Directive won't add a single euro to anyone's wage by itself. What it does is "turn the lights on", and most of the fear around it is really fear of what the light will show.
Most Doors Ask for Something First
Almost three million young Europeans are waiting for a door to open. I've been thinking about which doors are actually still open to them.
One useful idea, every fortnight.
Join retailers getting our best Field Notes in their inbox. No spam, no fluff — just practical thinking you can use on the floor.