[swpm_mini_login]

Social Media Applications, London, 25th March 2014

In Archived Events0 Comments1,714 Views

Venue: CBRE Henrietta House, Henrietta Place, London, W1G 0NB
Nearest tube: Bond Street
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm start

To reserve your place to attend this free event please email info@thesla.org

Speakers include:

  • Guy Lansley and Muhammad Adnan , Department of Geography at UCL
  • Andy Bell, Data Products Manager, Pitney Bowes Software Software (MapInfo)
  • Nick Henthorn, Smart Steps, Telefonica Digital

Download presentations

Agenda

  • 6.30: Peter Sleight, Chairman, The SLA – Introduction, news and announcements
  • 6.40: Muhammad Adnan and Guy Lansley, UCL – Using Social Media for GeodemographicApplications
  • 7.10: Andy Bell, Pitney Bowes Software – Opportunities for retailers from the rise of Social/Local/Mobile
  • 7.40: Nick Henthorn, – Mis-steps and Smart Steps – The challenges of using mobile data for location insights
  • 8.10: Q&A
  • 8.20: Networking
  • 9.00: Close

Speaker Synopsis

Opportunities for retailers from the rise of Social/Local/Mobile (SoLoMo)

Andy Bell, PBS Software (MapInfo)

  1. Introduction to SoLoMo
  2. New data for new analysis
  3. How can businesses exploit SoLoMo
  4. Case studies

Microblogging services

Guy Lansley and Dr. Muhammad Adnan, Research Associate, Department of Geography at UCL

Microblogging services such as Twitter have become an important part of life for millions of users in many countries around the world. These services are used not only for communicating with friends, family, and colleagues, but also for real-time news feeds and content sharing venues. We are investigating the ways in which a geo-temporal demographic classification can be created by using the inferred attributes of the social media users and their activity patterns. This is a step towards moving beyond the night-time residential geographies of conventional geodemographic classifications, and analysing the activity patterns of social media users during different times of the day and week in the quest of creating a geo-temporal geodemographic classification of social media users.

Mis-steps and Smart Steps – The challenges of using mobile data for location insights

Nick Henthorn, Business Development Director, Smart Steps, Telefonica Digital
A summary of the developments in Smart Steps, the part of Telefonica that is building a business generating insights for organisations using the data that O2 gets on people’s mobile phones. This will look at the challenges we’ve faced along the way, and plenty of interesting maps!

Speaker biographies

Andy Bell, PBS Software (MapInfo)
Andy Bell, Pitney Bowes SoftwareAndy Bell is Global Product Manager for Data at Pitney Bowes Software. Andy has accumulated a wealth of experience in geographic and demographic data as well as analytics, leading teams involved in retail location analysis, product development, statistical modeling and GIS.

He has previously worked for GMAP, GlaxoSmithKline and CallCredit where he instigated the development of the International suite of CAMEO geodemographic classifications which now covers 37 countries.

Andy is currently interested in the development and implementation of data products associated with social media, location and mobile technology.

Nick Henthorn, Business Development Director, Smart Steps, Telefonica Digital
Nick is Business Development Drector looking after the retail sector.

He has a Degree in geography and his first job was working in GIS (what feels like many years ago). Since then he has worked in sales and sales management within insight and data services including credit referencing, database hosting, crm and digital marketing. He joined Telefonica in January this year.

To reserve your place to attend this free event please email info@thesla.org

Retailers: Do you have projects now that Master’s students can help you to progress this spring & summer?

In News0 Comments3,226 Views

If you work for a UK retail company, this is an opportunity for you.

The ESRC’s “Retail Research & Data” initiative, which involved commercial companies proposing projects for Masters’ students, was a real success in both 2012 and 2013, and Professor Paul Longley & I are pleased to report that the ESRC has decided to support this initiative in the longer term.

Read more

Retail Location Analysis (RLA) – Finding the locations that matter, 28-30 April 2014

In Archived Events0 Comments2,334 Views

OXIRM RLA training courseThe programme offers managers with oversight of planning, development and site assessment – from retail, consumer service, property and other professional services businesses – the opportunity to explore the latest thinking in retail location analysis. The programme remains the only one of its kind.

