Team Thoughts

Back to all posts
    • The Importance of Site Visits for Location Planners

      The Importance of Site Visits for Location Planners

      1st June 2023

      While data driven insights are essential, site visits are indispensable for Location Planning. Alison interviewed our Location Planners to find out why we do them and 10 top tips that might help you next time.

    • Inside the Corner Store - ALDI Melbourne

      Inside the Corner Store - ALDI Melbourne

      24th October 2022

      While Rachel was in Australia working on a client project she took time out to explore Melbourne CBD and visited the new ALDI format Corner Store.

    • Machine Learning within Location Planning

      Machine Learning within Location Planning

      3rd October 2022

      Machine Learning is not new. We have used it in Location Planning for years, but new advancements mean now we can do more. Danny shares more about the Geolytix ML journey.

    • Where the FAANGs live.

      Where the FAANGs live.

      22nd August 2022

      Blair visited Battersea Power Station over the weekend and shared some of his thoughts.

    • LondonShuffle

      LondonShuffle

      27th July 2022

      Six years ago we had a team social to a newly opened Shuffleboard club called LondonShuffle. We were delighted to support them recently with some location data and analysis.

    • Porto: Bridges, Hills, Port and Viewpoints

      Porto: Bridges, Hills, Port and Viewpoints

      23rd February 2022

      At last, time to dust off the trusty Geolytix tote for my first overseas adventure since the start of 2020. Where's Lou goes international... my first destination: Porto, Portugal's 'second city'.

    • Blossom in the Year of the Tiger

      Blossom in the Year of the Tiger

      26th January 2022

      Coco discusses Chinese New Year traditions, and the slight alterations made throughout the pandemic.

    • My work experience week at Geolytix

      My work experience week at Geolytix

      30th November 2021

      Gagan Singh Virk joined us in October on a work experience placement from NewVic college. Here he details his week with us...

    • Bonfire Societies - a Sussex phenomenon?

      Bonfire Societies - a Sussex phenomenon?

      5th November 2021

      Remember, remember the 5th of November... Realising her bonfire night was a Sussex tradition, Kate talks about the world of Bonfire Societies, using MAPP to look at the possible impact of the festivities road closures.

    • Opening up the World of Location Planning with COOK

      Opening up the World of Location Planning with COOK

      2nd November 2021

      COOK approached us, keen to open more shops and concessions; they requested a toolset that would help support them in understanding and analysing the potential of new locations. Challenge accepted, we got to work...

    • The top 10 things I learned on the ten-year Geolytix journey

      The top 10 things I learned on the ten-year Geolytix journey

      28th October 2021

      Blair, our CEO has reflected on his 10 years at Geolytix, and has jotted down 10 things that he has learned in the past decade.

    • 10 years of success stories

      10 years of success stories

      27th October 2021

      Geolytix wouldn't be successful without its clients; to celebrate 10 years, we thought we would look back on 10 of our UK projects that have helped us become the company we are today.

    • Refill Stores

      Refill Stores

      19th October 2021

      Can I get a refill? Zero waste suppliers are on the rise in the UK, and I've been trying out a few innovative local options.

    • Growing our affluence (proxies) - finding the rich and the rest

      Growing our affluence (proxies) - finding the rich and the rest

      29th September 2021

      Sometimes to get the perfect data, you have to think outside the box. Faced with a data limitation, Clive our Data Scientist, turned to Facebook to answer a few affluence questions

    • In-person events are back on and we couldn't be happier

      In-person events are back on and we couldn't be happier

      23rd September 2021

      Our CEO Blair Freebairn headed to his first in-person event since before the pandemic started 18-months ago. Below he details the experience at ODI Canal Side Chats

    • Is Food Delivery catering for the rural?

      Is Food Delivery catering for the rural?

      25th August 2021

      The pandemic has brought us a 'new normal'; one such shift has been housing demand. With people looking to relocate to homes outside the city, we look at whether Food Delivery is catering for the Rural.

    • How to juggle freelance work with a research degree: a masters guide

      How to juggle freelance work with a research degree: a masters guide

      17th August 2021

      Oliver Hall recently joined Geolytix as a freelance software configuration developer, whilst completing his Masters at the University of Leeds. Here he discusses juggling masters work, a new job and multiple laptop screens...

    • 3 months after joining Geolytix and I've finally met the team in-person

      3 months after joining Geolytix and I've finally met the team in-person

      21st July 2021

      With offices now allowed to officially open, Lizzie - our latest associate- discusses how working from home didn't hinder the spirit and qualities of Geolytix shining through the virtual workplace.

    • Is Poland turning discount?

      Is Poland turning discount?

      30th June 2021

      With discounters taking more and more market share in Poland, we thought it would be interesting to look at the journey of grocery retail in Poland through the years and try and answer the question: 'Is Poland turning discount?'

