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The election is over – time for the Tories to deliver for small businesses

It now looks as though political stasis and all the damage that does to business will be lifted in 2020. Boris Johnson’s victory in the election is the Tories’ strongest since the Thatcher era, and gives him great scope to implement bold policies. At this juncture it’s worth taking a…

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Should retailers be banking on the concept store?

Pop-up and concept stores could be key to boosting profitability over the festive season and throughout the year ahead, allowing businesses to take advantage of growing appetite for experiential retail, particularly at key trading periods. But are these agile stores likely to stick around or is it a case of…

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2020 retail predictions

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning skills gap  Retailers have been recognising the huge value Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can bring to their supply chains, whether for forecasting demand, setting prices or anticipating disruption. However, the challenges in 2020 will be ensuring they have the in-house skills to take advantage…

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Businesses are sitting on £115bn and waiting to splurge

Goldman Sachs thinks money will pour into UK stocks and shares after this election, but it’s at least partly because they suspect a Tory victory. Regardless of which side of the Brexit divide you are on, there is one thing that’s for certain: business has been extremely cautious about the…

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Small business owners dip into personal wealth to survive? Of course they do

We are living through an era where there is much discussion about capitalism, taxes, executive pay and so on. Is Philip Green a monster for raiding the BHS coffers when they were his to raid? Is the pay of a city CEO morally acceptable when his lowest paid workers are…

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Preventing seasonal staff from becoming the Nightmare Before Christmas

As we approach the busiest shopping months of the year, many retailers will look to hire additional staff on short-term contracts to allow for the anticipated customer demand. In fact, a cursory search on one of the UK’s top job sites indeed.co.uk shows no less than 5,000 “Christmas” jobs advertised…

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Want to know who will win the election? Watch the pound

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about how badly wrong pollsters can get it. Nobody thought Trump would win, nobody thought Leave would win the referendum, indeed even elections have been too close to call. Though it now feels like a different historical epoch to look…

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Disability discrimination claims– how do you respond to customers?

Customers have strong rights to claim against retailers for discrimination, whether that discrimination is in relation to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or a number of other protected characteristics.  As to disability, one of the most commonly underestimated obligations on service providers (including retailers) is the duty to make reasonable…

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The Lib Dems want to abolish business rates, but don’t hold your breath

Over the weekend the leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson, visited Hertforshire to discuss her party’s approach to SMEs. The timing was important: it was Small Business Saturday, an idea imported from the United States, the purpose of which is to promote buying local, and to draw attention to…

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Why shoppable social media means retailers must embrace returns

Growing social commerce This year marks 25 years since the first secure online transaction was completed, signalling the birth of online shopping and changing the face of retail. Ecommerce has come a long way since 1994, with increasingly sophisticated advertising and sales tools making online shopping more targeted and convenient.…

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