Developed markets across Europe continue to experience economic challenges, which have direct effects upon consumers’ confidence and retail spending. Combined with the impact of non-store retailing on established retailers, the main priorities for location analysis professionals will be the continuous evaluation of existing sites, the optimisation of network performance – and, where relevant, the consideration of selective disposals.

We know that all kinds of locations – High Streets or out-of-town – and all sizes of organisation are under pressure. For some businesses, however, exploring the opportunities presented by newly vacated sites, or running the slide rule over potential acquisitions, whether nationally and internationally, is still a real possibility.

We believe that our three-day residential programme is the only one of its kind. Our tried and tested, deliberately small-scale approach, encourages discussion with speakers and individual learning through techniques workshops.

Dr Jonathan Reynolds ran the 2013 programme in tandem with Dr David Rogers from DSR Marketing Systems in the US. Between the two of them they have over 50 years of experience in site location issues. Other contributions were made by visiting practitioners and experts.

And for the third year running, we were delighted that location planning experts from CACI supported the programme.

Sessions offered in 2013 included:

  • Developing a Location Research Methodology
  • The Analogue Method
  • UK store forecasting and location planning: the state of the art
  • Property, economics and retail planning
  • Network rationalisation and research for existing stores
  • Data workshop: new sources, new methods
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Emerging issues in retail location planning
  • Optimising networks in an omni-channel world
  • Retail location analysis in international markets
  • Shopping centres and retail locations: the case of Trinity, Leeds
  • Gravity & spatial interaction modelling in theory and practice

To book email OXIRMenquiries@sbs.ox.ac.uk

http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/ideas-impact/oxirm/education-and-more/executive-education/retail-location-analysis

Location analysis for service delivery planning in the public sector – 12th Nov

In Archived Events0 Comments1,808 Views

Date: Tuesday 12th November
Time: 10.00 for 10.30 to 1.30
Venue: Chamberlain Room, Birmingham City Council, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB

How to find the venue:

Attendees should approach the Council House building via the front entrance middle set of doors – you can’t miss them as they have stone pillars around the doors. Enter the building, up the initial staircase to the security guard, who will point you to the room, which is on the first floor.

Official start time is 10am. If people arrive very early, there is a Starbucks next to the building.

Please download the
Council House Map and Directions here.

A very huge thanks to everyone who made this event a really interesting and worthwhile debate. A lot of hard work and planning went into getting this regional event organised and we hope to do more events like this in the future. We know that you, our members, really value regional events but we will need all your help in future to help us attract more delegates to regional sessions. Not least because it’s a shame when members miss out on such valuable and interesting learning and debate.

Special thanks to our hosts, Birmingham City Council for welcoming us to the beautiful Council Buildings and even organising the Christmas market to be set up right outside.

Thanks to our brilliant speakers who all spoke from the heart about very different subjects and approaches, but it was encouraging to see that there were also many similarities to the challenges faced.

We would also like to thank Bob Barr for standing in at very short notice to present on behalf of Blair Freebairn and Sarah Hitchcock of GeoLytix. Bob gave us his spin in Open Data, the innovations GeoLytics are using to bring you free open data for many, many fascinating data sets and how the future might look.

Finally thank you to those who attended. We were a little thin on the ground with far fewer than we normally expect to our events but it was a lovely cosy atmosphere with some good debates, questions and networking.

Download presentations here:

We are pleased to provide copies of all the event’s presentations here:

“Adapting retail location planning techniques for the public sector – Steve Scholey, Customer Intelligence, Hampshire County Council”

“Location planning for delivery of public services in Birmingham –
Zoë Wright, Data Analyst, Birmingham City Council”

“Defining priority areas for Police and Partnership working – Andrew Brumwell, Geo-spatial Research and Intelligence, West Midlands Police”

“Bob Barr of Manchest Geomatics presenting for Blair Freebairn and Sarah Hitchcock of GeoLytix”

Feedback and comments from speakers and delegates

This event received the BEST EVER feedback on the quality of speakers and relevance of subjects. 100% of attendees said the speakers were good or very good and every speaker got 100% score for their presentation. This is the best score we’ve ever had for any event.

As with every session we organise, there is always room for improvement on the event planning and the only regret is that so few managed to attend on the day. We really do want to run regional events for members but would like to see more attendees in the future. We also appreciate how much life and work get in the way, but those who attended on the 12th November had a real treat. Those who didn’t make it really missed out.

