For Verdict, these are transformational times; we’ve moved onto a new platform designed specifically to deliver our content to clients in the fastest, most efficient and intuitive way. Now Verdict not only delivers the most authoritative insight...Take a look at our brochure to learn more and contact us to discuss how your business can benefit from our service website.

1. think retail think
an informa business

3. Our Promise 04
Welcome to Verdict 05
Our Values 06
Think Retail,Think Verdict 08
Electricals & Entertainment 10
DIY & Home 12
Clothing & Footwear 14
Health & Beauty 16
Food & Grocery 18
Fuel 20
Automotive 22
Our Company Coverage 24
Our Channel Analysis 26
Our Trend Analysis 28
News & Views 30
Interactive Data 32
Three-step Navigation 34
contents

4. 04
Our Promise
Verdict understands first-hand the challenges facing
companies in the retail arena,during difficult economic
times as well as high growth climates.
Our research proposition builds on a 30-year body of knowledge, so
we’re uniquely placed to guide you successfully through lean times
and guarantee that you exploit the economic upturn to the fullest
as it arrives.
We promise retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, property companies, city
analysts and professional services companies the business intelligence
and insights to operate at maximum efficiency right now and to
prepare brilliantly for the challenges that lie just around the corner.
And we’ll help you choose the best package for you and your business,
whether that’s a selection of individual reports or a subscription to
Verdict’s exciting new service.

5. 05
For Verdict, these are transformational times; we’ve moved
onto a new platform designed specifically to deliver our
content to clients in the fastest, most efficient and intuitive
way. Now Verdict not only delivers the most authoritative
insight around the dynamic world of retail, it is also mobile,
rich and instant.
This platform has taken us 18 months to develop and our
clients have been at the heart of it at every stage with their
wish lists and work processes driving the project forward.
We have a service for desktop, tablet and mobile that
provides fast access to specific research, showcases our
latest findings, as well as data visualisation software that
brings our data to life in flexible and vividly detailed ways.
Our analysis content is continuously updated so that
you have the very latest developments and trends from
Verdict at your fingertips. There is also a dedicated area for
industry news and Verdict Views so that you’ll be informed
of the factors that affect your businesses as they happen.
We are confident you will be as enthusiastic as we are
about the service.We are excited by the interactivity,
visualisation techniques, being able to provide information
updates constantly and the instant connectivity with our
clients. This is the way we have always wanted to deliver
your content, but we won’t stop here, we will always be
looking at how we can enhance your experience of
Verdict further.
Welcome to Verdict
Maureen Hinton
Research Director

6. 06
Our Values
We’re every bit as passionate about the business of retail
as you are. We believe in a rigorous approach to data and
analysis so that you can rely 100% on what we have to say.
We’re constantly working on our service mindset so that
you can be confident of getting exactly what you need,
when you need it.
We know our business intelligence must be actionable,
giving you useable, practical information to guide your
actions today and your planning for tomorrow.
Sometimes, you’ll have questions about our opinions
and insights.That’s fine.We’re committed to ensuring you
have access to our analysts to get those answered swiftly.
And lastly, we know that you’re making critical business
decisions based on our data, so we believe in being
accountable for its quality and its value.
Our Expertise
We only employ the best researchers, analysts, account
managers and client services staff.They are all passionate
consumers, obsessed with the next product, trend or great
marketing idea.They’re also business specialists and always
go the extra mile to study how markets are changing and
competitors are performing, so that we can build the best
possible market analysis for you.This blend of personal
interest and business acumen is reflected in the strength
of our analysis and customer service.As all of us involved
in retail know, it sometimes feels as though we work seven
days a week, but we enjoy it!
Verdict’s analysts make around 100 media appearances
every year.They’re frequently invited to appear on stations
such as the BBC, Sky News and Bloomberg and, when not
busy producing business critical information for you, they
provide media commentary on retail industry events.
... passionate consumers
obsessed with the next product,
trend or great marketing idea

