The Garden Centre Sales Parallel

Soon after the draconian lockdown restrictions were lifted earlier this year, Shelley and I visited a garden centre to replenish our herbaceous borders. We were expecting the worst experience but were pleasantly surprised. The GCA – Garden Centre Association – had given extensive guidance on how to handle social distancing and the centre embraced these to the full. We had a one-way system which took us around the centre “Ikea” style, and we remained behind the people in front like a slow-moving roller coaster. We were outside, so this helped,…

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The Sonos Speakers and the Subtle Art of Selling

I love my music, always have. As a 13-year-old, I’d save two weeks’ wages from my paper-round to buy an album – The Stranglers, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees – seminal favourites. I really couldn’t afford to buy much music in the ’80s and ‘90s – with CDs retailing at £18 in 1994, I struggled to justify buying Blur’s Parklife, but somethings you’ll sacrifice eating for. Music got free in 2000 ( a great book by way of the same title), things changed, and for the rest of the…

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