“A big thank you to all for hosting a really interesting event. I look forward to the next one.” Andy Brumwell, West Midlands Police

“This is the first SLA event I’ve ever attended and I found it very useful and look forward to attending more in the future.”

“I found it very interesting and the cosy feel really helps with the getting to speak to people. It would be good to attract more people and this does dissapoint a little but we must be mindful of the scale of change in the public sector at present. This will have had a big effect. Many thanks also to the presenters very interesting topics and we can all say we learned something new too. Also thanks to Susan who did a stirling job organising things here at the council.”

“Thanks for organising what was a good, if slightly sparsely attended, event. I thought the other speakers were great!” Bob Barr, Manchester Geomatics.

Agenda

Chair: Steve Scholey, Hampshire County Council

  • 10.00 – Refreshments and networking
  • 10.30 – Welcome and introduction
  • 10.40 – Adapting retail location planning techniques for the public sector – Steve Scholey, Customer Intelligence, Hampshire County Council
  • 11.10 – Location planning for delivery of public services in Birmingham –
    Zoë Wright, Data Analyst and Susan Keung, Strategic Research, Birmingham City Council
  • 11.40 Refreshments
  • 12.00 – Defining priority areas for Police and Partnership working – Andrew Brumwell, Geo-spatial Research and Intelligence, West Midlands Police
  • 12.30 – Bob Barr, ODUG
  • 13.00 – Discussions and close
  • 13.30 Lunch and networking

Speaker synopsis

Adapting retail location planning techniques for the public sector

Steve Scholey, Customer Intelligence, Hampshire County Council

Various case studies and examples. The intention is to focus on methodologies that others might wish to apply in their areas of work.

Location planning for delivery of public services in Birmingham

Zoe Wright, Analyst at Birmingham City Council

Using Birmingham City Council as an example, how the public sector can and does use sophisticated geodemographic (GDIS) tools and localised data to help profile citizens and local businesses, who does and doesn’t use Council services, and the most effective ways to communicate with users, residents and businesses.

Speaker biographies

Steve Scholey, Development, support and promotion of Customer Insight (CI) at Hampshire Customer Insight Partnership

Steve Scholey of Hampshire Customer Insight Partnership
Steve Scholey of Hampshire Customer Insight Partnership
Steve Scholey has been applying location analytics and customer insight across the retail, public and other sectors for 15 years. He has been a member of the SLA since its inception 10 years ago and has been on the committee since April 2010.

Within the public sector, Steve has contributed to DCLG-led projects on provision of customer-facing and waste collection services and to Hampshire projects on usage of libraries, cultural and recreation services, smoking cessation, demand for early years and special educational needs places and assessments of troubled families, children in need and school catchments.


Zoe Wright, Analyst at Birmingham City Council

Zoe Wright, Analyst at Birmingham City Council
Zoe Wright, Analyst at Birmingham City Council

Zoë Wright is an analyst for Birmingham City Council’s Customer Knowledge team, a centralised Customer Insight function.

Her background is in local government, starting in policy support, and now providing geodemographic and data analysis.

She has experience of working on customer segmentation, location profiles, and business data.

She graduated with a MA psychology degree from a Scottish university and moved to Birmingham for work a few years later, and has been here ever since.

Andy Brumwell, Geo-Spatial Intelligence Analyst at West Midlands Police
Andy Brumwell is geo-spatial intelligence analyst at West Midlands Police, UK’s second largest Police Force covering a population of approximately 2.7 million residents. He has responsibility for supporting the Force in the analysis of spatial data for strategic and tactical purposes.

He is responsible for supporting and training analysts and Police officers in the use of crime mapping and geo-spatial intelligence analysis techniques. He is also very interested in the use of multi-agency partnership data.

Andy is vice-chair of the International Crime and Intelligence Analysis Conference steering group. He has contributed to a number of crime mapping and analysis publications including the POP Centre Guide “Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers – 60 Steps” and the UK NPIA guide for crime analysts “Analysis of Geographic Information – Workbook”

He has a BSc (Hons) Geography Degree (Uni of Birmingham, UK) and a Post-graduate Certificate in Crime Prevention and Community Safety at the Jill Dando Institute for Crime Science, University College London (UCL), UK. He is an accredited geographic profiling analyst.