7. 07
Verdict analyses a variety of product
sectors,including food & grocery,fuel and
automotive.We meticulously build up the size
and segmentation of these sectors by talking
to industry,analysing the sales performance
of companies and assessing consumer
data.We use a robust model to test all our
assumptions and calculations.We don’t rely
on small samples of panel data and we don’t
just regurgitate information that’s publicly
available.
Our short and long term forecasts combine
macro-economic,sector and company
data with a qualitative understanding of our
sectors.This mix delivers reliable,well-judged
predictions.Leading brands tell us that our
forecasting insight is a“must have” business
tool and its value is strengthened by our
fresh ability to alert you every time we
make a significant forecast alteration.
There has never been such a diverse range of
different places and ways to shop,with online
growing its share month by month. Whether
they’re buying clothing or cars,customers
distribute spend between sector specialists
and multi-sector retailers in an ever-changing
pattern.Verdict’s channel analysis sets out
the value of these multiple options by type
of product sector,as well as investigating
the distribution strategies being used
internationally.
One company’s competitive position
compared to another is a key determinant of
its success or failure.Whether you’re assessing
a competitor,a potential partner or we’ve
simply spotted another company doing
something to catch your imagination,Verdict
will help you find out more about them.Our
company briefings are a core tool for unique
data and opinion on major UK and selected
international retailers and brands,as well as
smaller companies with a strong record of
innovation and growth.
Knowing your customers and what they want
from you is the very first step in making the
changes needed to compete more effectively
for a bigger share of their spend. Through
surveys and continual sector tracking,we
uncover key consumer trends and the critical
requirements of consumers when it comes
to purchases of everything from a carton of
orange juice to a camera to car accessories.
We speak to thousands of consumers every
year about where they shop and why they
shop there.
From environmental concerns to social
networking and new technologies – other
trends continually force you to evolve and to
adjust your strategy across all elements of
the retail mix.Our trend analysis guides you
through which market changes you need to
act on and which you can safely ignore,so
that you can form solid plans and a sound
investment case for your innovations.
Business case formulation
& share analysis
Competitor & partner
profiling
Financial planning
& forecasting
Catching the right
customers
Distribution & location
decisions
Devising strategic
retail concepts
How can we help you?

8. 08
Verdict answers fundamental business questions; our online service is structured
around making sure that you know exactly where to find the data,analysis and
market updates that you need,when you need it both in the office and on the move.
Think you know
your sector?
When developing the data for our
sector analyses, rigour, timeliness
and consistency are key to shaping
your business.We also ensure the
accompanying insight is thorough,
actionable and on point.
Which retail categories and
sectors will grow and why? Which
are declining and is the trend
reversible? How do you maximise
your opportunities and reduce your
risks? Which purchasing channels
should you be investing in? Verdict
covers over twenty five product
sectors. It’s enough to ensure we have
a comprehensive view of total retail
spend but not so much that we lose
sight of intricacies of each sector.
For each of the twenty five
sectors in our service, you’ll
find these key modules
covering your essential
information needs:
think retail think verdict
Outlook
Market Size
Market Forecast
Channel Shares
Market Shares
Sector Trends
Interactive Data Dashboards
Electricals &
Entertainment
DIY & Home
Clothing &
Footwear
Health &
Beauty
Food & Grocery
Fuel
Automotive

9. 09
Think you know
your competitors
and partners?
Our Company Briefings combine proprietary
performance indicators, impartial observations about
company performance and our analysts’ informed
predictions on what they are going to do next.
We focus on specialists and multi-sector players across the
sectors we cover.Would you like to uncover the reasons for
the high performance of successful players and apply the
knowledge to your strategy? Would you like to enhance
your relationship with a company by showing you know
their business inside out?
Each company briefing is split into concise modules
allowing you to dive into what you need:
■ Outlook
■ Company Overview
■ Recent Key Events
Think you know
the best marketing
and distribution
opportunities?
In line with the changing purchasing behaviours of
consumers our Channel Analysis requires ongoing
evaluation. Do you know which channels are growing
fastest for which sector? Which store formats are thriving
and why? How can you grow spend per head by unearthing
the delivery options that consumers prefer for the purchases
they make? Our channel analysis covers store formats,
locations, online and mobile purchasing as well as delivery
methods helping you to develop unrivalled distribution
strategies.
That’s why we segment it into three core areas:
■ Online & Remote Shopping
■ Store Locations
■ Store Formats
Think you know
what trends matter?
Our Trend Analysis is the most flexible area of our
service, ensuring we respond to the next big thing.What
are the key trends driving your sector and how can you
use those to craft your strategy and tactics? What are
your competitors doing in response to new opportunities?
How do you need to position your brand with consumers?
Do you understand what drives their loyalty nowadays?
Work with us to shape our coverage ensuring you get
maximum return from your service. Right now, you can
browse through our trends analysis under the following
areas:
■ Distribution Strategies
■ Services
■ Technology Payments
■ Marketing
■ Financial Performance
■ Operating Performance
■ Consumers
■ Economy Environment
■ Product Development

10. 10
verdict sectorS:
Electricals
Entertainment
The Electricals Entertainment sector has seen
a major chunk of sales migrate to the internet,
and with players going into administration and
closing stores, this is set to continue. Electricals retailers
are being hurt by consumers easily comparing the
prices of branded products online, often instore on
their smartphones.
Smartphones have cannibalised sales of cameras and
audio players, while the way people use smartphones
to connect to speakers at home has driven demand
for more portable, less expensive audio equipment.
TV sales have suffered a major slump after years of
strong growth as consumers replaced CRT TVs with flat
panels. Now that cycle is complete, retailers are finding
it difficult to get consumers to replace their TV sets
early with features such as 3D and “Smart” internet
connected TVs failing to catch public imagination.
Verdict delivers data and analysis on this market as
a whole and on its main components: white, brown
and grey goods as well as the entertainment market,
broken down into its key parts.
Which electricals players will be the strongest
performing over the next five years, how will demand
change and how will volumes impact growth?
Which product categories will underperform or
outperform the overall electricals market over
the next few years, and how does this compare
to previous years? How are service innovations
differentiating retailers?