    • EUROS 2020(1): The GEOLYTIX Top Trumps

      EUROS 2020(1): The GEOLYTIX Top Trumps

      29th June 2021

      With the EUROS in full swing (and our office sweepstake well under way) we thought we would honour our appreciation of geography and celebrate the stadiums hosting the EUROS - as well as the teams themselves!

    • Life has changed, and so has retail...

      Life has changed, and so has retail...

      16th June 2021

      With the one year mark of the start of the pandemic (and multiple lockdowns) far behind us, our Project Director based in China, thought it would be the perfect opportunity to discuss how life - and retail - has changed.

    • What causes the online halo?

      What causes the online halo?

      11th May 2021

      As much as the precise cause of the classic halo is not entirely settled, the online halo is not totally understood by retail planners. Yet their importance when planning and forecasting, means we need to both understand and model them when planning multi-channel networks.

    • Mobility Data: Battle of Birmingham

      Mobility Data: Battle of Birmingham

      7th May 2021

      Birmingham and the Black Country was a highly requested area for us to look at next, and we couldn't resist. This time we've looked at: Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Brom and Wolves and the results certainly are interesting...

    • Mobility Data Proves It – North London is Ours

      Mobility Data Proves It – North London is Ours

      19th April 2021

      Whilst looking through our Unacast mobile device ping data, we decided to use the data to look at which team had the highest active devices on home matchdays. And the results are in.....

    • Visualising Sakura (cherry-blossom)

      Visualising Sakura (cherry-blossom)

      13th April 2021

      With COVID muting hanami (flower-watching), the true meaning of Sakura - people gathering under the cherry blossoms drinking and picnicking - I decided to visualise the seasonal phenomenon (and plan my celebrations for next year).

    • The changing retail landscape

      The changing retail landscape

      30th March 2021

      With more stores closing than opening in 2020, it is not surprising that UK high streets are left with empty retail units. Instead of leaving the spaces unused, developers are turning to new ways to use the space.

    • International Women & GEOLYTIX

      International Women & GEOLYTIX

      8th March 2021

      To celebrate International Women's Day, I thought it would be a brilliant time to celebrate all the fantastic women in the GEOLYTIX team

    • The Geography of Pokémon GO

      The Geography of Pokémon GO

      26th February 2021

      With the nation locked away, its not surprising we turned to the world of AR and VR. To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Pokémon, we delve into the phenomenon of Pokémon GO, and the impact on mobility and tourism alongside the growing presence of AR in the retail world.

    • Playing to win: Board Game Cafés and the Communal Meeting Space

      Playing to win: Board Game Cafés and the Communal Meeting Space

      22nd February 2021

      The UK’s new indoor lifestyle has prompted a boom in the board game industry over the past year, building on past successes. Waiting to eat up this new demand are the country’s surviving board game cafés, provided we haven’t been too scared away from meeting up in person.

    • How to reinvent retail spaces for a more sustainable future?

      How to reinvent retail spaces for a more sustainable future?

      1st February 2021

      The pandemic has accelerated the so-called Retail Armageddon and we are facing a dramatic oversupply of retail space in the UK. The repurposing of vacant or declining department stores, shopping centres and high streets will require creativity and imagination, but it will also require data.

    • A 4-Month journey with Tesla: a change made on fuelling up

      A 4-Month journey with Tesla: a change made on fuelling up

      25th January 2021

      Tesla reached record sales last year, narrowly missing its half a million target. And with Tesla's entry-level Model 3 sedans now being manufactured at the Shanghai Gigafactory, Tesla is staying on top of the Chinese electric-car sales leader board.

    • A bit more help than just the Milkman

      A bit more help than just the Milkman

      18th January 2021

      2020 was a year we will never forget and it changed the way we socially interacted as a nation. The food industry was significantly impacted, which opened doors for an old British favourite...the milkman.

    • Consistency Across Borders

      Consistency Across Borders

      3rd November 2020

      As retailers increasingly take a more regional or even global view of multi-channel strategy, the importance of defining and applying a consistent data and analytical approach across borders has also increased.

    • Historic England - High Street Heritage Action Zones

      Historic England - High Street Heritage Action Zones

      21st October 2020

      How can you use data to identify ‘similar’ locations? For retailers, looking for areas similar to those with high performing stores, this may be a simple enough task. Counts of surrounding population, competition and demographic data lend themselves well to similarity modelling.

    • How can data help our tourist towns recover?

      How can data help our tourist towns recover?

      10th August 2020

      We’ve been pondering this question at Geolytix. Here in our local state of Victoria, Australia, our tourist towns have been hit by the double whammy of horrific bushfires followed by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

    • Retail Trend in Mainland China - 2019 Review & Outlook

      Retail Trend in Mainland China - 2019 Review & Outlook

      22nd July 2020

      Over the past three years, the top 10 consumer cities in mainland China witnessed the opening of 437 brand new shopping malls – an average increase of 43 malls in each city! And that hasn’t taken into account any reopening’s after upgrading or redevelopment.

