Inside Retail has launched a new website and an enhanced subscription service for premium subscribers.

Subscription service Inside Retail Professional is designed to help retailers navigate the challenges facing their businesses, as the entire industry faces unprecedented shifts in the way they work, sell, and market themselves in a pandemic.

Professional subscribers will have unlimited access to Inside Retail news, exclusive insights and opinion pieces, quarterly magazines from across APAC, and Inside Retail Weekly; alongside independent research reports, in-depth case studies, webinars with industry experts, and careers advice.

The website will feature regular video interviews with global brands like Deciem (owner of The Ordinary), Global Fashion Group, Lego, Thinx, Twinings, Alice McCall, Lush, Starbucks and many more.

Along with all-new content, the modern website will allow subscribers to easily update content preferences, save must-read articles, and enjoy an enhanced user experience. It will also act as a one-stop shop for accessing all digital magazines.

“Inside Retail has been at the forefront of everything retail and reporting industry news and views for nearly 50 years,” said Amie Larter (pictured), Octomedia General Manager. “We’ve been planning the upgrade to our digital experience and premium offering for over 12 months, and we are happy to launch it at a time where we are seeing a higher demand for in-depth education and insights than ever before.”

Larter confirmed digital engagement peaked in March and April, driven by the need for information and advice on what coronavirus restrictions meant for retailers.

“Readers wanted to know how other businesses were responding to the pandemic, whether it be social distancing measures, store closures or the pivot to e-commerce and online,” she said.

“Inside Retail Professional adds a deeper level to that content and provides our readers with everything they need to get their business through the pandemic and out the other side.

“There’s no denying it’s a challenging time for the industry, but we’re committed to providing the very best resources to help retailers not only survive, but thrive.”

The platform will be supported by a restructured editorial team within Octomedia, the publisher of Inside Retail, with an entire team dedicated to premium content. In Sydney, Jo-Anne Hui-Miller will take on the role of managing editor – premium, taking responsibility for feature content, analysis and insights along with print and digital publications.

The publication will continue its strong commitment to news with free subscribers continuing to have access to 15 free news articles per month, while unsubscribed readers will have a cap of five articles per month. From Asia, Robert Stockdill will take on the role of Head of News and in Sydney, journalist Dean Blake will step up as Deputy News Editor within the News team.