11. 11
Insight
Where should you start looking for fresh market opportunities? Who
should you target and why? Tablets are the bright spot in this market,
having grown phenomenally over the last year with different price points.
Gaming is due a resurgence, now that the console cycle has begun
again with the launch of the Wii U and the forthcoming releases of the
new Xbox and PS4 machines.What’s the next big thing? What is the
latest strategy of the grocers when it comes to selling electricals and
entertainment products?
Electricals inflation, volume and value (%) 2002–2017e
2002 20172007 2013
■ Formulate your market share objectives and
benchmark performance against the sector
average growth rate.
■ Uncover operational details behind strategies
in social media, streaming services, click and
collect and private label.
■ Make sure your marketing strategy is up to date
by keeping on top of competitor activity and
inspirational ideas for attracting customers.
■ Discover where customers like to shop for
electricals and entertainment products and why.
HOW WE HELP YOU
Verdict’s research indicates
that while price and range
remain the key priorities for UK
shoppers, experiential factors are
increasing in importance. John
Lewis, which views its customer
service as one of its key selling points,
is one of the few retailers reporting
increased electricals sales.
Patrick O’Brien
Inflation
Volume
Total Increase (%)

12. 12
verdict sectorS:
DIY Home
Given the economic fluctuations impacting
home buying and consumers’ habits at
home evolving under the influence of new
technologies, do-it-yourself home retail sectors are
undergoing substantial structural change. Every retailer
has to rethink the way it operates in order to remain
relevant to its customers. More than ever, retailers need
a diagnostic approach in order to thrive.Those who
underestimate and fail to understand their consumers
are pushing themselves closer to the precipice.
Despite being a highly fragmented market, with few
dominant players, the homewares sector can be
difficult for retailers to break into, given the intense price
competition from non-specialist players.With lower
levels of consumer spending, many consumers have
been drawn towards grocers and value players due
to their desire to save money on essential homewares
purchases, putting up an intense competitive barrier
for new and unknown entrants.
Equipped with a robust understanding of housing
market economics and data spanning thirty years,
Verdict’s analysts examine how these movements
subtly impact demand for homewares, furniture,
floorcoverings, gardening and DIY products in
different ways.We can also tell you how consumer
trends are changing attitudes towards the home
and the activities that take place within it.
Where can you find the main trends in
sector expenditure, specialist sales, online
independents and use of retail space?
What about an assessment of strategic
issues and recommended responses?
What should you be doing about channel
diversification, private label development
and capitalising on the green trend?

13. 13
Insight
While the remainder of retail has struggled out-of-town
over the past five years, homewares is one sector where
retailers have thrived in the UK, and been able to take
advantage of the opportunities that this location has to
offer. Range remains one of the most important loyalty
drivers for homewares shoppers, twice as important as
convenience, proving that shoppers are keen to travel to
benefit from increased product choice. Flash sale sites, such
as Achica, Brand Alley and Secretsales are becoming more
of a platform for new and unknown homewares brands to
gain exposure to consumers.
■ Ensure that market shares are calculated using
the more reliable market value figures that exist.
■ Uncover how consumers use and perceive their
home, and what this means for product demand.
■ Benchmark the performance of the sector’s top
performers and identify new emerging companies
and brands.
■ Develop instore service ideas and marketing
propositions that respond to consumers’ loyalty drivers.
HOW WE HELP YOU
Verdict provides insight into the following sectors:
■ Homewares
■ DIY Home Improvement
■ Gardening
■ Furniture
■ Floorcoverings
Category share of subsector 2003–2017e Other furniture
Living and Dining
Home office
Kitchen
Bathroom
Upholstery
Beds and Bedroom

14. 14
verdict sectorS:
Clothing Footwear
Verdict guides your strategy across fashion
markets including value clothing, footwear and
luxury retailing with our Clothing Footwear
analysis. Discounting is rife in most sectors and will be
difficult to escape for the foreseeable future, while luxury
is fascinatingly robust and expanding.Verdict helps you
to tackle the challenges and opportunities your business
faces over the next five years.
Verdict forecasts that womenswear players particularly will
continue to be under intense margin pressure as inflation
remains, volume sales fall, and retailers are forced to
discount to clear stocks.The average operating margin
of the top womenswear players continues to fall year
on year, highlighting the pressures retailers are facing.
Inflation across the whole sector, driven by the increased
cost of cotton and high fuel prices increasing shipping
costs, will drive expenditure growth as most increase retail
prices to limit the hit on margin. However, higher prices
and restricted disposable income have made consumers
far more considered with their clothing expenditure
leading them to think twice about the number of items
they buy.This weak demand means most retailers
continue to resort to discounting to drive footfall
and spend.

