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.
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Ask about... Retail, Fashion and Hospitality
12 June 2019Many 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, ask how you would deal with it and provide our advice. This month we asked Emma...
How is the luxury and lifestyle sector adopting blockchain and other innovative technologies
05 June 2019The Collective by Lewis Silkin, in partnership with some of the most innovative technology businesses today, will be using real-life case studies and non-technical language to cut through the hype.
Secure future: Good news for tenants in relation to their retail premises
29 April 2019Whilst recent years has seen a trend for retailers to shift from a store-based past to a digital future, for many retailers having a high street presence remains an important part of their brand. Indeed for some retailers, (particularly high end fashion labels) it is critical for their flagship store to be seen to be in a prime location to contribute to the luxury image associated with their brand and they will often pay substantial premiums to ensure they secure a lease of a prime site. Further significant sums will subsequently be spent on the shop fit-out.
The impact of protestors on retailers and how to deal with them
12 April 2019Everyone has the right to hold opinions and impart information and ideas including by peaceful assembly and association with others. These are ‘human rights’ which we all enjoy and which protect the right to protest and which may not be interfered with by a public authority. However, whilst the right to protest is enshrined in law, any protest must be lawful and balanced with the rights of others, including those at whom the protest is directed.
Technology, Customer Authentication and PSD2: payment service providers (and retailers) - are you ready?
25 March 2019Apparently, we will, globally, spend some $4.9 trillion in e-Commerce transactions by 2021. Smartphones generated over 42% of eCommerce revenues in 2018 and there has been a ten-fold increase in biometric smartphones in the last two years. However, against the backdrop of our increasing transactional reliance on smartphones and other mobile devices, e-Commerce fraud increased by 33% in 2016. This put pressure on the EU to keep up with the way in which we shop and to enhance consumer protection by reducing the potential for fraud.
Joanna Hunt and James Walters write for Essential Retail: How prepared is the eCommerce sector for the staffing implications of a no-deal Brexit?
18 March 2019Joanna Hunt and James Walters have written an article for Essential Retail which discusses the challenges faced by the eCommerce sector to maintain access to labour in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
Is logistics really set to become the New Retail?
13 March 2019The term ‘urban logistics’ is certainly on trend in the property market and in an effort to keep pace with the demands of the modern consumer, retailers are increasingly targeting urban industrial units to help tackle a key part of the supply chain; the last mile. The challenges of the high street are well documented and the fragile retail market has forced many retailers to re-assess all aspects of their business model. With traditional store retailers needing more space to help service on-line orders and e-tailers needing to scale up their infrastructure network to support their growth, achieving a flexible and agile supply chain to meet these demands is certainly a topic that should be at the top of any retailers to do list.
Tech Predictions for 2019
11 January 2019Following on from our 2018 Tech Predictions, here are our top ten favourite tech predictions for 2019. Just imagine a world where new technology not only makes us more efficient but improves our lives in other ways - let’s see what 2019 might hold in store!