Insights & News

To mark Black History Month, we’ve looked at some of the ads that have been labelled racist in both the UK and further afield, but we’ve been shocked to identify the biggest offender of all

30 October 2020

Author’s note: I always give careful thought before publishing offensive ads in articles or including them in presentations, but unfortunately, I think it is often essential so that the reader or audience can fully appreciate the story. Nevertheless, I should like to apologise for any offence that is caused by the ads included in this piece.

New business to business (B2B) fairness and transparency rules apply to ‘online platforms’ and search engines from 12 July 2020

15 June 2020

New EU rules requiring online platforms (including e-commerce marketplaces and price comparison sites) and search engines to deal with their business users fairly and transparently, come into force in the UK and across the EU on 12 July.

European Commission supports voluntary travel vouchers but what are the implications for the UK travel business?

22 May 2020

The European Commission has issued a “Recommendation”, announcing that it wants to encourage consumers to accept vouchers in place of cash refunds for cancelled holidays.

Cancellations and refunds during the COVID-19 pandemic

11 May 2020

It seems that every day there is a new report in the media about ordinary people being denied refunds when holidays, weddings, bar mitzvahs, anniversary parties and other events which they have paid for have been cancelled as a consequence of national or global lockdown measures. In some cases, the travel company/event organiser has insisted on collecting balancing payments from their customers as well.

How franchisors and franchisees can work together to combat the impact of Covid-19

29 April 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is a truly universal crisis, with no regard for borders or socio-economic systems. In just a few short weeks, it has caused havoc for businesses around the world, making casualties of household names and showing us that size doesn’t matter after all. For businesses large and small, online and on the high street, swift action is required to limit the potential long-term damage. For franchise businesses, meaningful – and perhaps unprecedented – cooperation between franchisor and franchisee is also vital.

I didn’t sign up for this! Can parties escape obligations when the deal changes?

27 April 2020

It is estimated that 20% of the world’s population is living under some form of lockdown as various governments roundly seek to combat the spread of Covid-19. The impact has seen businesses forced to adapt to a reality that they would never have envisaged. Measures in the UK have left a variety of sectors reeling as shops have shut, operations have been restricted and events have been cancelled.

Online Sales: how C-19 is changing the logistics landscape, and our top tips for successful logistics arrangements

Inbrief

16 April 2020

C-19 continues to have an unprecedented impact on businesses and is accelerating shift from brick and mortar stores to greater online presence.

Online sales: How Covid-19 is accelerating digital transformation, and our top tips for the successful use of Agile software development

Inbrief

16 April 2020

During and after the C-19 environment, those businesses who adapt what they sell and adapt how they market, sell and deliver their products will be better positioned to survive and grow. The shift from bricks and mortar to online shopping has been going on years. For many, C-19 has accelerated the need for many businesses (both b2c and b2b) to transform their digital platforms. In addition, businesses are having to adapt and make radical changes to their supply chains, including logistics, so as to source and deliver a different mix of products and deliver a greater proportion of products to customer homes instead of to stores or depots.

Implying terms into commercial contracts impacted by COVID-19

31 March 2020

We live and work in unprecedented times. The health of the population is rightly the priority, but it is abundantly clear that steps taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are having a very significant impact on the ability of businesses to fulfil obligations in commercial contracts.

Retail, hospitality and leisure Covid 19 survey, from The Collective by Lewis Silkin

26 March 2020

Between 19 - 24 March 2020, we conducted a survey for thought leaders in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, in order to share the data and help others facing these unprecedented times.

Coronavirus creating uncertainty for landlords

13 March 2020

Covid-19 (or the coronavirus as it is more commonly known) has now been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

Coronavirus and business to consumer (b2c) contracts: what are the implications?

09 March 2020

As Coronavirus fills up our news feeds, attention is turning to the impact it is having in the workplace and, ultimately, on the provision of goods and services that we all buy and sell as consumers.

Court of Appeal refuses to depart from "natural and ordinary" meaning of commercial indemnity clause

26 February 2020

The Court of Appeal has considered the construction of an indemnity clause in a trust deed holding that the words used should be given their natural and ordinary meaning. The case highlights the importance of clear and careful drafting as the courts will not readily rescue parties from the effects of the words used even where this means an unexpected advantage for a party.

Ask About... Fashion, Retail and Hospitality

04 February 2020

Many of our clients in the retail, fashion and hospitality sector face similar HR issues. Each month one of the members of our team will identify an issue, consider how it should be dealt with and provide our advice. This month we asked James….

2020 Tech Predictions

08 January 2020

Well, it’s that time of the year where we use our 20/20 vision to see what exciting technology changes lie ahead in the next year and beyond. As it’s 2020, we couldn’t resist the urge to treat you to 20 of our best tech predictions, which build on the themes from our Tech Predictions for 2019.

Ask About… Retail, Fashion and Hospitality

16 December 2019

Many of our clients in the retail, fashion and hospitality sector face similar HR issues. Each month one of the members of our team will identify an issue, consider how it should be dealt with and provide our advice. This month we asked James...

Of feathers and tax

12 December 2019

Around 350 years ago, LOUIS XIV’S FINANCE minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, famously declared that “the art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing.”

Fashion & Copyright: Securing your design

12 December 2019

The recent landmark decision of Cofemel v G-Star Raw, outlines that copyright protection exists for designers across the EU if their works are original. “Originality” is defined as: the own intellectual creation of the author. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) stated that no additional national legal requirements are needed to bring a claim for copyright infringement, except for originality. The decision should help to unify the approach to EU copyright laws.

Champagne at Tiffany’s!

04 December 2019

Apologies for the terrible pun, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” didn’t sound appropriate for the soon-to-be owner. It has been announced last week that LVMH has agreed a deal to acquire Tiffany & Co. at a valuation of $16.6bn. And just before the Christmas rush of “acquisitions” of perfectly wrapped turquoise boxes!

Impact of AI in retail

28 November 2019

Chatbots, facial recognition, biometrics and a host of other Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) technologies are being utilised by the retail sector at an increasingly progressive rate and it is predicted by 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be managed by AI.