15. 15
■ Identify where customers shop for their clothing and
footwear products and why.
■ Evaluate the success of every sales channel including
specialist retailers, department stores and supermarkets.
■ Uncover the rate at which consumers are switching to
online shopping and learn more about their purchasing
and returns journey.
■ Grow spend per head by unearthing the added
value services that matter to consumers when buying
these products.
■ Assess your own retail strategies by identifying the
most innovative and successful practices of your
competitors, including the partners they use.
HOW WE HELP YOU
What impact will the economy have on retail and
how should you build this into your sales forecasts?
How will inflation affect growth in clothing and
footwear sales volumes? How much longer will
inflationary pressures continue?
Which fashion sectors will perform best over the
next two or three years? Which sectors should
your business focus on?
While labour and production
costs may still be more
expensive in the UK, freight and
import charges are eliminated and
it allows for shorter lead times and
provides retailers with greater flexibility
in repeat runs and short orders –
especially retail brands that need
to translate styles from the catwalk
to the shopfloor quickly.
Honor Westnedge
Verdict covers the following clothing footwear
related sectors:
■ Childrenswear
■ Luxury
■ Lingerie
■ Accessories
■ Jewellery
■ Footwear
■ Sportswear
■ Menswear
■ Womenswear

16. 16
verdict sectorS:
Health Beauty
Health Beauty is traditionally one of the
most resilient retail sectors and holds endless
opportunities both at the value and luxury
ends of the spectrum.Verdict identifies the size of these
opportunities, the activities of the most exciting players
and advises on how you can make the most of the
sector’s prospects.
Overall, we expect consumer expenditure to remain
subdued and volumes will be dampened by low
consumer confidence. However, innovation, high
demand for anti-ageing products and the necessity
element of the market will give volumes a modest boost.
Large specialists in health beauty are struggling as
grocers and general merchandisers gain market share.
Grocers particularly are continuing to grow share as
consumers find it increasingly convenient to pick up
everyday health beauty products while doing their
weekly shop.
Though consumer confidence will remain low in the near
to medium term, the essential nature of many items will
guarantee a steady growth rate for the sector. And of
course beauty products provide a relatively inexpensive
way of consumers treating themselves while disposable
incomes remain squeezed.
What impact will the economy have on
over-the-counter health sales and how
should you build this into your sales
forecasts? How will inflation affect
growth in beauty sales volumes?
Which product categories will perform
the best over the short to medium term?
Which should your business focus on?
Health and Beauty inflation, volume and value (%) 2002–2017e
2002 20172007 2013
Inflation
Volume
Total Increase (%)

17. 17
Our Health Beauty analysis spans these sectors:
■ Health Beauty
■ Opticians
■ Pharmacy
Insight
As the proportion of those in the 50+ age bracket rises,
these customers become a core purchasing group
and retailers must ensure their needs are understood
and met.As average lifespan continues to increase this
age bracket widens and retailers must recognise there
are sub-segments within the group.This difference is
heightened by consumers wanting to look younger for
longer, with women in their 50s dressing and expecting
to look far younger than their mothers’ generation
did, and being willing to invest heavily in doing so.
We expect this trend to continue as more emphasis
is put on anti-ageing products and services.
■ Measure future demand and quantify major
channels of spend by retailer type, purchasing
channel and location.
■ Identify the sector’s top retail performers, the
emerging success stories, and uncover what
they are doing right.
■ Stay on top of shopper insights, changing
behaviour and loyalty drivers.
■ Uncover product development, range and
service ideas to refresh your business.
HOW WE HELP YOU

18. 18
verdict sectorS:
Food Grocery
Inflation is set to continue to dictate the landscape
of the food grocery sector for the next few
years as cost price pressures continue.Verdict
provides insightful solutions for retailers working hard to stay
competitive while protecting margins.
Upwards cost pressures for commodities and oil are the main
inflation drivers.While supermarkets are able to absorb some
price increases, inflation is inevitable. Shoppers are continuing
to feel squeezed, and volume growth is expected to remain
worryingly low.
Verdict believes that with the right strategy and tactics,
expenditure growth in the food grocery sector is achievable,
a strong performance considering that total retail expenditure
will continue to stagnate or extremely limited growth at best.
However, the majority of the growth in Verdict’s food grocery
sector forecasts comes from stubbornly high inflation.We
appreciate the challenges of food grocery retailers and
also have an acute understanding of their activities in
non-food sectors putting us in a unique position to assess
their businesses.
What threat do discounters and the
value end pose to the big four in an
inflationary climate?
What should you do to thrive in the
resulting market?
Do loyalty schemes actually generate
any loyalty?
Does price matching matter?
Should you invest in click
and collect for food?

