As house prices surged by 10.2pc in the year to March, their biggest annual increase since the financial crisis of 2007, concerns were raised about the future of home ownership in the UK. Speaking on the current planning system in @Telegraph, Housing Secretary @RobertJenrick acknowledged that there is now a whole generation that "feels...
The Budget Announcement is invariably met with mixed sentiment, but this year the Chancellor’s declaration of planned public expenditure felt different; more tense - and for the many businesses caught up in what Rishi Sunak referred to as the “acute” damage to the UK economy caused by Covid-19, potentially critical for survival. On the whole,...
No one can deny the challenges for a pandemic-driven retail environment in 2020 were unparalleled. A stronger than forecast increase in ecommerce saw seven years growth in nine months, and such change in retail has exposed existing weaknesses, accelerated emerging trends and forced structural change. A clear bi-product of this has been the emergence of...
Guilty or not Guilty? That is the question… In a recent article, I made the case for Fairness-based Inclusion Solutions Fairness-based Inclusion Solutions as opposed to Guilt-driven Inclusion Initiatives. The difference in these two approaches can appear to be subtle but the difference in their impact is huge. In an understandable bid to right...
Much of the UK property industry has been struggling to cope with tighter local restrictions announced by the government this month. However, despite Tier-2 alert status taking hold in the UK capital, an exception to the general downturn in new lettings and acquisitions has emerged in the London office market, which is showing signs...
While the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, governments are in overdrive to mitigate the potential risks to public health, wellbeing and world markets of what is undoubtedly the most significant global event to occur in a lifetime. Financial markets have experienced sharp and sudden shifts, with Bank of England cutting the UK base...
The dawn of a new decade will always bring a certain symbolic significance to a gathering of minds in real estate, or any industry for that matter. In the case of MIPIM 2020, which is now fewer than 40 working days away, it’s a milestone moment to explore the macro trends that will shape...
With our own aspirations for personal development in mind after the festive period, two growth stories of grocery chains grabbed our attention in Week 1 of 2019. Both Amazon’s Whole Foods and UK based-grocery chain Co-op announced plans for growth this week, with the former planning to increase its store count in US suburban...
This week, @amazon launched its first general store in Soho, New York City. Aptly named ‘4 Star’, the store is stocked solely with Amazon’s 4-star + rated products. Contrary to the traditional retail model, where inventory is decided by buyers following market research and a fair number of assumptions, 4 Star’s collections are curated based on a rich pool of customer feedback. It’s perhaps...
The ease of shopping on Farfetch has no doubt contributed to its mass appeal amongst millennials seeking convenient retail therapy. The same can be said for its vast network of brand partnerships with both established luxury names and up-and-coming designers. However, it’d be far too easy to package up Farfetch’s success and, its recent move...
