Debenhams closure: Timeline of department store chain’s collapse December 1, 2020 Department street chain Debenhams announced this morning that it is preparing to close down after failing to attract a buyer, but the former high street giant’s problems stretch back over several years. Earlier this year the struggling retailer entered administration for the second time in 12 months, even before Covid-19 forced it to close its [...]
Return of fans to sport will encourage brands to lift the handbrake on big campaigns November 30, 2020 When The Beatles walked off-stage at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in August 1966 it would be another two and a half years until they played live. When they walked out onto the roof of Apple Records HQ on Savile Row a small matter of 885 days later, they launched straight into a brand-new track: Get [...]
There’s a new type of leader in town: Agile, decisive, and interested in more than their own voice November 27, 2020 The turbulence of 2020 has provided a new lens through which to look at our leaders, prompting a rethink of what leadership should look like in the Covid era and beyond. Over the past nine months, leaders have had to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, sweeping technological changes, worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, and of course [...]
How to stage a limited capacity match in the Covid era, from socially distanced seating to ordering drinks November 25, 2020 Sports clubs across England are preparing to host limited-capacity events when lockdown ends next week, but Harlequins are one step ahead. The Premiership rugby club had 2,800 at their home, The Stoop, for a match against Bath in early September, as part of a nationwide pilot scheme. Here, Adrian Wells, chief marketing officer at Harlequins, [...]
Surrey and Harlequins welcome return of fans but warn that capacity limits will lose clubs more money November 24, 2020 Two of English sport’s biggest clubs have welcomed the imminent return of fans but warned that staging matches with restricted capacity is not financially sustainable. Spectators will be able to attend live sport in limited numbers when the country’s second lockdown is lifted on 2 December, it was announced on Monday. The move is a [...]
Investor sentiment in City upbeat as Trump hints at orderly transfer of power November 24, 2020 Despite the lacklustre start to this week’s trading, investor sentiment in the City and beyond is certainly becoming much less pessimistic. This renewed push appears to have come about as a result of overnight events in the US, where Joe Biden is starting the transition process to a new US administration next year. “President Trump [...]
The Big Rebuild: Why sport must recognise importance of PR before it’s too late November 20, 2020 Covid-19 has ripped the sports industry to shreds, leaving a trail of bare-bones teams who are overworked and stretched. During a second lockdown it might seem hasty to think about rebuilding and planning for the coming months. But we know that one day sport’s fan ban will be lifted. Once it does, it will happen [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group increases stake in luxury brand Mulberry November 19, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has increased its stake in Mulberry, sending the luxury handbag firm’s share price up more than eight per cent this morning. Frasers Group, which was formerly known as Sports Direct, has upped its stake in the designer brand to 36.82 per cent. The group, which also owns House of Fraser, Jack [...]
Frank Stephenson on the rights and wrongs of car design November 17, 2020 Frank Stephenson’s car design CV stretches from the modern Mini to the McLaren P1. We ask about his career and what BMW has been drinking.
Buying the hype – Are baskets a solution to bubbles? November 17, 2020 The events and turbulence of this year need no explanation. The global pandemic, US election and everything in between have sent dramatic waves across the markets. With so much volatility and uncertainty rocking the markets, stocks have continued to break records and climb to new highs and equal lows throughout the year. In response, increasing [...]