19. 19
Insight
Global food prices look set to continue to rise year on year.
Increases in grain prices are having a knock-on effect on
wheat, meat and dairy, while rising fuel prices will also
continue to exert upward pressure on supply chain and
logistics costs.
While it is still unclear if the online channel is a profitable
one or not, it is certainly unavoidable.The rapid sales growth
of specialists in this area is testament to the continued
customer demand for the benefits of online grocery
shopping. Convenience stores from the big players and
symbol groups are proving extremely popular with shoppers
as they look to make smaller, more frequent shops, cut down
on waste and keep to a budget.
■ Uncover and effectively target emerging trends
and consumer preferences and behaviour.
■ Identify the retailers and brands you need to
partner with to drive your business forward.
■ Build the financial and strategic case for reshaping
your business strategy.
■ Understand what underpins your competitors’
performance and learn from their successes
and their mistakes.
HOW WE HELP YOU
Fishmongers
Grocers’ small stores
Grocers’ superstores
Other food specialists
Greengrocers
Butchers
Bakers
Off licence and tabacconists
Change in Food and Grocery channel expenditure (%) 2011–2017
28.1
19.8
17.6
4.8
3.8
2.7
- 0.1 - 21.7

20. 20
verdict sectorS:
fuel
Fuel retailing at service stations commands
a large and captive audience, making it of
interest to different retailers, manufacturers and
service providers.We understand motorist demand for
fuel as well as commercial fuel consumption, and all the
opportunities for added value services that this brings
to players in this sector across Europe.This includes car
washing, convenience retailing and more innovative
services such as collection points for online purchases.
Certain supermarkets across Europe have tackled the
business of fuel retail with aplomb creating attractive
promotions and a slightly more customer centric
approach. For the oil companies that haven’t invested
in improving their proposition through product innovation,
convenience and food service offerings, they continue
to ponder whether it’s best to leave these established
retailers to distribute their product on their behalf.
There’s also a segment of motorists that want a basic
fuel retail offering with no accompanying services.
We help identify the market for this simple, no frills
approach to selling the commodity.
What is the size of the fuel retailing market by
volume and value and how does this translate
into footfall at the service station retail channel?
What proportion of this demand is from
businesses and what proportion are using
commercial fuel cards?
What range of cards and membership
schemes should you offer to encourage
loyalty from private motorists and different
types of business customers?
How can you improve my fuel retailing
proposition?
Which customers are happy to pay more for
premium fuels and who cares about using
alternative fuels?

21. 21
Insight
In the UK,Tesco has the highest market share of fuel
sales on the public network. French supermarkets
have a huge network of service stations too, with
Intermarche boasting the second highest number
of service station sites throughout France. Our
analysis outlines demand across motorway service
areas, unmanned stations and supermarket-owned
sites.We also explore the market for business fuel
cards, assessing the volume and value of this
payment channel, and assess further ways to bolster
channel sales with car wash services, convenience
stores and other supplementary services.
■ Benchmark your company against your peers by
comparing network ownership, fuel throughput,
shop coverage, car wash coverage and unmanned
networks.
■ Formulate market share objectives for your company
and assess performance using our value data for
fuel sales, fuel card sales and car wash sales.
■ Strengthen your proposition and marketing messages
by assessing the attitudes that underpin motorists’
behaviours and preferences towards their fuel,
convenience and car wash purchasing.
HOW WE HELP YOU
The proportion of alternative fuel
vehicle registrations in the leading four
European economies has doubled since
2009, now standing at 1.8% Supermarkets
may want to consider entering into
partnerships or joint ventures with fuel
companies that are focussing on alternative
fuels to expand their fuel offering in this area
and safeguard their strong market position.
Robert Speight

22. 22
verdict sectorS:
Automotive
The European car market is currently in a state
of flux, with many challenges affecting the
performance of all players within the industry.
Most manufacturers are experiencing their lowest sales
figures in recent memory and, due to severe economic
constraints, there is no easy way out of the problem as
motorists are not as affluent as they once were. Over-
capacity, strict EU regulations on emissions and an
austere consumer base have all combined to create
the most difficult selling environment in over a decade.
Our understanding of vehicle sales across Europe
means that we are ideally placed to offer insight,
forecasts and solutions to the key players in the market.
We understand the factors that affect the automotive
industry, from economic drivers to consumer attitudes,
and we use these indicators, supplemented with
dialogue from major industry executives, to create
hard-hitting, original insight.
That’s not to say that falling vehicle sales are the only
story within the automotive industry; as a result of low
sales, many countries have a car parc that is aging,
which presents opportunities for the aftermarket.
Our insight into components within the aftermarket
is second to none, and is designed to help both
component manufacturers and retailers to understand
individual country replacement rates and levels of
demand, in order to increase their market shares.
Car componentry is developing in leaps and bounds
and there have been, and will continue to be, exciting
technological breakthroughs in the industry.These
breakthroughs have a direct impact on both the
aftermarket and new vehicle sales.We help our clients
stay abreast of these developments and ensure that
all potential implications are covered.
Is your sector going to grow, stagnate or contract
over the next half dozen years?
How can you exploit the emerging DIY car
maintenance trend?
If growth accelerates, where will it emerge first
and how can your business make the most of it?
Our Automotive stream deals with six separate product
subsectors:
■ Tyres
■ Service Parts
■ Wear Tear Parts
■ Mechanical Parts
■ Crash Repair Parts
■ Consumables Accessories

