It’s Really Time To Talk About IR35

There’s a big recruitment elephant in the room. IR35, the revised rules for ‘off-payroll working’, goes live from 6 April and it’s going to mean big changes for contractors. In this post, we explore how it’s still not too late to take action. The impact of IR35 will vary from organisation to organisation, but if

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Retail sales near pre-lockdown levels in June

UK retail sales were near pre-lockdown levels in June, as the reopening of shops released pent-up demand. The amount of goods sold last month increased by 13.9% compared to May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

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The Works hires property consultants to expand store estate

The Works has appointed property consultancy firm GCW as it seeks to expand its store estate across the UK. The craft and stationery retailer hopes GCW could help it find stores to launch across the south east of England. The Works currently has 530 stores trading across the UK, and is considering opportunities in towns

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Brits prefer “caring” approach from retailers, new research finds

New research by social media platform Twitter has found that Brits are expecting brands to have a more “caring” tone of voice in their messaging post-pandemic. At least 1000 UK users were surveyed in June and only seven per cent were found to be satisfied with businesses continuing with their regular tone of voice. Twitter

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The North Face unveils limited edition t-shirts crafted from single-use plastic collected in the Alps

The North Face brings a new collection straight from the heart of the Mountains. Bottle Source has been produced from 18,000kgs of plastic bottles collected from waste streams in the Alps. The limited edition Recover Tee embodies the ethos of the brand, enabling exploration through safeguarding our epic wilderness.

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Superdrug’s new initiative to combat cyberbullying

Superdrug has unveiled its anti-bullying pledge to help combat online trolling on social media. Following a spike in “unacceptable negative messages” while highlighting emerging talent on its platforms, Superdrug has partnered with youth organisation Ditch the Label to remind social media users users to #BeKind online and create a bully-free zone.

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Kim Kardashian West Is Worth $900 Million After Agreeing To Sell A Stake In Her Cosmetics Firm To Coty

In what will be the second major Kardashian cashout in a year, Kim Kardashian West is selling a 20% stake in her cosmetics company KKW Beauty to beauty giant Coty for $200 million. The deal—announced today—values KKW Beauty at $1 billion, making Kardashian West worth about $900 million, according to Forbes’ estimates.

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Online Gaming: The Rise of a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

From tabletops to virtual reality, how we play games is changing with the times. In just a few short decades, the world of online gaming has exploded in popularity. Estimated to reach $196 billion in revenue by 2022, it is now considered to be one of the fastest growing industries on the planet. The infographic

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Hammerson works with Red Ant to launch ‘Crowd Checker’ website feature

Hammerson has worked with retail technology partner Red Ant to launch a new feature on its destination’s websites to help customers plan their visits. ‘Crowd Checker’ provides shoppers with live updates on how popular a centre is in real time, so that they know when to visit to beat the crowds. The feature is currently

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Covid Boosted Retail Subscriptions Up To 145%: The New Retail Therapy?

Subscriptions is now perhaps the default way we consume music and premium video content. Is it possible that will happen for retail as well?

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Royal Mail delivers record number of parcels

Royal Mail delivered 308 million parcels between 30 March and 28 June – up 38% on the same period last year.

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How People and Companies Feel About Working Remotely?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce, and half of all “information workers”, are able to work from home. Though the number of people working partially or fully remote has been on the rise for years now, the COVID-19 pandemic may have pressed the fast-forward button on this trend. With

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From ‘BIC For Her’ To BIC For Them – How Cancel Culture Got BIC Back On Track

2012 wasn’t a great year for BIC. Despite fifty-plus years of global success (with the 100 billionth sold in 2006, the BIC ‘Cristal’ is the best-selling pen in the world), one product launch got the brand canceled overnight. I am, of course, talking about BIC For Her—the pink and purple pens marketed to women as

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Ocado is relaunching its app after being forced to scrap it in March due to 1000% jump in traffic.

Ocado is relaunching its app months after being forced to shut it down and turn away new customers as it was pushed to breaking point. In mid-March, the online grocer reported a jump in site traffic of more than 1000 per cent, days before lockdown was imposed in the UK.

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Stylist reveals how to shop for clothes when you can’t try anything on

Shops may be (slowly) opening once again, but shopping right now is still quite a different experience to the pre-coronavirus style we’re used to. From socially distanced queues and one-way systems round the aisles to closed-off changing rooms, it’s going to be challenging to buy clothes without immediate buyer’s remorse.  

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What can retailers do with their spring 20 stock mountain?

Retailers face being left with mountains of unsold spring and summer stock. What can they do with all that excess inventory?   Sitting in empty shops and piling up in distribution centres, excess stock has become a multibillion-pound problem for fashion retail as the coronavirus pandemic continues to decimate trade.

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Pinko: expanding in a pandemic

Pietro Negra, CEO of Italian womenswear brand Pinko, tells Drapers why he is persevering with opening new UK stores and his ambitions in China. Pietro Negra founded the Pinko brand in the late 1980s with his wife, Cristina Negra. He lives in Fidenza, Parma, in northern Italy. Pinko has seven points of sale in the

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