I’m pleased to see it looks like the humble paper diary is still king and traditional methods of organising our thoughts and schedules are on the up, with stationery giants WH Smith reporting a hike in profits.
It seems the more people have technological ‘solutions’ thrown at them, the more they crave trusty and traditional methods.
In particular, WH Smith’s train station, airport and hospital stores have seen us stocking up on stationery, books and organisers in increased numbers, with a four per cent rise in sales at these shops over the course of the year.
WH Smith has found the profit margins on stationery are well worth the investment and continues to push this area of the business – and it sounds like customers are responding.
Despite the increasing influence of electronic organisers, other retailers including Ryman, Staples and Amazon have also recorded a steady growth of traditional paper diaries in recent years.
With so many different methods of tracking our appointments, meetings, comings and goings, it’s easy to lose track of where you’re supposed to be and when, so I can see the appeal of getting everything down in plain black and white.
My phone is constantly running out of juice, so I’d be clueless without my dependable paper diary.
Any business owner, assistant or employee will also be familiar with the importance of reliable appointment-making and the damage that can be done when someone doesn’t have their diary up-to-date or at their fingertips.
Forgotten meetings can cause havoc in an organisation, from lost revenue and missed deadlines, to increased expenses, so it’s good business sense to plan ahead and stick to those appointments where possible.
Organisations like the NHS know better than any others the costs and consequences associated with missed appointments. Resulting losses can mount up into the millions.
One business tycoon who also recognises the tangible benefits of traditional timekeeping is my fellow Dragon Theo Paphitis.
Theo has this week backed National Diary Week, which takes place from 10 to 16 November.
In its second year, the campaign aims to reinforce the importance of diaries in the modern day.
In response to findings which show millions of us still rely on traditional organisers to help us co-ordinate our busy days, the organisers of National Diary Week have launched a hunt to find the most memorable date in British history.
I hear that VE Day, the Battle of Hastings, and even the Royal Wedding are expected to come out as the most unforgettable date.
We all have those dates that stick in our memory – either we learned them by rote at school or for some reason they just won’t budge from our heads.
I think it’s great that National Diary Week is going to hunt down the most well-known date in our history books and help us remember those days that matter most to us.
I’m sure the dates which are deemed most important will change dramatically throughout the generations and I’ll be interested to see if some of the momentous occasions from the last few years including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and the Referendum make it to the top spot.
I always feel a real sense of accomplishment when I look back through my diary at the end of each year and remember everyone I’ve met, all of the events and meetings I’ve attended and what it’s taken day-to-day to get my latest venture off the ground.
A paper diary lets you do that and store your own historic record of your most memorable moments that won’t float off into the digital ether. I think Theo might be onto something!
Tesco Will Be Tested
Last week brought more bad news for Tesco as it reported a 92 per cent drop in pre-tax profits – 2014 has definitely been a year I’m sure it’ll be glad to see the back of.
The chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, will stand down once new chief executive Dave Lewis has established his new strategy.
I am still struggling to get my head around the huge black hole regarding the company’s profits which has now risen to £263 million.
Tesco customers have become the least satisfied out of the traditional Big Four supermarkets, with changing consumer trends having a disastrous impact on the remaining three leaders in the retail sector.
Online shopping and customers wanting to do daily runs to the store rather than complete the traditional ‘big shop’ once a month is seeing consumers move to renowned discount stores like Aldi and Lidl.
It’s no secret that they have enjoyed success in the last 12 months and I’m sure they are working on a strategy to continue rivalling the Big Four in 2015. It’s always refreshing to see an industry shake-up like this.
Sometimes businesses can be guilty of becoming complacent, and other retailers develop a clever strategy to swoop in and take your market share while you’re sleeping.
People are still watching the pennies and I think Aldi and Lidl have been extremely clever with their discounting tactics and offering exactly what the consumer wants.
Tesco rushed into building mega stores all over the country a few years ago but now it’s smaller convenience stores that people are looking for.
It will be interesting to see what the next 12 months has in store for the retail sector and I for one am definitely excited to see how the Big Four attempt to turn this situation around.
It Made Me Laugh: Meal Deal with a Big Difference
I had a laugh when I watched a video last week of Dutch pranksters Sacha and Cedrique tricking a couple of food critics into eating a poshly presented McDonald’s meal and telling them it was high-end organic fare.
The duo cajoled the foodies into making a direct comparison between the ‘organic meal’ and a standard McDonald’s meal.
The critics were blown away by how delicious, tasty and fresh the ‘organic’ meal was and left disappointed with the taste of the second meal.
Although the boys have been criticised for tricking their interviewees, I think this was a brilliant idea. It just goes to show that, apart from perception, packaging and fancy descriptors, sometimes there is little difference between organic and non-organic food.
It Made Me Weep: DIY Decline Hits Homebase
I was saddened to hear that DIY retailer Homebase will close 25 per cent of its stores over the next few years.
Apparently our offspring don’t share the same appetite for DIY jobs as we once did. I always remember my dad getting his toolbox out to straighten up a dodgy shelf or broken lock but I can’t say I’m much of a DIY expert myself.
People live extremely busy lives and no one wants to spend their spare time doing odd jobs about the house.
Nevertheless, when it comes to cost-effective repairs, sometimes you really are better off doing it yourself.
Hopefully Homebase can find a way of saving as many jobs as possible to save delivering heart breaking news to workers.