To reserve your place to attend this free event please email info@thesla.org

The SLA Forum 2013, 18th Oct 2013, London

In Archived Events0 Comments1,898 Views

‘Update on Open Data and Mapping’

Venue: CBRE Henrietta House, 8 Henrietta Place, London W1G 0NB
Nearest tube: Bond Street
Date: Friday 18th October 2013
Time: 9.30 for 10.00; close at 4.30 pm

Don’t miss your chance to attend this year’s SLA Forum; we have five excellent speakers lined up to give you an in-depth update on open data and mapping for the site location and planning industry.

It’s free to attend.

To book your place please email info@thesla.org.

Download presentations

Download ‘GeoEnabling Retail and Property’ by Steven Eglinton, Director for EMEA at GeoEnable, from Slideshare by clicking on the image below:

Download MapInfo update, roadmap and social media by Jon Flitton and Tom Probert, Pitney Bowes Software.

Download Is authoritative data worth the price? by Robert Barr.

Download A Brave New World – the impact of Location analytics, Big data and multi-channel on the retail market by Graham Wallace, Senior Business Strategist, ESRI.

Download Smart Cities – Location, The Citizen and Systems by Andy Hudson-Smith, Director and Reader in Digital Urban Systems, CASA.

Agenda for The SLA Forum 2013

Speaker synopsis

Geo-Enabling Retail and Property


By Steven Eglinton, Director, The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) and Director for EMEA, GeoEnable.

In this presentation I will examine how Location Analytics, as a technology solution and a term, is very rapidly becoming a mainstream concept in IT and GIS.

With examples, what one thought of as specialised tools, such as GIS, are now being ‘democratised’ and embedded in easy-to-use business processes and workflows.

With examples of how this could benefit the property and retail sector, I will examine the main and most important trends in, ‘Geospatial’ and Location Analytics that affect anyone involved in spatial analysis or GIS. These trends really are ‘game changers’ compared with the last 35 years of GIS and Location Technologies and need to be understood to leverage the potential benefits.

  1. Cloud GIS – off-premise hosted mapping and location analytics tools. This can dramatically reduce costs and complexity of implementation.
  2. ‘Big Data’ – analysing and visualising vast quantities of near real-time data
  3. Location Analytics – the use of, what would have been called GIS technologies, embedded in systems for NON-specialist users.
  4. Dynamic (Real-time) Mapping
  5. Open Data – Open data from the UK and US for use in business context. This includes postcode data, which is now free to use
  6. Mobility – Real-time maps in people’s pockets! with the ability to edit and capture new data
  7. Embedding Location – Integration of Location in enterprise solutions – esp for Asset Management / ERP
  8. Location for all – Location Analytics is becoming part of peoples’ jobs as part of a workflow. Typically non-specialist users are now leveraging ‘GIS-like’ technologies without even knowing.

Click here to return to the Top of the page

A Brave New World – the impact of Location analytics, Big data and multi-channel on the retail market

By Graham Wallace, Senior Business Strategist, ESRI

The expansion of BI into BI + GIS = Location Analytics and look at some of the Gartner and analyst thoughts and recommendations about the future role of Location Analytics in the retail and Distribution sector.

Here I have in mind an assessment of how existing investment in BI systems can be enhanced by integrating these with GIS – and providing some examples of how this adds value in the Store / site selection process as well as improving data visualization and enhancing the capex management process. I will focus on opportunities to deliver sales and profit improvements with minimal investment

The potential impact of Cloud computing and Big Data

Here the main topics covered will be access to external data sources and trends in data access and data costs. This includes social media feeds and crowd- sourced data as well as an assessment of the quality of these feeds and whether they help or hinder the internal decision making process

What the rise of multi-channel retailing means in terms of capex management and data management

Here the main topic that retailers seem to be grappling with is how to create a standardized environment which integrates feeds from multiple channels and presents as single view of a customer as well as deciding how to allocate capital and investment resource to develop new routes to market. This is tied together by looking at the value of Location Analytics.

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Smart Cities – Location, The Citizen and Systems

Andrew Hudson-Smith, Director and Reader in Digital Urban Systems, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis
University College London

The talk looks at the rise of the Internet of Things and its implications for pulling together BIM, Geographical Information Systems and Augmented Reality as a move towards Smart Buildings and Smart Cities.