23. 23
Insight
Our consumer research helps you to understand
the changing facets of motorists’ behaviour in
different regions in terms of their driving habits,
vehicle servicing routines, aftermarket products and
channel preferences.We also uncover emerging
trends around DIY, online shopping for aftermarket
products and motorists’ preferences for eco-
friendly technologies. Not only does this inform your
channel forecasts, it helps us to inform you of new
product development and marketing opportunities.
■ Achieve growth by understanding forecast sales
of components, either in value or volume, across
nine key retail channels.
■ Uncover new distribution opportunities for your
products by identifying which types of retailer
are most successful and why.
■ Identify the average revenue generated due
to labour charges by component and channel,
enabling you to benchmark competitors’ profitability.
■ Uncover motorist attitudes towards vehicle
maintenance and purchasing channels.
HOW WE HELP YOU
20162008
953 972 967 985 1006 1019 1024 1020 1014
754758762759751736724733721721
232 238 243 249 255 259 262 262 260
2010 2012 2014
Lithuania automotive market value over time 2008–2016e
Component (€m)
Labour (€m)
Total market (€m)

24. 24
Our Company Coverage
At Verdict we compile company data that aren’t in the
public domain and we focus on getting it right.After all, it’s
what all our market valuations and forecasts are founded
on.There are lots of annual report aggregators out there
but we ensure that we blend this secondary data with
our primary research and market knowledge to provide
a unique and impartial view of company performance.
Benchmarking retail performance Retail is highly
competitive, but non-competing players also find new
and exciting ways to collaborate for their mutual benefit.
Whether this is for competitor benchmarking purposes
or because manufacturers and retailers are seeking new
partners, there is a growing need to use our company
analysis to assess retailers’ performance and learn
about their activities.
Detailed performance analysis and prospects for
key players We assess the outlook for each company
through performance metrics including sales growth,
sales densities (where relevant), market share and
profitability, while strategic recommendations are
provided to manage emerging threats, enhance
cost efficiency and exploit growth opportunities.
Tracking market shares It’s thanks to our company
data that we calculate the true value of sectors, and
this is how we provide competitor market shares that are used
by our clients time and time again. Primary research with the
companies we are profiling is an important part of this process.
Inspiration from innovation Once we have our performance
indicators in place, nothing is more exciting to our analysts
than unearthing the strategies of the companies they follow,
especially if we think that what they are doing is going to
make a difference to their performance and can teach us
all something new.
And there are plenty to choose from We provide briefings
for over 300 companies, with more being added every day.
Our analysis is divided into clear modules, including operating
performance, recent key events and what they mean for the
company, as well as insight into their customers.

25. High street, discounter or luxury market?
Brand proposition
Bottom end, mid-range or high-end price tags?
Price positioning
Do they have stores? How many? Web presence?
Stores distribution
Who loves this company?
Target market
Who’s watching their every move?
Competitors
Modern? Retro? Quirky? Sleek? Homely?
Store format ambience
Specialist or generalist?
Product sectors
Any own label activity happening?
Sub brands
Home delivery? Store cards? Credit facilities? Gift cards? Learning experiences?
Services
Here’s
what
we
know

26. 26
Our Channel Analysis
Never have there been such a diverse number of places and ways to shop.
Deciding which channels to invest in is one of the never-ending challenges
facing manufacturers and retailers. Equipped with our data and insights
we’ll help you to make the right distribution decisions.
We can buy tyres from Asda, cosmetics from HM and our lunch from Boots.
Consumers distribute their spending between specialists and multi-sector
retailers, making very little distinction between them.Verdict provides full
visibility on the different types of retailers capturing share of consumer spend
in a particular product sector, as well as analysing the sales performance
of specific retail formats such as department stores, convenience stores
and supermarkets across multiple product sectors.
Retailers continue to explore new and varied locations, from major shopping
destinations such as malls or outlet villages, to impulse shopping locations
such as airports and other travel hubs.Verdict explores opportunities in these
channels, as well as examining spending patterns between town centres,
out-of-town and neighbourhood locations.
Consumers’ purchasing journeys are long and varied, with multiple channels
being used for researching, browsing, purchasing and order fulfilment.And of
course this varies depending on the products they are buying.Verdict gives
you insight into how consumers are distributing their focus and their spend
between different channels, and how this is forecast to change, ensuring
you are ready to react to the latest developments.

27. HOW WE HELP YOU
27
■ What’s the best balance
between online focus and
bricks and mortar for your
particular business?
■ How fast is mobile going to
hit your market?
■ Is it time you got out of the
high street altogether?
■ How much should you invest
in a new flagship store? And
where should you site it?

