Kurt Geiger: Customers will remember retailers’ coronavirus response April 17, 2020 Businesses that protect employees and support the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic will be rewarded by customers when the crisis is over, according to Kurt Geiger’s chief executive. “Customers will remember who has done the right thing, and who maybe hasn’t, and we want to be on the right side of that when we come [...]
Compassionate capitalism can underpin our coronavirus recovery April 17, 2020 This Covid-19 coronavirus crisis could all be over by autumn. Or by this time next year. We simply do not know. What we do know, however, is that we will need to think carefully and radically about how this country is going to recover from the devastation left behind by the coronavirus pandemic. This pandemic [...]
Coronavirus: Sports Direct-ly to a negative reaction April 15, 2020 Sports Direct recently attempted to keep its stores open despite the Government’s COVID-19 lockdown – arguing that, with gyms closed and Brits stuck indoors, exercise equipment counts as an essential service. YouGov polling reveals that the public overwhelmingly disagrees. Some 95% of Brits believe that sports equipment stores are not key services, and just 3% [...]
Video games firms tapped to feature in-game coronavirus health messages April 6, 2020 The government has teamed up with the British video games industry to insert public health information about coronavirus into some of their most popular hits. Candy Crush Saga, Sniper Elite 4 and Dirt Rally 2.0 are among the games that will feature the ‘Stay at Home, Save Lives’ slogan. The government has already launched ads [...]
Coronavirus: Could the crisis accelerate the need for ESG communications? April 2, 2020 As Britain digests daily press conferences about Covid-19, the words and actions of business leaders are starting to come under increased scrutiny. As small businesses across the country seek banking loans to stay afloat and employees face being furloughed or even made redundant – what leaders do today and how they communicate will have a [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group cuts executive pay amid coronavirus crisis April 1, 2020 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, formerly known as Sports Direct, has reportedly agreed to cut executive pay in order to continue to pay shop floor staff during the coronavirus crisis. Members of the retailer’s senior management team have agreed to reduce their basic pay to a maximum of £40,000 per year from May. The reduction will [...]
Brands that put staff and customers first see popularity soar April 1, 2020 As Britain settles into its second week of lockdown, daily life has become almost unrecognisable. The retail industry has been hit hard as a direct result of enforced closures and decimated consumer demand, leading many businesses to issue profit warnings, withhold rent and lay off staff. However, there are brands who have reacted well to [...]
CMA clears Paddy Power owner Flutter’s £10bn gambling merger March 31, 2020 A gambling mega-merger between Paddy Power owner Flutter and Sky Bet owner Stars got the green light today from the UK’s competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared Flutter’s £10bn purchase of Stars after opening an investigation into the tie-up at the start of February. The CMA found punters would not receive less [...]
Coronavirus: Government slams ‘breath holding’ advice amid fake news crackdown March 30, 2020 Specialist government units have been forced to rubbish claims that holding your breath for 10 seconds is a test for coronavirus amid a surge in misinformation about the pandemic. Number 10’s Rapid Response Unit identified the claim in posts circulating on Facebook and Whatsapp that claimed to come from a board member at Stanford Hospital. [...]
Coronavirus: Mike Ashley ‘deeply apologetic’ for series of mistakes March 27, 2020 Frasers Group boss Mike Ashley has said he is “deeply apologetic” for a series of blunders in the company’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The Sports Direct owner wrote an open letter in which he apologised for his own personal actions and those of the Frasers Group business. Earlier this week, the group had pledged [...]