    • Retail Network Planners – Your World Needs You.

      Retail Network Planners – Your World Needs You.

      27th March 2020

      Retail powers our modern world. The bars, the shops, the gyms, the post offices, the coffee shops, the estate agents, the bookies, the car showrooms, the petrol stations, the pharmacists. Everything.

    • Augmented Reality in the Physical Retail Space

      Augmented Reality in the Physical Retail Space

      3rd February 2020

      The high street is in danger, and some stores are turning to futuristic technologies to help stave off the likes of Amazon and JD.com. But what exactly is possible, and where could it lead us?

    • When SOLOMO met ME and things got physical.

      When SOLOMO met ME and things got physical.

      20th January 2020

      What on earth does SOLOMOME mean and why should you care?

    • The Workplace Revolution

      The Workplace Revolution

      26th November 2019

      The workplace revolution has prompted a change in the office landscape. Co-working spaces have fast become the popular solution.

    • India Retail Landscape… A decade on

      India Retail Landscape… A decade on

      30th October 2019

      How exciting to be back in India, and particularly Mumbai, after almost a decade away.

    • My Theory on How the Pie Chart was Invented? And what that tells us about innovation.

      My Theory on How the Pie Chart was Invented? And what that tells us about innovation.

      7th October 2019

      The pie chart was invented by a Bastille-storming, money-forging, dueller-libelling, spying, blundering, libertine and jailbird. But no one has figured out how and why.

    • The Added Value of Banking Data

      The Added Value of Banking Data

      30th September 2019

      Across the numerous sectors and markets we support and operate in there is one common theme that keeps arising… and don’t worry it’s not Brexit.

    • The Politics of Palm Oil

      The Politics of Palm Oil

      19th September 2019

      Having just landed back, I intended to write a blog about Malaysian retail from my recent trip. But some things are more important.

    • How a fruit and veg supplier won my heart

      How a fruit and veg supplier won my heart

      22nd July 2019

      I am a reluctant online shopper. I enjoy the actual shopping experience – choosing goods there and then and getting them immediately without expected delivery time.

    • Ways to do your grocery in Shanghai

      Ways to do your grocery in Shanghai

      18th July 2019

      I am a native of Shanghai.

    • One More Jigsaw Piece to Fit into Suning’s Smart Retail Empire

      One More Jigsaw Piece to Fit into Suning’s Smart Retail Empire

      5th July 2019

      This time it is Carrefour China…

    • From Shopping to Dining, Entertaining & Social Networking

      From Shopping to Dining, Entertaining & Social Networking

      20th March 2019

      The Role Transition of a Retail Venue in Chinese Daily Life

    • Shanghai – A Flagship City

      Shanghai – A Flagship City

      11th March 2019

      From a fishing village in the 11th Century, to the world’s busiest port today, Shanghai has long been synonymous with international trade and commerce.

    • Chinese Retailers Entering the UK

      Chinese Retailers Entering the UK

      14th November 2018

      It’s been just over a year since I left China to join Geolytix, back in the UK.

    • A mostly True Fairy Tale (any similarities to the 2004 Morrisons/Safeway merger are purely co-incidental)

      A mostly True Fairy Tale (any similarities to the 2004 Morrisons/Safeway merger are purely co-incidental)

      30th April 2018

      Long long ago, in a land not very far away, the King of GeoConsultingInc was not happy, not happy at all.

    • The changing face of Enfield. Ditching mainstream fashion for wine tasting, a pedicure and a Cuban night

      The changing face of Enfield. Ditching mainstream fashion for wine tasting, a pedicure and a Cuban night

      24th July 2017

      I moved to Enfield 13 years ago, leaving Crouch End to take advantage of the lower house prices.

    • The Future of Oxford Street: Strength to Strength or Fighting for Survival?

      The Future of Oxford Street: Strength to Strength or Fighting for Survival?

      6th June 2017

      London’s Oxford Street is one of the busiest shopping destinations in the world with a history stretching back well over 100 years.

    • We’re still telling our customers where to go – a year in the world of location planning and network strategy

      We’re still telling our customers where to go – a year in the world of location planning and network strategy

      30th March 2017

      Whilst for many 2016 was heavily tainted by Brexit and Trump, for Geolytix it has been a year of establishing our European and Global Strategy.

    • Fresh Trader: Can a wholesaler succeed on the high street?

      Fresh Trader: Can a wholesaler succeed on the high street?

      14th March 2017

      We welcome back Angela, our guest blogger, who shares her view on a different kind of grocery store…

    • Fishnets, Honeycombs and Footballs – Better spatial models with hexagonal grids.

      Fishnets, Honeycombs and Footballs – Better spatial models with hexagonal grids.

      3rd March 2017

      I love the unique mathematical properties of hexagonal tiling for spatial analysis and the inherent possibility to create beautiful bi-variate hex maps.