People
Matt Clark
EMEA Leader, Retail, Partner & Managing Director
London
In today’s competitive landscape, retailers must take bold steps to drive growth beyond their core operations through proactive, inorganic strategies.
The third chapter of our Unlocking volume growth report – produced in partnership with World Retail Congress – explores three pathways to redefine market position and realise new value: transformational M&A, creative growth accelerators, and restructuring tools and special situations.
Key themes
Transformational M&A
In this high-stakes period, retailers are turning to transformational M&A to scale and build robust ecosystems. Consolidation drives scale, while carve-outs and rationalisation free up capital. Leverage distress by targeting underperforming assets where turnarounds can restore profitability, and stay open-minded on alternative deal structures.
Creative growth accelerators
Growth today is accelerated through flexible, low-risk structures that deliver resilience and diversification. Think beyond traditional retail models. Monetise operational excellence as a B2B service, explore multi seller marketplace platforms, and use targeted partnerships or joint ventures to drive speed and scale in new markets.
Restructuring moves that unlock scale
Proactive restructuring is not just about survival – it's a key lever for reigniting growth. Early, decisive action enables retailers to reposition their businesses, streamline operations, and capture new opportunities as others retreat. Act early to maximise options, take difficult decisions to focus capital strictly on core profitable areas, and leverage formal restructuring tools to create a stable platform for sustained growth.
Explore our Unlocking volume growth report:
Chapter 1
Brilliant basics: Fix the fundamentals
This chapter explores three levers for resetting the foundation: reinvigorating core trading, building the productivity flywheel to fund growth, and updating legacy technology and data to enable speed.
Chapter 2
Differentiate to drive demand
This chapter explores three routes: winning customers from rivals, creating unique product innovation to ensure relevance, and leveraging creative channel differentiation.
Chapter 3
Big bets: Pursue inorganic growth
This chapter explores three pathways to redefine market position and realise new value: transformational M&A, creative growth accelerators, and restructuring tools and special situations.
Unlocking volume growth
For retail executives, one stark reality overshadows all others: the pursuit of like-for-like volume growth has become a matter of survival.
This report provides a practical guide for retail executives, featuring actionable strategies, multiple case studies, and insights from leaders who have succeeded in rebuilding their fundamentals, driving clear differentiation, and pursuing bold inorganic opportunities to win.
