Kevin Harrington

The new modesty: ditch the bag

primark carrier bag

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Kevin Harrington

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I suggested a while ago that the number of visible carrier bags was an indicator of retail sales. Well, perhaps there are exceptions to this rule. 

So here we are, possibly emerging from the recession, and shoppers are getting out and about. Shock, and horror, some people are using budget retail bags to conceal their premium-priced purchases. Here is a quote from Marc Cohen, a director at Ledbury Research, which compiles data on behalf of luxury companies:

“There is some guilt or shame out there, and people don’t want to be seen being bolder or overly ostentatious when other people are having a rough time.”

So the new rule: don’t believe the surface level of what you see; dig deeper.

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Kevin Harrington
I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.
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