[← All guides](https://clarveni.com/guides) Example scenario Choose an example [Technology](https://clarveni.com/guides/an-example-weekly-brief) [Retail](https://clarveni.com/guides/a-retail-weekly-brief) [Manufacturing](https://clarveni.com/guides/a-manufacturing-weekly-brief) [Professional services](https://clarveni.com/guides/a-professional-services-weekly-brief) Written example · Fictional businesses and evidence. This scenario uses an older editorial layout: the owner and report-back lines, notes on earlier briefs, the set-aside list and the counts are not part of the emailed brief. [Read the example brief](https://clarveni.com/examples/weekly-brief) Alder & Row / The weekly brief Retail example Monday brief · 28 September 2026 Independent homewares retailer · Protecting margins and developing the hotel trade business This week’s recommendationKeep delivery charges steady. Ask about Hollin’s new hotels. ============================================================ **Mere Home now advertises free delivery on smaller orders. Hollin Hotels has announced two openings.** Check the cost of matching Mere before changing your offer. Then speak to Hollin about its furnishing plans. A new hotel is a reason to ask, rather than an order to count on. 4organisations followed 5developments reviewed 2decisions for this week [1 / The delivery offer](#delivery)[2 / Hollin’s new hotels](#hotels)[What can wait](#watchlist)[Coverage](#coverage)1Mere Home Competitor Delivery & pricing Work out what cheaper delivery would cost you. ---------------------------------------------- A lower threshold could make Mere more attractive for smaller purchases. Matching it needs to make sense for your margins. Mere’s public delivery page shows free standard mainland delivery from £50. It is a newly published offer, so there is no earlier threshold to compare it with. Bulky items are excluded. A customer buying a few smaller homewares may therefore see a lower total at Mere’s checkout, even where the product prices are similar. Alder & Row is protecting margin through the new range launch. Lowering the threshold across the board would also subsidise orders from customers who would have paid for delivery. The public page doesn’t tell us whether Mere is winning more orders or absorbing higher costs. What to do this week**Compare three representative baskets, including delivery.** Use smaller decorative items, a mixed basket and one with a bulky item. Ask Finance to calculate the margin left under a £50 threshold using Alder & Row’s own costs. Recommend keeping the offer or testing a limited change, with a clear cost limit. **Owner** Ecommerce Manager, with Finance**Report back on** Basket comparison and margin check · Monday 5 October 2026 Source note · Observed 25 September 2026Fictional source: Mere Home’s public delivery page, observed on 25 September 2026. It showed free standard mainland delivery from £50, excluding bulky items, and there is no earlier observation to compare it with. It gives no start date for the offer and doesn’t establish checkout availability for every address, order volumes or customer response. 2Hollin Hotels Trade customer Expansion Find out who is furnishing Hollin’s two new hotels. --------------------------------------------------- The announcement gives the trade team a useful reason to speak to an existing customer. Hollin has announced two hotel openings in around six months. In this example, Alder & Row already supplies accessories to one of its properties and wants to develop that relationship. The new properties may need products from the trade range, but the announcement says nothing about furnishing suppliers or purchasing dates. Hollin could already have placed the orders. Establish the position before spending time on a full proposal. What to do this week**Ask your Hollin contact about the furnishing brief and buying timetable.** Confirm who makes the decision, whether suppliers have been appointed and which categories remain open. If there’s a fit, check quantities and lead times with Buying before suggesting a small selection. **Owner** Trade Sales Manager, with Buying**Report back on** Furnishing plans and next conversation · Monday 5 October 2026 Source note · Reported on 24 September 2026Fictional source: Hollin Hotels’ expansion announcement, published 24 September 2026. It describes two planned openings in around six months. It doesn’t confirm procurement arrangements, available budgets or orders for Alder & Row. The existing customer relationship is context supplied for this example. Since we last briefed youKeep the current margin work in view. ------------------------------------- Last week’s recommendation was to check delivery costs before deciding the new offer. Mere’s lower threshold makes that comparison more relevant. Use the same cost assumptions so the team can see what has changed, without starting the work again. Reviewed and set asideTwo developments that can wait. ------------------------------- These updates don’t change this week’s recommendations. Mere HomeNew collection announcement. Include comparable products in the basket check; no separate action. Bracken CeramicsSupplier trade-fair appearance. The announcement contains no new range, prices or delivery terms. CoverageThe published offer is clear. The buying plans need a conversation. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This example includes public updates for all four organisations and two observations of Mere’s pricing page. Alder & Row’s team needs to supply its own cost figures and confirm Hollin’s requirements before acting. End of brief · Alder & Row · 28 September 2026