28. 28
Our Trend Analysis
The retail environment never stands still, with economic
trends, globalisation and new technologies changing how
retailers operate and interact with their customers to ensure
their business is profitable. Impacted by developments in
demographics, the economy, technology and globalisation,
retail is always uncertain.This, combined with innovations from
within the industry, also means it is extremely fast moving.
We highlight these issues and industry trends helping you
to shape the best responsive strategies for your business.
Lesser known social media platforms
are important in specific countries
and regions. Have you heard of Hyves,
Nasza-klasa, VKontakte, Mixi, Orkut, Skyrock,
Tuenti, and Hi5?
Matt Rubin

29. 29
The line between supply chain and
distribution channel is growing ever more
blurred as product manufacturers go direct
to consumers via online as well as selling
through established retailers in all their
formats. Verdict has strong views on the
evolution of Pick Up Drop Off services
and other emerging options as well as
traditional routes.
By offering enhanced services and events
in their stores retailers can enhance sales
by instilling customers with confidence,
engendering lifelong loyalty in their retail
brand and differentiating themselves from
retail competitors,especially those online.
DIY and electrical retailers have made the
most innovative steps,offering children’s
home improvement workshops,and summer
camps and operating as a destination
for school trips.Grocers could target
neglected consumer segments such as
foreign language consumers,by improving
awareness of multi-lingual staff.
By the start of 2014,approaching half of
all retailers will offer contactless payment
technologies in-store and more than a third will
have invested in new mobile and e-commerce
technology.Focusing on the mobile wallet
from a pure payments perspective massively
undervalues the impact mobiles can have.
If a consumer is tapping a phone for payment
and simultaneously providing loyalty details
and redeeming a money-off voucher,while
using it to access additional in-store services,
customers and retailers alike are benefiting.
It’s (nearly) all about social media right
now. Verdict has a wealth of great examples
of best practice and innovative social
media projects that have helped to build
better product ranges,address customer
complaints,reduce numbers of returned
purchases and generate good PR.There’s
more to getting the most out of social media
than giving your tiger bread a new name.
We have case studies that will fire your
imagination and drive profitability for
your company.
Verdict Consumer Insights are based
around primary consumer research and
provide a highly detailed,data-rich overview
of your customers.We know what Asda’s
customers love about its offer,as well as what
they don’t. What motivates Tesco clothing
shoppers and why do they prefer Tesco to
Primark? Where do women prefer to go to
have their car repaired? What are the key
motivators? Verdict can tell you all these
things and a lot more besides.
There are plenty of other places you could
find a comprehensive analysis of the UK
economy over the next five years,including
GDP,interest rates,inflation,disposable
income,the housing market and consumer
confidence. But no one else can give you the
same insight into their combined impact on
retail demand and retail expenditure across
all the major retail sectors and tell you how
the major players are placed to deal with
the changing landscape.
Distribution Strategies
Marketing
Services
Consumers
Technology Payments
Economy ENVIRONMENT

30. 30
news views
Our new service provides concise coverage of the events
and research findings that truly matter for your projects
and your business, with views and analysis powered by our
expert analysts. Our team doesn’t simply provide reactions to
industry events, we assess the potential impact of breaking
news stories and the implications they have for products,
markets and the competitive landscape.
Verdict News Views delivers business-critical information
to improve decision-making with timely and relevant insight
throughout the day.We don’t just report on the important
stories you see in the mainstream and trade press, we spot
the news emerging from our own proprietary data and
research and deliver that to your inbox daily as well.
Verdict clients are on top of all the major happenings
in retail and understand them better through Verdict’s
unique insight.
News in Brief
Our carefully curated version of the day’s breaking news
in our sectors, delivered direct to your desktop or mobile,
with the added bonus of comment from Verdict analysts,
shedding extra light on the subject. Perfectly timed to go
with your first coffee of the day and concentrating on the
developments you’ll want to read about.
Verdict Views
Opinion, insight and analysis of the implications of major
events within hours or major new Verdict research findings
you’ll want to hear about right away.Verdict analysts explore
events in the context of our proprietary data and forecasts.
Trading Updates
Our trading updates reach your inbox almost as soon as a
company announces its results.We deliver detailed financial
information and add perspective and insight into what the
numbers mean, courtesy of a Verdict analyst.
News Views
highlights the main
retail news stories for the day
in one email – get clued up
in a matter of minutes.

