Electric bikes are bucking the work from home trend – and are here to stay January 28, 2021 The global pandemic has transformed the way people travel for work – if they are going into the office at all – and this transformation is here to stay. In most circumstances, this means fewer miles driven, vacant public transport networks, and unfilled flights. Yet, one means of transportation is bucking this trend – the [...]
With no office, our future leaders are being held back January 27, 2021 In spite of the challenges facing central cities around the world at the moment, they are and will remain places with huge concentrations of the jobs which provide the greatest opportunities to learn and to move up the job hierarchy. For young people, Central London offers an unparalleled combination. A range of independent employers with [...]
Debate: Will digital retailers continue to hoover up high street chains? January 27, 2021 Boohoo’s purchase of the Debenhams brand, and Asos’ pursuit of Topshop, suggests that the online revolution has very much succeeded. But is it that simple? Vicky Bullen, CEO, Coley Porter Bell says YES You don’t have to be Mike Ashley to spot the enormous opportunity in online retail since the coronavirus pandemic hit. Never before [...]
Shakespeare: Boohoo buys Debenhams brand to broaden its customer base January 27, 2021 Online fashion giant Boohoo has bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55 million, meaning its remaining stores will be forced to close. Boohoo already purchased the Karen Millen and Coast brands in 2019, however this is the first time the e-tailer has stepped out of the fashion category, with Debenhams enabling entry to the [...]
Difficult headlines shouldn’t scare firms off admitting they’ve got work to do on equality January 27, 2021 When it comes to equality in business, it’s fair to say that very few companies are truly where they want to be yet – being honest about this is uncomfortable but important. In November 2014 we first published our gender pay gap, and four years ago we published our ethnicity pay gap. While I was [...]
Cash for Covid? Cash for jabs makes far more sense January 27, 2021 As the snow fell on Sunday, I almost expected a Cabinet minister to address the nation that very evening: “Don’t go out in the snow. Don’t slip and sprain an ankle. Save the NHS!” It could have been backed up by a scientist brandishing a chart and a “model” to demonstrate that icy weather led to [...]
Supply chains aren’t what they used to be: disruption is now par for the course January 26, 2021 From the impact of COVID-19, to tariff wars between the US and China, and the uncertainty of Brexit, supply chain risk has become increasingly difficult, and important, to manage. At the same time, increased geopolitical tensions have caused a growing concern about nation state espionage, which has put organisations under pressure from governments to “decouple” their [...]
Avo and toast all the way to growth? Don’t ask millennials to bail out the economy January 26, 2021 Millennials finally have some capital – don’t ask them to spend it to ‘save’ the economy Two things are known universally about millennials: they like avocados, and they are the first generation in history that will be financially worse off than their parents. It’s because of that second point that millennials should not be encouraged [...]
Thames have changed: CEOs going green will reap the benefits January 26, 2021 WHEN Paul Polman drank a glass of water drawn from the murky River Thames a decade ago the Dutchman could hardly have imagined how many of his peers would follow suit. Not by matching his dubious consumption, but by attempting to generate more from the companies they run than profit alone. Polman’s stunt took place in November [...]
Going digital? Hold up – hybrid events will be the future January 26, 2021 In recent years, much of the technologically-minded business community has decamped to the windowless, air-conditioned rooms of Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Despite being the showcase for all things digital – from autonomous vehicles to intelligent fridges – it has always been a distinctly physical event. And while many complained of being [...]