Retailer performance indicators in the nation of shopkeepers

In light of the Templeton Report and earlier studies, this paper advocates that it is time to abandon notions of developing useful ‘productivity measures’ for the purpose of making international comparisons in retailing. Instead, it is proposed that we should accept, indeed embrace, the use of ‘performance indicators’, if our real objective is to gauge the relative health and efficiency of retailing in the UK compared to other countries. To make this exercise useful, though, the key drivers to efficiency improvements in retailing need to be identified and then a corresponding set of measures and indicators developed that can be used with store-level and business-line data to build up a clear, comprehensive picture. Any intervention or assistance that government may subsequently offer the industry must be based on serving consumers' interests and ensuring effective competition in all retail markets.