Shakespeare: Green tea push leaves PG Tips looking more sustainable July 15, 2020 At the end of 2019 single-use plastic reduction and sustainable packaging was high on the agenda of most businesses. Unfortunately, many sustainable packaging and refill schemes have been paused for reassessment as the coronavirus pandemic makes hygiene more important than ever. However, one brand which has pushed ahead with its sustainable product launch is Unilever’s [...]
Shakespeare: Enforced working from home takes away key customers for commuter reliant brands July 8, 2020 In my previous column I discussed how Pret A Manger’s COVID-19 response earned them admiration from the British public by carefully planning store openings, abiding with social distancing measures and offering free NHS worker perks. Unfortunately it appears that this hasn’t been enough to ensure the brand survives coronavirus completely intact. This week Pret A [...]
Next and M&S show that consumer behaviour isn’t set in stone July 1, 2020 Non-essential shops reopened on 15 June and most leisure attractions are due to reopen on 4 July, indicating a return to some resemblance of normality. There were long queues when high street favourites like Primark reopened, but have 12 weeks of lockdown changed the shopping habits of the British people? New YouGov data suggests that [...]
Shakespeare: PlayStation 5 reveal amps up interest in Sony’s new games console June 24, 2020 The reveal of a new console is an opportunity for developers to make an impression on gamers all over the world – for better or worse. At the start of June Sony presented their newest console design for the PlayStation 5 (PS5). The event saw announcements on new games in a number of franchises, from [...]
Shakespeare: Ben & Jerry’s BLM stance wins plenty of friends June 17, 2020 YouGov data reveals that more than half of Brits (56%) think brands should stay out of political issues. Only a fifth (19%) think it appropriate that they should take a stance. It’s easy to see why the majority feel this way. Brands have gotten it wrong plenty of times – from the pulled Kendall Jenner ad that was accused of trivialising an important racial justice movement to one cosmetics retailer’s widely criticised“SpyCops” campaign – so it’s unsurprising that many have chosen to [...]
Shakespeare: Gousto set to deliver on consumer hunger post-lockdown June 10, 2020 At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, supermarket shelves were emptied as Britons around the country stockpiled and prepared for a lockdown. As shoppers looked for alternative ways to do their weekly food shop, recipe box provider Gousto saw record levels of orders for its meal kit products and were eventually forced to [...]
Shakespeare: Seltzers set to sparkle for Kopparberg June 3, 2020 Swedish brewery Kopparberg is hoping to capitalise on a recent American craze by launching its own range of “Hard Seltzer”, an alcoholic carbonated drink. Known for being low in calories whilst still alcoholic, hard seltzers took the US by storm last year – leading to shortages in stores and even a festival launched bearing their [...]
Shakespeare: Will Hill could be first past the post once lockdown lifts May 27, 2020 Businesses that rely on sports for a large percentage of their revenue have suffered particularly during two months of nationwide lockdown, with no sign of sports returning to pre-lockdown levels anytime soon. Gambling firms have consequently seen customer bases diminish during the last few months, as seen by William Hill, who released a statement reporting [...]
Shakespeare: Primed and ready? May 20, 2020 Budget fast-fashion retailer Primark has been one of the biggest players of the high street since rapidly expanding in the UK during the mid-noughties. According to YouGov Ratings data, Primark is sixth most popular fashion and clothing brand among Britons, while YouGov Profiles data shows two thirds of all Brits would consider purchasing clothes from [...]
Shakespeare: B&Q rollercoaster points to Covid confusion May 13, 2020 Our chart today looks like a rollercoaster and that’s what it must feel like for high street retailers negotiating government advice and public opinion. After initial confusion as to which businesses were “essential” following Boris Johnson’s initial COVID-19 lockdown announcement, Government clarified that hardware stores could remain open. But B&Q reacted to criticism from employees [...]
