Retail Diary: Waitrose and the case of the disappearing Uptown Funk spoof video

Play that funky music

The Waitrose AGM looks set to be a light-hearted affair after its Bromley store made a spoof music video of Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’ for the meeting. Unfortunately for the wider British public the video has since been made private. Mystery remains around why the video was delisted. Perhaps they were embarrassed by some overly harsh criticism about the ‘shockingly bad lip-syncing and out-of-time dance moves’. Simon Cowell eat your heart out.

WHSmith gets hot under the collar

Perhaps the upselling of chocolate has acted as an aphrodisiac. WHSmith is showing its passionate side by tying up with Mills & Boon and Kobo to launch a romantic literature competition.

A panel from the three companies will judge the entries, and the final winner will see their book published in early 2016. Customers will be able to pick up the erotic romance in WHSmith stores. It has not been confirmed whether there will be any offers on any milk chocolate body paint for customers who make the purchase.

Michael Neil, books director at WHSmith, said the retailer was looking forward to “getting behind the winning book”.

Please be seated

An app that could be the saviour of men up and down the country has come to Retail Week’s attention.

Men no longer need to dread hours standing outside dressing rooms on a Saturday afternoon while their better halves buy their summer wardrobes.

The ‘Give a man a seat’ app, which is available in the UK, Ireland and New York, locates dressing rooms that have a seat outside them. With a tap of a button men are provided a handy map of the local shops where they can plonk their weary behinds.

Whether the men’s suggestions of what shop to go to (based on the availability of seats) is taken up remains to be seen. Don’t hold your breath.