MapInfo Innovations

Tom Probert, EMEA Product Marketing Manager

  • MapInfo Professional update and road map
  • Resources for you! For example, Community Downloads, White papers, MI Pro journal, Tutorial videos, Ideas portal, etc.

Dr Jonathan Flitton, Senior Analytics & Data Consultant

Some aspects of Social Media data in Site location Analysis – can foursquare check-ins and Instagram locations help retailers?

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Is authoritative data worth the price? – the case of UK address data


By Dr Robert Barr, OBE

In the UK we have some of the most expensive address data in the world (possibly the best, but far from perfect) originally collected by the public sector. However recent changes have resulted in a number of poorly regulated for-profit entities preparing themselves to increase their profits from it. This is likely to lead to a reaction by the big data, web science and volunteered geographic information communities who will probably challenge these monopolies by identifying, collecting, quality assuring and exposing address data in the public domain if this comes to pass.

The questions for government are whether this continuing address war is in the public interest; does the protection of a poorly regulated for profit monopoly / duopoly serve UK plc best or should we follow an increasing number of countries in releasing a maintained national address base as open data?

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Speaker biographies

Graham Wallace, Senior Business Strategist, Esri UK Ltd.

Greg Wallace, Esri
Graham Wallace is Esri UK’s senior strategist with over 30 years Business Planning and Programme Management experience gained in the IT, financial services, telecom & retail sectors.

Working at Board level for a number of FTSE 100 companies much of this work has been focused on strategy, business transformation and M&A activity.

Graham read Geography at Cambridge University.

He is also Director of the AGI (Association for Geographical Information).

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Dr Andrew Hudson-Smith FRSA, Director and Reader in Digital Urban Systems, Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London

Dr Andrew Hudson-Smith is Director and Deputy Chair of the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at The Bartlett, University College London. Andy is a Reader in Digital Urban Systems and Editor-in-Chief of Future Internet Journal, he is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Greater London Authority Smart London Board and Course Founder of the MRes in Advanced Spatial Analysis and Visualisation at University College London. He is also course founder of the new 2014 course MSc in Smart Cities and Urban Analytics .

Twitter @digitalurban web http://www.digitalurban.org

Dr Jon Flitton, Senior Analytics & Data Consultant, Pitney Bowes Software

Dr Jon Flitton, Pitney Bowes Software

Dr Jon Flitton is a Senior Analytics & Data Consultant within the UK Analytics team of Pitney Bowes Software. Having studied the spreading of Nuclear material for his PhD and then research into underwater mine detection and tank camouflage Jon joined a small boutique Retail Analytics company called NumberCraft (run by identical twins Simon and Peter Grindrod (OBE) and David Waters). Jon then joined GeoBusiness on the day it was bought by MapInfo which itself is now part of Pitney Bowes Software.

Jon spends his days solving client problems and playing with lots of data across Europe. These include Retail Sales models, product mix, market segmentation, optimal networks, Open Data, Social Media Data, bus route optimisation and optimally sized postcodes for postcode lotteries.

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Tom Probert, EMEA Product Marketing Manager for Pitney Bowes Software
Tom Probert, Pitney Bowes Software

Tom Probert is the EMEA Product Marketing Manager for Pitney Bowes Software.

He is an ex-pat American, and though with 12 years of experience living in the UK still sounds like a Yankee.

His responsibilities include presenting at MapInfo User events, meeting with customers to understand how we should improve our software and he is the editor for “The MapInfo Professional” monthly journal.

Dr Robert Barr, OBE
Dr Robert Barr, OBE
Bob Barr retired from the University of Manchester after a 30 year career of lecturing, research and consultancy on Geographical Information Systems. His laboratory was spun out as a company, Manchester Geomatics, of which he is now Chairman. He was a Harkness Fellow and studied the use of geographic information for the delivery of social services in the United States; he was also a member of the Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Unit’s policy action team which reported on “Better Information”.
He is a Visiting Professor at Liverpool University and Honorary Fellow at Manchester University. Bob is also a Borough Councillor and on Warrington Borough Council and an independent director of Helena Partnerships, the stock transfer Housing Association for St Helens.
He is currently an active campaigner for the release of Public Sector Information as Open Data and is a member of the Cabinet Office Open Data User Group and of the Ministry of Justice / The National Archives Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information. Bob was made an OBE, for “services to geography” in the 2008 New Year Honours list.

