Retail, Hospitality & Leisure
The retail, hospitality and leisure sectors live or die by consumer tastes, brand loyalty and spending power, all of which can fluctuate dramatically on a regular basis.
The revolution we’ve seen in recent years, fuelled by new technologies which has altered buying patterns and opened up competition, has forced businesses to constantly adapt and find new ways to reach out to customers, drive sales and defend their businesses and brands.
Divergent trends abound, such as the rise of experiential retail vs the boom in e-commerce, or fast-fashion vs artisan products. The need for sector-savvy legal expertise to guide businesses through these complexities has never been greater.
For us, retail, hospitality and leisure are core focuses of our business. We support major household names and niche businesses, advising on matters as diverse as: licensing brands or designs; securing prime high-street real estate; managing a diverse and transient workforce; drafting supplier contracts; dealing with disputes; launching interactive video solutions; social media marketing; wearable tech; multi and omni channel platforms.
For sectors that never stand still and are driven by innovation and disruption, the insight we offer our clients is second to none. That’s why some of the world’s most recognised traditional and online retailers, restaurant chains, drinks brands, fitness and wellness providers, fashion houses and hotels trust us to advise them.
You can view our latest 2 blog posts below and our full blog here.
Related items
A change in the high street - the hub and spoke approach?
23 June 2020One of the upsides of lockdown has been the wealth of information available through webinars, when experts in their relevant fields, who are usually too busy to disseminate their expansive knowledge, are able to share their views.
COVID-19 advice for corporate occupiers
22 June 2020Commercial tenants – whether occupying offices, retail premises, industrial units or other property - face potentially existential questions arising out of their landlord and tenant relations, how to manage cashflow and outgoings as revenues dry up, premises shut down and uncertainty reigns.
New business to business (B2B) fairness and transparency rules apply to ‘online platforms’ and search engines from 12 July 2020
15 June 2020New 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 2020The 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 2020It 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 2020The 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?
28 April 2020It 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 Covid-19 is accelerating digital transformation, and our top tips for the successful use of Agile software development
16 April 2020During 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.