31. 31
... we spot the news emerging
from our own proprietary data
and research and deliver that
to your inbox daily
Timely
relevant
insight
throughout
the day
... trading updates
for over 100 retailers
on the day results
are released – no
need to wait for a
roundup of the next
day’s press coverage
... we keep it simple with very brief
news summaries and major stories
followed up in our analysis throughout
the day
... we only highlight
the news events
that are relevant for
the sector and are
related to the issues
we help you with,
leaving the rest for the
regular trade press

32. 32
Interactive Data
Agile data and analysis always aligned
to the latest market developments.
As the industry landscape shifts and evolves,it’s important
to know you are basing your decisions on accurate data
that reflects the very latest trends and issues.
We’ve revolutionised the structure of our data, analysis
and insights and introduced a greater frequency of data
updates to respond to market events and developments
as they unfold. A wealth of interactive data dashboards
are linked to our databases. Following a company
administration, new entrants or store closures we’ll
update these dashboards with predictions on the
impacts to market shares, or if we change our forecast
sales for a sector you track, we’ll alert you.
Through a combination of planned and event-driven
amendments, you can be confident that our research is
based on the most timely and relevant market information.
It’s not just numbers any more. Data analysis is all about
asking questions.We’ve developed inspiring, easy-to-use
data visualisation dashboards that help you achieve great
insights using our data.Together, our numbers, our insight
and your questions can make a real impact on your
business planning.
Why all the effort? Because the right visual representation
of data sparks just the right insights.A story unfolds as
people navigate from one visual summary to another.
We know that thinking with data can be hard. Our goal
is to help people answer questions as fast as they can
think of them.

33. 33
Spontaneous updates based on key
market events.As we update our data,our
visualisation dashboard changes with it in
real time.Instead of waiting for quarterly
updates published in boring static tables
and graphs,you can access live and
dynamic data,updated as often as we
get our hands on new information.And
you can watch our picture of the market
changing and evolving in real time.
Sometimes you’ll want to export data to
use in a report or a presentation.That’s
fine.You can still do that at any time. And
if you need to update the presentation in
six months’time,just repeat the process
for something a little more up to date.
The glorious graphic potential of data
visualisation software allows us,and you,
to create customisable data presentations
geared to the perspective of your particular
business.It’s important to remember though
that this isn’t just about making the numbers
look great – although they do – it’s about
presenting information in a way that can
be swiftly understood,that suggests new
questions and yields fresh insights.
Live dynamic Exportable Visual

34. 34
Three-step Navigation
Choose your view
of the market
Our analysis is split into four streams
that allow you to immediately identify
the market sector or the market view
that best suits your current need.
Whether you want to access a particular
company, see sector growth, explore
a channel or study a trend, the choice
you make here will allow you to quickly
funnel your subsequent research
through your preferred view.
Select area
Once you’ve picked out your entry point,
you can select the sector, company,
channel or trend that particularly interests
you, allowing you to instantly scan the
breadth of subject areas relevant to your
research.You can home in swiftly on your
area of interest.
Highest-relevancy
research
Up front, you can see the most recent
research, news and data Verdict has
published. And you can tweak what
you see using our new “show me” filter.
This breaks down the subject area into
smaller segments of distinct focus.
But what makes this area so powerful
are the lengths we’ve gone to in
making sure that listings here are both
meaningful and relevant. Our content
has been re-engineered so that clients
won’t simply be able to access chapter-
sized content segments from the sidebar
but research fragments that have been
mapped from inside and across chapters
so that niche areas of interest can be
pinpointed instantly.
Be first to know
Our new alerting service
makes sure that key breaking
data and analysis wings its
way directly to your inbox
the minute our analysts
compile and publish it –
as long as that’s what you
want.The workbench of our
analysts is connected to
your service site.
Ask an Analyst
We’ve made it easier to
contact our team and pose
your own questions.Need
to know how to exploit a
new trend? Curious about
a competitor’s expansion
strategy? Just ask.
Customise stuff
On our new site,you have
choices.You can choose
which alerts to receive from
us.Choose what to see in
our streams of content.Build
a collection of clippings
and turn them into your
own customised report.
1
2
3

35. 35
Old favourites
Although we feel our new navigation and
layout provides the clearest and quickest path
to insights,some clients will want more time to
adjust or may simply prefer viewing research
in a familiar way. For these clients,we have
created the Report Library,which contains
all of our content in its original report-based
format.This includes all the analysis we’ve
published over recent years and allows clients
to download the same PDF,Datapack and
Slidepack deliverables.So,for those who
prefer a more traditional view,this will feel
just like home.
The way we’ve reengineered our content has
transformed the speed and relevance with
which we can find what you’re looking for.
You won’t simply be directed to a long list
of large reports each containing a few
paragraphs of related information.Instead
we deliver directly accessible sections of
maximum relevance from across every
module,giving you a fluid view across our
entire research portfolio,breaking down the
barriers to accessibility and ensuring that the
most relevant insights are only seconds away.
Being able to find smaller,more focused
research segments will transform the accuracy
of search results but our investment in powerful
search technology takes this even further.Our
new capabilities include intelligent keyword
weighting to judge the importance of those
references depending on their location within
a document.
Search

36. Verdict Ltd, a trading division of Informa UK Ltd. Registered Office: Mortimer House, 37–41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK. Registered in England and Wales No 1072954.
Online at www.verdictretail.com
Email info@verdictretail.com
Call our Customer Services team on +44 20 7551 9537
Contact us