Click here to return to the Top of the page

Steven Eglinton BSc, MBCS, IoD
Council Member, Director, AGI (The UK’s Geospatial Industry Body)
Director, GeoEnable
Steven Eglinton

Steven is a thought leader in the innovative use of Geospatial Solutions, GIS and Location Analysis for Environmental Conservation, Asset Management, Construction and community empowerment. Having been the GIS Coordinator at Iracambi in 2004-2005, he remains involved with a strategic role providing advice to continually develop the mapping, surveying and GIS capabilities at Iracambi.

Following studies in Environmental Biology in the UK, Steven has worked his way from hands-on to strategic GIS roles, in the development, implementation and integration of geospatial and information-centric solutions. Including applying his skills to the UK government (7 years), London Underground, Asset Management and in the construction industry with King’s Cross.

He now understands that true ‘holistic’ solutions require more that ‘tech’ alone, but require innovative thinking; outcome-based management, end-user engagement, senior management backing and (crucially) strong leadership. With this in mind Steven is very active in shaping the Geospatial Industry as Founder and Director of geospatial and information management (IM) solutions company, GeoEnable, and as a Director and Council Member The UK’s Geospatial Membership Body – The AGI.

Steven’s Memberships and affiliations include:

  • Director/Council Member of the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) – The UK Geographic Information Industry Body
  • Chair, Membership Committee of the British Cartographic Society (BCS)
  • Chair or the AGI’s Asset Management / GIS special interest group
  • Member of the International Geospatial Society (IGS)
  • Member of BCS – Geospatial Specialist Group
  • Member of the Institute of Asset Management (AIM
  • Member of Esri UK DeveloperHub
  • International GIS Committee Coordinator, Iracambi Research Center

Click here to return to the Top of the page

To register for this free to attend event please email info@thesla.org.

Freelance retail and spatial analytics consultant

In Member's CVs0 Comments2,654 Views

Freelance retail and spatial analytics consultant able to help organisations make more robust site location decisions based on Business Intelligence and spatial analytics.

An expert in retail network expansion, optimisation and consolidation with a can-do-attitude and proven track record of influencing Board level decisions.

Strong technical, research and analytical skills having worked as client-side spatial analyst with Slaughter & May and leading management consultancies.


Freelance consultant – gis2xl Ltd, Stamford, Lincolnshire

Director of own limited company offering flexible spatial analytics consultancy and resource

Services offered include:

  • Site Location Analysis
  • Retail network optimisation
  • Store segmentation
  • Spatial analytics
  • Desk and field research
  • Outsourced cost-effective flexible analytics support

Geographical Retail Market Specialist / Site Location Analyst – Thomas Cook
November 2001 to August 2013, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Various roles over the period, including Geographical Market Specialist, Site Location Analysis Manager and Sales Development Manager. Key areas of responsibility included:

  • Retail specialist and spatial analyst working with legal counsel and econometric advisors on 3 mergers for OFT and Competition Commission enabling £50m synergy savings
  • Implemented GIS to support M&A, integration and retail network optimisation
  • Managed development of Travel Demand Estimates and Market Size Models
  • Delivered sales and revenue forecasting for 20 new store evaluations adding £1.25m profit
  • Responsible for store closure models resulting in the closure of 450 marginal / loss-making stores enabling synergy savings of £30m
  • Produced annual Sales Territory restructure scenarios and influenced Board decisions resulting in saving of £1m payroll
  • Recommended store fit “look and feel” and branding based on profile, reducing cost of fit in down-market areas by 15% and increasing customer retention by 10% in higher value markets with a more locally market relevant offer

Skills / Areas of Expertise

  • Local market and competitive analysis
  • Financial modelling
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Customer insight
  • Advanced IT skills – Excel, Access, PowerPoint
  • Creative sourcing and merging disparate datasets
  • GIS – MapInfo Professional ; previous experience of MicroVision, MicroMarketer, MapPoint
  • IBM SPSS Advanced Statistical Analysis and Building Predictive Models
  • Cognos PowerPlay for Windows and CognosWeb
  • Alterian Marketing Studio
  • MS Access and Excel Advanced and Excel VBA


Education
University of Leicester – B.A. (Hons) 2.1, Social Sciences – Economics

Interests: Languages, Independent Travel, fine food, meditation, walking in the country, vegetable gardening, watching football

If you would like to get in contact with this member to discuss employment please email info@thesla.org

The future of convenience retailing, Manchester, 3rd Sep 2013

In Archived Events0 Comments1,912 Views

Venue: The New Cooperative Group HQ, The Auditorium, 1 Angel Square, Manchester, M60 0AF
Download: Manchester Campus Visitor Guide
Date: Tuesday, 3rd September 2013
Time: 6.00 for 6.30pm
Refreshments will be provided.

Thanks to everyone for attending this event. With over 45 attending and 50 booked it was yet another successful SLA event with some really thought provoking presentations and interesting debates, not to mention excellent catering from The Cooperative Group. Special thanks to our excellent speakers and The Coop for hosting.

Download presentations.

Download “What does convenience mean?” (659 KB) by Blair Freebairn.

Download em>”Market factors & business opportunities in international convenience retailing” (2,581 KB) by Dr Jonathan Reynolds.

Download “The evolving convenience market: a retailers perspective” (1,564 KB) by Mark Harlow.

Introduction

Our next event it taking place at The Cooperative Group’s new headquarters in Manchester on Tuesday 3rd September.
Registration will be from 6pm and the presentations will begin at 6.30pm.

We have an excellent line-up for this event. Joining Mark Harlow, Senior Location Analysis Manager from The Cooperative Group will be Blair Freebairn, Founder and Principle of GeoLytix and Dr Jonathan Reynolds, Director of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management. Blair will be sharing his thoughts on what convenience means to different customers in a multi-channel, multi-format world and Jonathan will be talking about the market factors and business opportunities in international convenience retailing.

The Co-operative Group will be sharing their experiences in the convenience market, looking at how the convenience market has evolved from a retailers perspective and what challenges remain.

Speakers

  • Jonathan Reynolds – Market factors & business opportunities in international convenience retailing
  • Blair Freebairn – What does convenience mean to different customers in a multi-channel, multi-format world
  • Mark Harlow, Senior Location Analysis Manager, Co-Op – The evolving convenience market: a retailers perspective

Speaker biographies

Dr Jonathan Reynolds, OXIRM
Dr Jonathan Reynolds, Academic Director of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management and Associate Dean at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School

Jonathan Reynolds is Academic Director of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management and Associate Dean at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School.

A geographer and planner by background, he now works with students of marketing and retailing of all ages and leads applied research projects on the sector internationally.

He is the current director of the longstanding Oxford Retail Location Analysis workshop.

Blaire Freebairn
Blair Freebairn, Founder and Principal Geolytix
o Founded Geolytix 2011 to present
o Global head of analytical data and routing at PB MapInfo – 2011
o Manager of the MapInfo UK predictive analytics (PA) business 2009-2011
o Principal architect and methodologist for EMEA PA 2005-2009
o Modeller working in UK retail 2001-2005
o Head of Site Research at UK largest leisure retailer 1997-2001
o Operational management for leisure retailer 1991-1997
o Over the last ten years have served the site research teams at the majority of the top 25 UK retailers

About GeoLytix
o Founded by Blair Freebairn in 2011 to deliver vendor neutral spatial analytical consulting, development and deployment services
o Sarah Hitchcock joined in Oct 2012 from managing the Network Planning team at J Sainsbury’s bringing additional business consulting, project management and training skills
o Recent projects have included bespoke store forecasting models, training, custom data development, system development and consulting projects
o Can be found via www.geolytix.co.uk or by email to blair.freebairn@geolytix.co.uk

Mark Harlow, The Co-operative GroupMark Harlow, Senior Location Analysis Manager, The Co-Operative

Mark has a strong retail background stemming from a number of store management roles at Tesco. He has worked as an Area Manager on the Express format and prior to that managed stores within the Extra hypermarket format.

He has also recently completed his MBA in Retail at Stirling University.

Having initially worked as a Regional Location Analyst, Mark now leads the North team of analysts assessing and delivering on new food retail opportunities for the Co-Operative Group.